To feel sad seeing a 7 week old baby at DC's nursery today

[comfysketchers]

Dropping my 15 month old off at nursery today before work and there was another woman there at the same time handing over a 7 week old sleeping baby.

He was absolutely tiny and I just felt so sad looking at him thinking that he barely even knows he is out of the womb and his mum is dropping him off to spend all day with strangers in a noisy nursery environment.

I should also add that I live in a country that has excellent parental leave from the government plus most private companies pay at least 10 weeks of full pay on top of that, with many paying much more than that.

YABU - It’s perfectly normal for a 7 week old baby to spend 8 hours per day in a nursery.

YANBU - A 7 week old baby should be at home with its mum.

Different people are going to have different opinions about what is best for their child.

There's many, many ways to successfully raise happy, well rounded children.

My thoughts also.

Live on the streets and have them taken into care instead?

My vote is YABAJNBASMYOB*

Also, have a word with the nursery about confidentiality and their lack of it. Not acceptable.

*You are being a judge nosey bastard and should mind your own business.

A profoundly depressed woman needs help.

If a woman is not depressed but just deeply dislikes looking afterand spending time with her baby, then not having a child would be the best option.

My chemo was 3 months followed by a month break then 16 weeks of daily radiotherapy I would have used childcare too no choice

I'd feel more than sad . I'd be crying my eyes out. Who's going to feed the baby? Even if bottle fed it needs to be close to its mother.. wish I'd never read this now. It will be playing on my mind..poor Mother having to do that.. poor baby will grow up with separation anxiety.. yes this happens .. been talking with my psychiatrist about this recently..
😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪😪

It’s heartbreaking, isn’t it OP? We forwent the income so that we wouldn’t have to do this, but understand not many people, namely single parents, can do this.

I do believe in my heart that babies this young need to be with their mothers, but reality is often different.

I’m also not sure why many people defend it with “mind your own business” comments and such… but yes, it does feel cruel to leave an infant that young with strangers. So YANBU.

You are making massive assumptions about this woman. Who says she dislike looking her baby?

All from your place of privilege by the sounds of it. Try to appreciate that other people have different experiences and lives to you.

I don't think women go back to work because they dislike looking after and spending time with their babies. What odd ideas some people have.

So what the fuck is she supposed to do if she's getting daily treatment for PND for eg? Give the baby back?

And even if it were a social worker, that’s also depressing.

I do find that sad, without any judgement as we don’t know the parents reasoning and I’m sure they’re doing what they think is best. I was taken from my birth mother at 2 weeks old and adopted, I’m 55 and still struggling with the after effects, so I feel very strongly that the best place for tiny babies is with their parents if at all possible

It is never in the best interests of a baby of seven weeks to be removed for significant amounts of time from its mother...unless there are extreme circumstances.

I find it really fucking offensive!

It's bonkers.

P.S I'm also sad for your 15th month old. I didn't leave mine until they were in school.

Well yes, it is the least worst option. It's not ideal though. It's just less shit.

As many people have said here, you don't know the reasons for this.
Whilst in an ideal world the baby would be at home with a parent, for whatever reason, it seems this is not possible. Therefore whilst I might feel sad for the baby (and parent), I'd mind my own business.

So all of us who had kids in the 80s and 90s and went back to work when we had to are shit parents.

FML.

How much time is significant?

I just rolled my eyes so hard I saw the inside of my brain.

I obviously didn't say that.

I said sometimes it's the least worst option. Going to nursery so your parents can keep a roof over your head is the least worst option.

I don't think mumsnet is the place for this poster

I think a full day at nursery is significant