My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

AIBU to leave baby outside?

100 replies

GingerRodgers · 11/02/2014 21:46

Happy to be told if I am but dh and I can not agree on this one.
On occasion we have taken dd for a walk and she has fallen asleep in her pushchair. When it's cold and dry she is obviously wrapped up well and warm when we're out.
When we get home the only place the pushchair can go is in the hall right next to the radiator.
Alternatively we can wheel her round the back and put the pushchair on the back garden.
The garden has a high fence with a locked gate. The kitchen faces directly out onto the garden.

I say it's better to let her sleep in the garden and watch from the kitchen rather than leave her next to the radiator as she will overheat and undressing her will wake her.

Dh is aghast at the thought and can not bring himself to leave her outside at all. Thinks I'm being beyond unreasonable for even considering it.

So, AIBU and if so why?

For the record, dh doesn't know why IABU but I just am HmmGrin

OP posts:
Report
FuckyNell · 11/02/2014 21:47

Yanbu

Report
GingerRodgers · 11/02/2014 21:47

Oh and this is quite lighthearted. We're not considering divorce on the outcome.

OP posts:
Report
Beamur · 11/02/2014 21:48

My Granny was a big advocate of letting babies sleep outside (usually at the end of a very long garden so she could have a few minutes peace).
Seriously though, if your garden is secure, you can see your baby all the time and she is warm and comfortable I'd leave her outside for a bit. YANBU

Report
minkersmum · 11/02/2014 21:49

If you are having a cuppa and watching from the kitchen I can't see a problem. My dc all enjoyed sleeping outside as babies. So did my charges when I was a nanny.

Report
Mim78 · 11/02/2014 21:50

Outside is fine if she is wrapped up, you can see her and it is a secure garden. In Scandinavian countries they apparently leave kids to sleep outside in freezing tempertures - wrapped up of course - and school children sometimes go to outside beds for a nap.

Report
supadupapupascupa · 11/02/2014 21:51

YANBU I used to do this often.

Report
Dromedary · 11/02/2014 21:52

I can't understand why your DP is so bothered by this? What is his reasoning?
At my DC's nursery the babies were put outside in prams every day.

Report
DarlingGrace · 11/02/2014 21:53

Babies should be outside for a couple of hours a day. Suitably wrapped of course.

Report
Bearfrills · 11/02/2014 21:53

I used to do this with DD. she would fall asleep as I was dropping DS at nursery and as soon as I wheeled her into the house the change in temperature/light/sounds would wake her up and she'd do that horrible "haven had a log enough sleep" whinge for the rest of the morning. One of my friends suggested parking her in the back garden instead so I did. Back door open, side gate locked, and I just pottered about the kitchen while she slept.

Report
zebbidy · 11/02/2014 21:53

I do this with my baby. She too is fully wrapped up and warm, she seems to sleep pretty soundly. I see it as getting some fresh air too, rather than spending all day in a centrally heated stuffy house.

Report
MiddleAgeMiddleEngland · 11/02/2014 21:55

It's really healthy to let a baby sleep in the open air. Your garden seems very safe and you can see her easily when she wakes or needs attention. My only worry would be cats or other animals but if you can check for that she'll be fine. She'll probably have less colds and coughs than mollycoddled babies.

Mine were regularly pushed round the block to get them to sleep in the pushchair and then parked in the back garden for an hour. It's true about Scandinavian babies - I know a baby with Danish parents near us who frequently let him sleep outside.

Report
changedirection · 11/02/2014 21:56

YANBU
To the baby, being left in the garden is no different to the rest if the time spent outside in the pram (I assume he doesn't think you shouldn't go out for walks with her?)

I would have loved to have been able to do this when mine was small, but could only get to garden through house and that was one doorstep too many for him to stay asleep. Did sometimes make use of the conservatory when cold though. Far safer than bringing them inside and staying all wrapped up!

Report
CrohnicallyFarting · 11/02/2014 21:57

If DD has fallen asleep in the pushchair, that's where she's staying! If she's wrapped up against the cold, that means leaving her in the back garden, yes. So long as you can see or hear at all times it's fine.

Report
MrsGoslingWannabe · 11/02/2014 21:59

You could turn the radiator off.

You don't leave her outside in the dark do you?

Report
WorraLiberty · 11/02/2014 22:00

YANBU at all

But put the raincover down

My Mum discovered next door's cat curled up with me in my buggy when I was 2yrs old Grin

Report
ZuluWarrior · 11/02/2014 22:00

My 3 have all slept outside for naps. My current baby, DS2, sleeps outside in the mornings because the double buggy doesn't fit through the door after the nursery run Grin

Report
GingerRodgers · 11/02/2014 22:00

We could turn the radiator off but she's dressed for winter so she'd still be too hot in the house.
If I put her outside in the dark I couldn't see her! Grin
No, just daylight.

OP posts:
Report
SomethingkindaOod · 11/02/2014 22:03

I did this before we moved. In this house there's nowhere secure enough that I can see her without leaving a door open so she comes inside and I attempt to take a layer off without waking her up.
YANBU, I bet most of us were left outside to sleep as babies.

Report
Finola1step · 11/02/2014 22:03

YANBU. I used to do this with dd. I left her pram just outside the back door with the door open where I could see her and hear her at all times while I had a coffee and a bit of what I liked to call "golden time" (half an hour to myself where I couldn't do any housework because it would wake the baby!).

She would only sleep for about half an hour but always woke up happy and raring to go if she had slept outside.

I agree with you about sleeping near a radiator or heater. Very unhealthy. Risk of over heating but also the heavy headed feeling after sleeping in a hot room is pretty grim.

Report
Chippednailvarnish · 11/02/2014 22:06

I did this with my DS and my Mil went ballistic in case a cat decided to smother him Confused

Report
Catsmamma · 11/02/2014 22:06

ahhhh...I used to leave ds1 in his pram in the garden...he was a September baby and I had a big pram. The dog would go out and lie under the pram and look at me reproachfully. She never thought I raised that child properly!!

Report
morchoxplz · 11/02/2014 22:07

One benefit a boost in the scant amount of vit d available at this time of year.
A Norwegian mum who was also an ITU nurse told that they put babies outside to sleep until the temp is minus 20. Below that is thought to be too cold!

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

TeWiSavesTheDay · 11/02/2014 22:07

DD2 sleeps in our (v cold) conservatory.

I probably wouldn't leave her outside because I know I wouldn't hear her cry.

It seems sensible if you are sure you will know when she wakes though.

Report
blueberryboybait · 11/02/2014 22:09

Both my girls have slept outside in rain, sun and snow. Perfectly healthy and slept like logs.

Report
bodygoingsouth · 11/02/2014 22:11

if you can see the baby from inside that's fine. far more sensible than waking her up and definatly more sensible than putting her by a hot radiator all togged up.

babies used to regularly be out outside to sleep.

as long as she's warm and dry, it's all good.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.