hospital and other children are at home and partner hasn't offered to help

They’re under 18, in my Trust that wouldn’t be allowed.

Get your boyfriend to go and stay at your house and help look after his own child!

Could you go home and send your 17 year old to the hospital to be with your 11 year old? Just for overnight. So he’s helping but easier to sit with your 11 year old with docs & nurses around them than him being at home with a potential fussy baby all night.

Why have you left your baby with your eldest rather than baby’s father? Surely it’s the father’s responsibility?

A 17yo could be the paid babysitter....

The 17yo son and his friend are responsible for the baby and ‘other children’. That’s not okay. Sure 17yos can have babies but that’s not the point. Her son and his mate are not responsible for this baby and the other children’s safety and I can’t believe that with so many kids there isn’t a single other adult related to them who can’t be called upon, even if it’s a paid babysitter. The eldest son should not be a carer for all his siblings and the female friend is irrelevant really. If this baby’s dad is useless, does he not have parents who care about their grandchild and would help? Even social services would arrange something if there’s no adult around to care for an infant. That might give this deadbeat ‘dad’ a wake up call.

Not true. It is generally much better for a child if a familiar caring adult can stay with them, but there is no legal position to keep a parent there. It is possible to get a court order for the child to have to stay for treatment, but that is an utter nightmare that is hardly ever used, as it is so much better all round if you can negotiate a plan with the parents, but that may be what you're thinking of.

In this case, it really does sound like your 11 year old needs you, so you partner needs to step the fuck up and look after his baby.

why didn’t you ask him to come and collect the baby. Unfair to expect a 17yr old boy to care for such a young baby. He clearly doesn’t see it as his responsibility. No way i’d be moving in with him.

Sorry , i though he was on a ward not in A and E .

It looks as though there is a 17 yo in charge, a 14 yo, an 11 yo in hospital, a 6 yo somewhere & a 7 mo baby.

Presumably the 17 yo friend has a home to go to as well. Your BF needs to come home and act like a responsible adult & parent.

But it is the OP who doesn’t want to live with the father of the baby and it is OP who isn’t asking the father to step up although he should’ve offered and also she is reluctant to leave him in charge of the baby in a couple of weeks, she’s explained that, so what is really happening

@dinosaursroars pleae ignore my previous post and talk to the nurses.

I didn’t realise this was the case as the last time my child was in overnight we were told we had to stay with them and weren’t even supposed to leave the ward/them to get ourselves food. Not that I wanted to at that point!

The situation with the baby's father is clearly ridiculous, but I don't think it's terrible that OP has left baby with two 17yos.

OP, talk to the nursing staff and explain the baby isn’t with anyone suitable. They will be able to help you bring them in if you can’t have them at home and they sometimes allow it or help with sign posting you to emergency care. Which you might need if to he won’t step up and your son can’t look after him and then you can leave the dad after this. If you need social services help for one night it’s not a reason to take your child re off you, please don’t think that. They see it as someone doing the right thing by their children and that’s what they want

Yes you can. Parents do it all the time. Children’s nurse.

No it isn't, 17 year olds can have children themselves funnily enough.

It is more concerning that op has multiple young children without a single other competent adult seemingly involved. Not much she can do about that now I guess but for the love of god stop having kids

Hang on, the baby is his, and he’s not looking after his child while you are in this situation?

MY GOD.

Get rid of him. Don’t have children with losers.

You can’t leave a child in hospital, legally there has to be a parent or guardian with them 24/7

Why don’t you want to leave baby with his dad? Is there something you’re not telling us?

This

Is your 17 yo looking after other children as well as the baby?

The fact you have left your baby with a just turned 17 year old who is not experienced enough to do it is a safeguarding issue. You seem already stressed enough and I feel for you the situation your child is in but you need to ring your partner and tell him your other child cannot look after the baby, I do wonder why you had a child with that man in the first place but at the moment that’s the least of your problems

How many children and what ages? Any other additional needs? I'm so sorry it's awful having no support system but is your 17 yr old able to handle this with or without the baby?

If he's not responsible enough to have his baby in an emergency what's the point of him

So how many children are there, how old are they and are they all at home with the17 yo?

(Hope they find out what's troubling your 11 yo old soon)