How am I supposed to stay in the same room as the baby for all naps?!

[Luertiak]

Just that really. I understand I am meant to be in the same room as my newborn for all daytime sleeps (obviously they are in the same room as us at night). But if he falls asleep in his moses in the living room am I then seriously not allowed to go for a wee or get a cup of tea or answer the front door to the postman? He sleeps for 2-3 hours solid sometimes. If you have a second DC then how do people work it then - surely you need to move around the house during the day?

I know people will say "the sling" but I can't believe that absolutely everyone with a newborn has them nap in a sling.

Who told you that was necessary? Not at all! When he sleeps is exactly when you have a bath or make a meal or get on with your life otherwise. As long as he is safe in a Moses basket with animals out of the room that’s fine!

Of course you can go for a wee/answer the door!

Presumably you sleep when the baby is asleep at night, so you have your eyes off them for far longer periods than just going for a wee.

Meant to by whom? Never got the memo myself

You don’t have to be in the same room as a sleeping baby

I mean, keep an eye on them, but not going for a wee or answer the door sounds really excessive. If you plan to be in a different room for longer periods of time, I’d use a baby monitor.

It's NHS advice. Same room as baby for all sleeps night and day. See screenshot.

It means don't stick them upstairs and forget about them for an hour. Having a wee/ answering the door / making a coffee is totally fine!

I’d say there’s a difference between being in a different room for a longer period of time - e.g. lying down in your bedroom for a nap - and the examples you mentioned. But it might be worth addressing it with your health visitor to stop any worries as having a newborn is hard enough, you don’t need the additional pressure of stopping yourself from having a wee for hours x

yes, in the same room, in a moses basket, but it doesn't mean that you can't leave the room or take your eyes off them. you can make a cup of tea, answer the door etc, you don't need to remain glued to their side.

You are taking the advice too literally. You can go to the loo, make a cup of tea etc. You don't have to hover by the cot maintaining a constant vigil.

I brought it up with both HV and MW as I thought it was totally unrealistic and both stated categorically I was not to leave the baby asleep alone ever for the first 6 months, even momentarily 🤷‍♀️

I'm only taking it literally because I was told to explicitly by both HV and MW.

Attached photo is from this website https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/safer-sleep-basics/sleeping-position/#:~:text=Babies%20should%20always%20be%20in,if%20you%20are%20close%20by.

photo!

Mine sleeps for 3 hours. I can't go 3 hours without a wee.

That sounds like them covering their back to me.
My dd is a 90’s baby. She was put in her big silver cross pram, well wrapped and outside in October where she slept very well. I obviously checked on her every 15 minutes but my biggest worry was cats and so the cat net was always put on the pram.

That is such nonsense and just another stick to beat mothers with. Ignore it. Make sure that your baby is safe, in a Moses basket or cot, in a sleeping bag or swaddled, on his back, in a room which is not too hot, and check on him regularly.

To be clear I'm fine to be in the same room as him for naps, I just was flabbergasted by the assertion that I wasn't even allowed to leave him for 2 minutes to go for a wee or boil the kettle.

Well I can't actually, as I have a bladder condition which means I'm in a lot of pain if I don't empty it frequently.

And my baby hates the sling.

I mean how is being in the next room having a cup of tea, with your ears open, more dangerous than being in the same room, fast asleep (napping when he is napping?). It patently isn’t.

My DH comes from a scandi country and all the babies nap outside in their prams year round!