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Am I ridiculous?

37 replies

Jammee · 22/08/2013 13:03

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this but:
DH, DD and I have been invited to a wedding next month. The couple want children and babies (my DD is 7m/o) to be looked after by friends of the family is a sort of private pop-up creche during the ceremony (which I completely understand).

However, my DD has never been away from DH or I. I have only left her on her own with DH once and that was last week for three hours, so she is not used to being away from me and has never been away from both of us at the same time. No one has ever baby sat, fed her or even changed a nappy and she is clingy and I am neurotic, too.

I'm not keen on the idea of people I don't know looking after her, even if it's only for a short while. I don't want to impose on the couple as it's their day, so I can't help feeling that hubby should go alone or I should only go for the second half so that I can keep DD with me. Hubby and groom are trying to reassure me and I feel like I'm being stupid and pathetic but I really hate the idea of leaving her with strangers, especially as it's not even a proper daycare place.

Am I pathetic?

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Charotte31 · 28/08/2013 07:59

I wouldn't leave my DD who's 2 with people she doesn't know. I'm sure must people wouldn't feel comfortable with that. Odd idea really! Just don't have children at the wedding at all??

lalachu · 28/08/2013 08:44

I agree, have a look at the crèche but with the back up plan of you or dh staying with her for the ceremony.

My dd is bf, I'm on mat leave & she is a bottle refuser. I have a wedding to go to where I am bridesmaid, in a week. The couple have no kids & dd wasn't invited. She's 4 m/o & has not been away from me for more than a couple of hours, even though we have loads of family available to help.

We've tried to get her to take a bottle/cup etc with no joy as the original plan (made when she was a few days old) was to leave her with my sil.

I had to bite the bullet & tell the bride that dd would be coming with us, but that my oh would spend the day looking after her, in the other bridesmaid's hotel room & grounds of the manor house. However, the bride's been brilliant about it & has said that whilst she'd prefer dd not to go to ceremony (fine by us), she will make a space at our table for her & rustle up a highchair so that my oh and dd don't have to miss the reception.

I wouldn't be happy to leave her with people I didn't know, at all & whilst the pop-up crèche idea is brilliant for older kids, for babies, not so much.

Jammee · 28/08/2013 08:54

Thanks for the responses. I don't want go take her to the ceremony. She can be quiet noisy when she's happy and quiet grizzly when she's not. The Bride and Groom are making a real effort to make it baby friendly without having too much noise at the ceremony and I respect that. I wouldn't go against their wishes.

I told DH yesterday that I had posted on here about this and he got annoyed and said my concerns are pathetic and that I shouldn't use MN. He really wants to go to the wedding (it's a closer friend of his than it is of mine) and I think he wants a break from DD to be able to do something "normal" again. (He is very supportive of me and does a lot to help with DD and has gone out with work friends very little since she was born so I don't begrudge him). It's just knowing how he feels makes me worry that if we go and look at this creche thing there will be this pressure go leave her, and TBH, no matter how great it looks (I don't think it will be that great) why would I leave my DD with people I've never met before, when they're not qualified and the premises are not safety checked for babies?

Is it a mum thing? I don't want to annoy DH or offend the B&G, but I feel like people think as long as there's childcare, that's all that matters.

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Eletheomel · 28/08/2013 10:59

If your DH really wants to go to the wedding to the extent he's quite happy to leave his baby with random punters (which, basically to you is what they are - regardless of how nice and capable they might be) then why doesn't he go by himself? That would enable him to socialise with his mates and get a bit of me-time - he can't force you to leave your baby and if you do leave her at the creche and you're not happy, all that will happen is you will think about her the whole time, you will want to pop back to see her all the time and you won't enjoy the ceremony - I don't see the point of that (you'd also resent him by the way and I don't think that would be good for either of you).

Alternatively, if he doesn't fancy that, I don't see why you can't just miss the ceremony (by which I assume you mean the vows?) and meet up with your bloke after that;s finished - does it matter if you're not there in the church/hotel whatever when the vows are being said?

I bfed DS1 and never gave him a bottle and I didn't leave him with anyone other than DH for an hour or so until he was a year old and could take cows milk from a cup. Then I knew if I wasn't there and he was hungry someone could feed him. First time we left him was at my parents, I bfed him, put him to bed ,he fell asleep, we ran out, came back at 11pm - were gone 4 hours in total).

I was so glad I'd waited until I was ready to leave him with others, meant we really enjoyed our night out (were literally skipping along the street!) I didn't feel the need to call them at all, felt sure he'd be fine (he was) and we had a great night out as a couple. Some people might think its' ridiculous to have waited until he was a year old to do that, but I think you need to wait until you're ready, I'd never leave him if i thought I had to phone home several times to reassure myself - to me that defeats the purpose of time apart.

Some mums might have a great local support network, their babies might take bottles, they might just feel ready to have some me-time when their little ones are a couple of months old - that's absolutely fine - but it doesn't mean that your weird if you don't do that, we all have to make decisions based on our circumstances.

We also live in a town with no friends or family nearby.

I think you need to stress to your DH that you're just never going to be happy leaving your child with people you don't know (I wouldn't leave DS1 with random punters that hadn't been approved for childcare and he's nearly 4) and to suggest alternatives (e.g. you going to the wedding and missing the ceremony, you not going to the wedding at all).

I think you're being entirely reasonable and there has to be a compromise here (on his part - your child's safety and well being should never be compromised for a social event).

Charotte31 · 28/08/2013 13:18

Why don't you just stay outside or in the crèche while the wedding takes place? We were at a wedding a few months back my DD was 22 months we gave it a go but she was getting loud so my DH just took her out until it was finished. No big deal!

Jammee · 28/08/2013 14:23

I feel like it would be rude to go to their wedding and then not watch the ceremony but still eat their food?

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lalachu · 28/08/2013 16:18

IMO, it wouldn't be rude for you to look after your dd whilst your dh goes to the ceremony and then for all of you go to the reception. The b&g have obviously tried to come up with a solution which means parents can attend the ceremony whilst children are looked after, but one size cannot possibly fit all, where childcare is concerned.

They have invited the three of you to their wedding and if the best way to ensure that you can all be part of that day, in an appropriate & stress free way, is for you to miss the ceremony, I'd hope they'd understand & appreciate you working the details out for yourselves, rather than stressing them with cancelling.

McButtonwillow · 28/08/2013 16:41

Is the "crèche" in the same place as th ceremony? If so why don't you just tell your dh that you'll see how she settles on the day. That way you can take her and check out the people/place and see whether she settles and if you are comfortable leaving her and if not then you could stay with her until the ceremony finishes.

I don't think you're being ridiculous either, my two are older now but I would have felt the same when they were babies, my dh works long hours and like you I did the lions share of the childcare and had no local family/friends to babysit. I now have two sociable and confident children (3 and 8) who are happy to be left with others and were not damaged in anyway by being constantly with me through babyhood Smile

bumperella · 30/08/2013 00:48

Do you know what she'll be like if left in this crèche-type thingummy?

My 2.5 year old is psychotically clingy and has been since she was about 8wks, and I do think nature plays a part in this, not just nurture. I echo everyone who suggests you try it and see.
Maybe say to the couple what a great idea the crèche is but is it OK for you to arrive early (30 mins?) before ceremony to settle LO at crèche before ceremony starts.

I think is excellent idea of the wedd-ees to arrange childcare for the ceremony, as a 7-mnth-old isn't going to get anything out of the ceremony and no-one wants baby noise drowning out vows.

Writerwannabe83 · 30/08/2013 09:39

I have been to numerous weddings where a crèche facility has been provided and I have always thought it to be a great idea. When me and my husband got married the venue didn't have this facility and so none of their friends bought their children with them (be it babies, toddlers or older children). I didn't even have my own niece and nephew at my wedding - although this was partly because my sister wanted a break from them and wanted to enjoy the wedding without always having to keep one eye on them. I have been to some weddings where children have been present and cried/talked/played their way throughout the ceremony and if I was the bride I'd have gone mental!! Smile Having a crèche is a really good idea and to be honest most moms have been happy to take their children into it, although those with the younger infants stay in the creche with the children and I can totally understand that.

However, how long are you expecting the ceremony to take place? Is it a Catholic Wedding where it goes on for hours or just a standard wedding or civil ceremony? If it is the latter, the reality is that your daughter would only need to be in the crèche for 30 minutes, would you not be able to manage for that short period? If she was asleep she wouldn't even know you were gone.

Could you talk to the bride, explain your anxieties and just ask if the baby can be with you but that you promise to leave the ceremony if she starts getting fractious? At 7m/o she'd probably be quite content in your arms wouldn't she? And you could always just breast feed her to keep her settled??

I do understand your worries and I hope you find a solution x x

waterrat · 30/08/2013 19:58

I want to reassure you that you are not being ridiculous.

I left my - now 18 month old - whn he was 6 months old with a childminder for a couple of sessions a week - but it was emotionally hard doing that and although I am really glad I did it there is no way I would have left him with a stranger at 7 months.

I do think that men and women have a different reaction to this - my partner did not have any worries when ds stayed at the childminder but of course it was all consuming to me

Please don't let your gut instinct be overridden by worry about what others think - even when others are your dp

Mums instinct is so so important - never ever ignore it.

But - I would add - I do think its really good for children to Learn to feel safe with other adults early on. I personally would recommend beginning to leave her with your partner while you go and have a coffee - or even try to leave her with a childminder for a few hours. It will be good for all of you

greenbananas · 30/08/2013 20:40

You are NOT being ridiculous.

In your situation, I would go to the wedding and see how she settles. If she is clingy or needs a feed, you can stay in the creche with her. If she has a whale of a time playing and watching the other children, or is totally happy being cosseted by a besotted creche worker or 9 year old girl etc. then you can sneak into the back of the church and watch the ceremony on the understanding that someone will fetch you if she starts to grizzle.

Loads of mums don't leave their children with anyone this young, especially breastfeeding mums. Don't feel bad! When your Dd is older, you will probably be desperate for time away from constant childcare, so enjoy this lovely, attached baby stage while it lasts Smile

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