Impact of leaving a 10 month old at a gym creche once or twice a week for an hour?

[Tapster]

I still haven't left my DD at the gym creche for an hour. The only person she has been left is with my DH. She doesn't see any other family that regularly so I can't really leave her with what to her is strangers.

I know lots of people leave their babies in the creche and if I hear one more time from my MIL how it would be "good for her" to be left with stangers I'll scream. My instincts are not to leave her - not because I am worried that something will happen to her but she will feel abandoned and get stressed.

I've given up my career to be a SAHM and plan to have her start Montessori at 2.5years for 2/3 mornings a week.

Am I being overcautious?

[pointydog]

You've misunderstood. I meant, if you don't mind no one else looking over her at any point in the day just now then it doesn't matter. Obv I wasn't assuming that you would never let her out of your sight ever.

If you want to go to the gym, give her a shot at the creche. If you don't, then I wouldn't bother too much about what other people say.

That's all I meant.

[pointydog]

looking after her

[maman4]

It should be ok as long as you re happy to leave DD but ask if it will always be the same member of staff in charge of her.Will help her to settle if it s the same each time.

[MaeBee]

i thought before i had my baby that i would be happy to leave him with anyone i trusted. now he's 11 mths and i do have babysitters, but only people he knows well. even though he's asleep, its because i worry that if he wakes up it would be freaky for him to have someone he doesn't know. i became more of a Waltons style mum than i thought!
BUT i am really lucky to have that option, i live in a lovely social community with lots of friends who are crazy enough to babysit for free! so it means me and dp get some time out together.
have you read Steve Biddulph's book on the impact of nursery on the under 1s? it is quite controversial, cos it says that the research is nursery is stressful for babies, and not beneficial for their social development. i don't know what i think, read it when i was pregnant and it would be interesting to read it again.
i guess we live in a very unnatural society, whereby as Mothers we are seperated off from unmothering things when we are with our kids! nuclear families etc have a lot to answer for. the idea of home and work and leisure being seperate entities is particularly tricky when you've got small kids. and there's different pay offs and negotiations and compromises. sometimes i do whats best for ME rather than my boy, and thats a good thing cos otherwise i'd go nuts! there's no point being a maytr mother...can't remember who coined the phrase, but the idea of being a "good enough mother' kind of sees me through any guilt!

[ClaireBlair]

I first left DS at the gym creche when he was about 12mths. I was very upset when he cried when I picked him up, but I could actually see him through the glass before he saw me and he was having a great time, so that reassured me. I haven't been for awhile (lazy!) but did go regularly for about 5 months and he used to love it, would be very excited to get there and play. It was only for about 1.25hrs at a time. He would grizzle when I turned up but only for attention, he was happy as larry. I found it great for me as 'me' time as I don't have family here and no close friends to leave him with. He is now 22 mths and last Friday night DH and I went out for our second time in the evening since he was born. I think also the Steve Biddulph book is talking about full time childcare rather than an hour every now and then - all mums need a break some time!

[HenriettaHippo]

Agree re Steve Biddulph - it is contraversial, and from my understanding he is talking about children who are in full time nursery care from a v young age. That's totally different from an hour a week at the creche! Although you are a SAHM, that doesn't mean you can't take some time out, if you want to.

[chipmonkey]

OK,I think you are being a tad overcautious. I don't think for a minute that your dd will benefit from going to the creche but I think she certainly wouldn't come to any harm and it would give you a break. My gym have discontinued their creche and it really means I have no way of exercising unless I leave ds3 with MIL which I don't want to do for various reasons (long story!) I was anxious about leaving ds1 in creches but the anxiety dissipated the more children I had! ( Am expecting no.4!)

[lulu25]

all gym creches get inspected by ofsted, so you can check out the report online if you want reassurance.

[Tapster]

management at the gym creche is changing this month so ofsted won't be useful. There is not one-to-one care, and the staff change all the time. Big TV screen is put on, it doesn't look like much fun for her. Left her briefly with a godmother today, she was not that happy although not unhappy either and probably sees her more than my MIL, although godmother is about to move away too.

I want a break but I know in the whole scheme of things she is tiny for such a short time.

[mm22bys]

I've been thinking some more about this. Presumably your dd is still having a daytime sleep -is there anyway you could time your visits to the gym so she sleeps then?

I know that she could wake up, and then be really confused and be hugely upset, but if she has a long day nap, it might just work out...

All the best,

[HenriettaHippo]

another thought related to the last one. A friend of mine had a baby who'd sleep happily in his buggy. She used to park him near the machines and then do a run while he slept perfectly happily. Then when he woke up, she took him for a swim. Sounds perfect if your DD would sleep in her buggy?

[carocaro]

DO IT DO IT DO IT

DS2 is 7 months and with ds1 aged 5 and DH away mon - fri I was going a bit loonatic from the lackof me time/personal space, my body felt crumpled due to lack of exercise. Started last week and all was A A A OK OK OK with the babe. I felt FAB after my swim, steam and the luxury of drying my hair PROPERLY. Happy Mummy equals Happy Kids. I am going twice a week from now on and as long as he is happy I will be too!

[Sakura]

No, not too cautious at all. Its your instincts. You should have seen the performance Ive been putting up the past two weeks because I left my 11 month old DD in day care 5 times in the past 2 weeks (to work). She had one to one care with a lovely granny type lady who was called in especially, because my DD is under one. They asked loads of questions about DD, what she likes etc, and didnt put her down basically the whole time until DH picked her up after work. I still felt like I was abandonning her when her face screwed up and screamed. God that scream!!
But it did feel good to go to work, I have to say. It was a nice break!
Anyway, just go with your instincts

[amidaiwish]

I haven't read the whole thread but just wanted to say that i left DD1 at the creche at the gym for an hour once or twice a week from 4 months old.
she was fine.
she's now 3 1/2 and has never shown any "ill effects" from this and is easy to leave with people when need be.

at the end of the day an hour's exercise / a break a couple of times a week will do you the world of good and ultimately your DD will benefit from that.

As long of course you are happy the care there is good. Mine was a Holmes Place gym and the childcare staff were qualified and excellent, i chatted to the staff and booked times when it was quiet (not half terms or after school). I also found booking a time when she needed a bottle was good as she was content sitting being fed for much of the time period.

[kayza85]

Aww I'm sure your baby will be fine :) any one put there baby's in creche in Norwich ? I only need to put mine in for a couple of hours on a Saturday does anyone else do this and is there any creches in Norwich town centre central any advise many thanks kayza x

[dairymilkmonster]

Both mine had 3x1hr sessions in gym creche from 3mo til I went back to work at a year. They loved it, I benefitted from the time in the gym.
Win-win.