To leave my baby alone sleeping in the garden every day?

[TiffanyDoggett]

Always in the shade and I check him regularly to make sure he's not crying. I'm no advocate of CIO and it's purely because he sleeps well out there not because I won't hear him (as I suspect in times past it may have been the reason)!

I blame my Mum who always asks why he's napping indoors when she comes round and promptly asks if she can wheel him out in his Pram.

Does anyone else do this regularly?

A few things;

Under 12 months isn't it a bit too risky to leave the baby completely unattended even if you checking every 15 mins or so because of the risk of SIDS. A lot can happen in a few mins. Food/formula could repeat on the baby and cause the baby to choke. Even in the shade and under a tree, the baby could overheat and quickly (ESPECIALLY in this weather).

Are your fences/walls high and secure enough to prevent someone from entering your garden where the baby is. Is your garden overlooked so that others including neighbours are aware that the child is napping out there. It would be every child molesters dream to know that your baby naps regularly in the garden and is essentially unattended. You might be checking every 15-20-30 mins but it literally takes seconds to walk in, pick up the baby and walk away (or more likely get in a car and drive away). If you think I'm being OTT, a 6 YEAR OLD went missing from her HOME in Scotland and the body was found approximately 3 or so weeks ago.

For any of the reasons stated above, I wouldn't leave a young child/baby alone anywhere other than inside my home. If there was someone continuously out there, e.g. another child or adult then that would be totally different as they can do their own thing and leave the baby to nap in peace.

Is there someway you could have a middle ground like you work/relax in the kitchen or front room (if you have a door(s) leading outside) and have them in a shaded area just by the doorway/patio doors so they get the benefit of the fresh air and being outside but they are within earshot and view of you at all times.

Hummus I just assumed it was because you wouldn’t be able to see them in fog. I wouldn’t put them in garden whilst I was inside as I wouldn’t feel secure - it’s fenced and in a cul de sac but there’s passers by and only need to open a gate. More than happy to go out for long walks with them while they sleep or sit nearby outside too. I had a baby in winter last year and think fresh air and light is v important and would take her out for big walk in sling or pram at least once a day even during terrible weather to get them sleep and to get fresh air and help circadian rhythm along. I can well understand appeal being cuddled up close to me or being pushed about an dfalling asleep outside on my own in a stationary pram in winter doesn’t sound so attractive to me as an adult so probs wouldn’t do it to my baby. Summer in shade a bit more attractive to me but even then with beasties and noise I’d rather be inside lying down in dark with fan on.

When I was a baby, I was left in my pram outside our front door. Our massive boxer would lie next to the pram and would not move or let anyone take me except for my mum (or possibly my dad, but I don't think he did childcare), and he was a vicious f*er who would have been put down nowadays for some of the things he did. (The dog, not my dad)
My kids always slept outside in the pram when tiny (flat on back, same as a cot) and in their pushchairs when a bit older. The little babies liked it under the trees where the light and dark contrast seemed to keep them occupied for a bit.
NotMyFinest, I think you sound quite paranoid but then my DH thinks I am utterly feckless for allowing my 17 year old to stay out with friends until after 10pm...

As long as you don’t have a stile between your garden and next door. When the baby next door was crying for a long time I as a 5 year old decided to bring it home to Mum, luckily I managed to do it safely but it took my Mum quite a while to get over it.

essential I believe fog is cold and damp and could lead to chills if baby was left outside and breathing in the moisture in the air... I may be wrong but years ago the pollution in the air with coal being used caused smog which was extremely dangerous if inhaled. It may be a cast off from those times?
Nothing wrong in leaving your baby outside providing it is a safe environment 😊

Thanks it.

OP I am concerned you haven’t mentioned any protection against crocodile attacks. Very concerned.

Sleeping outdoors is great!
My Gran was a big fan, she also had a really long garden where she would park her children/grandchildren while they slept (and she went and had a cuppa and a fag undisturbed in the house)

My first 2 dc I couldn’t let them sleep outside as I was in a flat but with my 3 rd now that I’m in a house I always rock him to sleep in back garden he loves it fresh air seems to wipe him and I’ve noticed he sleeps a lot longer in the garden then he does if I put him to sleep in front room so it’s perfectly normal I’d say 👍🏼

I would always stay where I could see or hear them when they were napping. Used an insect net or a cat net (cats like to sleep in prams and we have lots around) which you can get and are designed to fit over buggies and prams. Fresh air is good for them and they sleep better.

mylaptopismylapdog - loved the story about taking home a crying baby to your mum!

Op if ur baby is napping outdoors in ur back garden are u taking any precautions regarding alien abduction??
I think u should look into this it's definitely something to consider! Got to be cautious!!

This reminds me of a story my gran told me, it had started to rain and her neighbour had shouted on her to let her know, my gran went outside and brought the washing in and forgot my mum was in the pram and left her out 😂

Can anyone find a case of a cat smothering a baby? Genuine question.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1379196/Sleeping-cat-suffocates-baby.html

One quick Google.

Btw same day this was posted there was a thread by someone saying they had burglar in garden while they (owner) was sitting by open French doors. She said her garden is not by a road and has gardens to either side and at the bottom and she was surprised as her garden was completely enclosed but police told her it was common enough. (Poster otherwise sounded pretty strange right enough but no reason to doubt what was said in that regard).

NotMyFinestMoment.You check your babies every 15 minutes throughout the night? No difference between night and day sleeping!

EssentialHummus fog. I assume it is because the fog traps toasty things like carbon monoxide at low levels.

Thanks busy.

Busybusybust the thinking is that your breathing helps regulate their breathing. I don’t think they know exactly why but young babies with someone in the same room as them die less than other babies, and all the commons sense “what difference can it make” stuff doesn’t alter the research. Any parent can choose to ignore the research (or make their own calculated risk assessment) but it’s dangerous and unfair to other parents to deny it matters.