Could you and your partner leave your 7 week old baby for a week?

[froggy3]

To go to an exotic resort on the other side of the world...partly business, partly holiday and leave your baby with another family member?

That's all there is too it. I'm not going into anymore details. Just wondering peoples opinions.

And no this is not me. I have my opinion on it....which is absolutely not.

I couldn't leave my 7 YEAR old for a weekend, let alone a week!

Even DH struggles when he has to spend 3 nights away with work - which has only happened twice.

Hid it well not did it well!

No I couldn't do it, but I couldn't get worked up about someone else doing it.

No way! Not in a million years!!

God no. Mum should be with baby strengthening their bond in my opinion, not in a different country sunning herself without a care in the world.

And just to point out, I do not know this couple! I wouldn't know them if they were in front of me. I don't even know their names. It was just something that was brought up during a chat with a couple of friends this afternoon. It's a friend of a friend. It just got me thinking.

I can imagine if you had a really close relationship with your mum, and you'd had a hard birth/early few weeks... my family are all batshit mental though so we've never left the kids with anyone.

Well no because I’ve BF all of mine so wouldn’t be possible or enjoyable. Also I wouldn’t have anyone to look after them for that long.
Honestly it’s not for me, none of my babies have even really wanted to be put down by me at 7 weeks let alone away from me for extended periods. We’re all different though, and if the baby is formula fed with a close family member able to look after them then I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Nope

Friends of ours went to Morocco for a week leaving their baby with grandparents. I couldn't do it, firstly because I couldn't be away that long, and secondly because I couldn't be that far apart.

In fact I was slightly freaked to be so far away from my family when I went to California in my childless thirties.

Following up to I definitely couldn’t leave at 7 weeks, I find it a bit strange that people say they couldn’t leave their 7yo for a weekend. Surely a healthy balance and time with DH/DP on your relationship is also important?

We did leave kids annually with GPs for a weekend, some years 4 days, from about two years old.

I wouldn't have wanted to leave my pfb at 7 weeks. I would have no issue leaving my 3Rd dc at 7 weeks if I had someone I trusted to look after them . Not sure my body was up to a week long tropical holiday at 7 weeks after giving birth though

I couldn't, and wouldn't. My Ex was regularly away for 5 days with work when DD was small, but I was always there.

No. That means by the time you return you've missed nearly 15% of their life!

Obviously not. And yes I would judge someone who did this because it's not in the child's best interests. Also I think it's unfair on the family member babysitting.

No, I couldn't do that.
I'd privately judge someone who did. I guess I'd just be wondering why!

I did it when ds was 10 months,big mistake,missed him like crazy.Never again

No. Mine was naturally too needy at that age. Wouldn't settle with anyone but me or dh. Also suffered badly with colic and reflux. Wasn't yet sleeping through the night. It would have been been too much stress for DS and whoever was looking after him. And I was far too anxious in general. I wouldn't have even done it for one night, let alone 7.

But that was us and our individual situation. Their baby may settle with other people. Theirs may not suffer colic or reflux. And their babysitters may not find the sleepless nights stressful.

Only they know if it's doable.

For me, absolutely no way!

1 whole week and on the other side of the world- I personally could not do that.

By 7 weeks I had stopped breastfeeding- but it still would have been a massive NO in my book.

No from me.

I just wanted to spend all my time looking at and holding my babies when they were that age.

I left my 2.5 year old for a week to go on holiday and I missed him terribly . He’s almost 16 now and seems unscarred by it all. My dm and him had a great time but I got very anxious in case something happened or he needed me. I did breastfeed for the first year tho so impossible to leave him at 7 weeks anyway.

No way. I EBFed for a start. No way you could pump enough by 7 weeks to last a week in most cases.

Had first night away (for work) at about 13 months and while it was a novelty I struggled with that beforehand.

MIL had no problem though and went on holiday when her PFB was 4 months, so everyone's different.

Never.

Not for those reasons but my first DC did stay with relatives for a while because I had severe PND and he had terrible colic from the start so just seemed to scream 24/7. I didn’t cope very well and was a danger to myself (not him but I was seriously suicidal for a while and his incessant crying regularly pushed me over the edge). I wouldn’t swan off to an exotic island for a week leaving my baby behind though.

DH and I left DS for 5 days when he was that age. I'd agreed to it before he was born and was utterly miserable the whole time we were away as I spent it all worrying about him. He was absolutely fine, and very settled, and didn't seem at all bothered. I regret doing it but only because I know I will be judged as a bad Mum if I ever mention it, not because it caused any harm to DS or our bond.