To shower while baby sleeps in bedroom

[JodieWhittakersBraces]

We've had our first baby and my DH is back to work today after paternity leave. This may seem like a stupid question but we seem to disagree about whether I can take a shower while the baby sleeps in the bedroom without my having a baby monitor to take into the bathroom. I think I should be ok if the baby's upstairs, I'm in and out asap - potentially leaving the bedroom and bathroom doors open. He reckons I need to take a baby monitor into the bathroom (which we haven't yet purchased).

Please be gentle, Mumsnet, we are first time parents

First child i took the monitor in. My showers took twice as long as I could hear a baby crying every time i turned the water on. Turn it off. No noise. Turn it on- swear i can hear a baby.
Just shower. You'll be 5mins. Whats the baby going to do in that time?!

It's fine, I do it all the time with my 5 month old and have done since birth. If he's awake I might put him in the bathroom in the bouncy chair - clears his sniffly nose and he likes the warmth and sounds of running water. Do it, you will feel much better after a shower!

I used to leave the doors open and make sure I prepared everything I needed so it would be as quick as possible!

Just be prepared to hear phantom baby crying noises when you're in there though! I was forever getting the floor soggy when I jumped out...only to find dd still sound asleep  thought I was going crazy!

No judgement at all from me! I used to bring my daughter in with me and lay her on a changing mat or sleepyhead. When she got bigger she was upgraded to a bumbo and now she happily sits there playing with her toys (on a mat).

Occasionally if she's asleep I'll leave her in bed but put the video monitor on. I then don't dare use the shower as I can't see the monitor properly or hear her so I sit in the bath and use the shower attachment. Wow I'm neurotic : )

Lol! Of course it's fine to take a shower without baby monitor! Bless you!

Your DH is being a little silly. Go for a shower. You'll be what 10mins max? If he's that concerned, move the pram or bay swing to just outside the door so that you can hear of anything happens.

Don't take your monitor in there. The steam over time will just wreck it.

Your baby will be fine while you have a shower. Even if you do take a monitor in, what are you going to do if you hear it crying? Get out covered in shampoo and calm it down, or would you finish your shower anyway and then get out?

Never had a baby monitor with my two. Mine is 10 months & just taked a shower whiles he's in his cot.. Youre hardly going to be gone for hrs & you still need to live your life!!

Congrats new mama! Well done to you and hubby for surving the first few weeks (assuming here!)

I think your sweet baby should be fine. You wont take forever and i agree with a lot of other mums saying that if you take your monitor in the bathroom it could get totally messed up because of steam. All the paraphernalia gets so expense you hardly want to be replacing it already!

Dont worry though - it all gets easier i promise. Plus you and hubby will both be feeling more and more confident as time goes on.

Enjoy the precious first days together!

Never even had a baby monitor for my second! Granted our house is all on one level but 1) baby monitor + steam possibly not the best idea 2) you don't have to be in there long. You'll be fine.

You’ll be totally fine to do that. But why not respect what DH wants and ask him to watch the baby while you have 15 mins to yourself in the bathroom.

This is why I took a bath, so I could hear any crying.
But seriously, yes.

Yes, totally fine to have a shower.

As long as baby is in a safe place eg cot / Moses basket, then go for it 👍

It won't harm a baby at all if you don't immediately pick it up when it's crying. I had to leave miine to cry while I did things or nothing would have got done at home at all.
babies are hardy, they have to be.

I wouldn’t bother with a monitor but then again even if I had one with me, was mid-shower and baby woke up then what am I going to do? I’m of no use to anyone with shampoo running in my/baby’s eyes or dripping water all over the carpet. Even if baby woke up I’d finish my shower anyway so no difference whether I had a monitor or not. Might be a bit quicker but I don’t take hours even if I have to wash my hair!! The world won’t explode if your baby cries for a bit whilst you wash your conditioner out and get yourself dry- applies whether you’ve got a monitor or not!!

Well..... what did people do before monitors I wonder......

To be fair they probably didn't have daily showers through a lot of human history, I take your point though

For our fourth and fifth babies we didn't even have a monitor!

baby will be fine, I too never missed a shower due to kids.
As long as you can hear baby, maybe leave the door open.
It's like going to the loo, you can't stop halfway through because baby is crying they have to wait a few secs.

I hope your not my dil because if my ds1 came out with this I'd get him told not to be so precious

It's hard with newborns when they're your first, no question is stupid my love, they don't come with manuals.

Oh, and congratulations, are you gazing adorably at your baby, and wondering why nothing is getting done, my dil is.

That's normal too, don't think you need to have it all sorted, just go with the flow.

@oflow that guidance seriously does not mean that you can't go for a 15 minute shower or to the toilet/make a cup of tea. 

You’ll laugh at this one day. Honestly go and have a nice shower and enjoy it.