Exhausted but don’t want to leave Daughter

[CJ1990]

I have a 7 week old daughter who is amazing, apart from the fact she’s an awful sleeper.

Long story short I’m exhausted after looking after her all day and night. My husband has suggested leaving her with my mum or my in-laws for the day.

Im so confused as I half could really do with the break for some sleep and half really don’t want to leave her yet. I’ve left her with my mum for an hour which was fine, but I feel a few hours would be to much at this age?

She takes a bottle so feeding would be fine. There’s no point them looking after her at ours while I kip upstairs as I’d just hear her cry’s and wouldn’t get any sleep as I’d be to anxious waiting for them to sort her out.

Cath decide if I’m being reasonable or stupid for not asking for the break.

Ask for a break - your mother will be fine. She'll probably love it ! I don't know why you are concerned , really. You need a break, your mother is an experienced mother. Go for it !

Go. Don't give it another thought. You will feel soooo much better and she'll be fine.

Your right. Don’t know why I’m being silly...think it’s the thought of a full day!

Your husband needs to step up and be Dad to baby and supportive to you. Baby needs both parents, not grannies and you need your husband to have your back. He's probably working and waking at night too, but parenting in a marriage is teamwork and he needs to get on board with that. Try swaddling if you haven't already. I have two and it gets easier soon!

Do it.

But also get into a regular routine where he does the night feeds on nights he isnt at work the next day.

He’s really good and takes her when he can and in the evenings. He’s meaning when I’m home alone with her in the week to get a proper day to myself to sleep and generally rest up! :)

Take all the help and support you can get, from both DM and MIL if they are up for it. The baby won't either notice or remember, and the more people there are in dd's life to love her and bond with her, the better. And it doesn't have to be for a whole day - just a few hours in the afternoon would be fine. It would do you all good...

If she's only little and you only have one, go back to bed together, or pop her in her cot in your room while she sleeps. You'll wake up if she needs you. I used to go back to bed with DD till lunchtime when she was just weeks old. Making a cup of tea at the same time as the night time wake up bottles has helped me loads with the second (DH is so useless on broken sleep it's not worth asking him to do night waking- he gets up to the toddler instead and I've got the better end of the stick that way). I now see the cup of tea, radio 4 and a half hour Google about as some quiet time for me and it's really precious even if it's 2 or 3am. Just take care of yourself as best you can. It won't be forever, promise!!