When did you leave baby with other people?

[Sprat12]

Not what I would really want to be doing at this early stage, but as a household we are struggling.

Newborn is 6 weeks old today. I am isolating in the spare room with covid. DH has been dealing with DS brilliantly, though after a few days of me isolating he could do with a break to catch up on sleep as he has done all the night feeds and 24/7 care for DS.

Friend has offered to have DS for a few hours this afternoon to give DH a break. DH is reluctant, thinks DS is still too small to be away from us, which is a very sweet sentiment but I'm concerned he is going to burn himself out. Said friend has two young children and is more than competent with babies.

WWYD?

When dd was two weeks old my parents had her for a few hours so we could have a break there is no set time it's whenever you are comfortable

At 6 weeks I went out for a meal. Was probably gone 2 hours and he slept the whole time I was away !
Its not too young.

Overnight? My mum had my eldest while I had ds2. He was 18m and she had him for 2 nights in our house. He went for his first proper sleepover at their house at 3yrs and 2 months. Ds2 went for his first sleepover at 2yrs 10months.
For a day? About 9months when I started doing some very sporadic work days and my parents looked after him for the day.
For an hour or so? About 6 weeks I think, my mum took him out for a walk.

DD1, my sister took her for walk when she was 6 weeks old.
DD2 started nursery at 2 yrs and 2 months. We had to shield through covid.

My mum had Dts overnight at 6 weeks old so we could go to SILs wedding.

I wouldn't isolate from a 6 week old though.

My mum had mine from around 4 weeks so I could go to the hairdresser, go to a doctor’s appointment etc. It’s a lovely offer from your friend and it’s only a few hours in the afternoon, I’d take her up on it 100%.

Why not?

@RandomQuest yes I thought it was a really kind offer and one that DH should take her up on!

I would take up your friend's offer immediately. A few hours will be fine and baby will probably just be excessively cuddled.

Definitely your DH should take up the very kind offer. I got my hair done when DD was about three weeks old and my mum minded her for a few hours and she was delighted to take her out in the pram for a walk.

I had to have dental work when my baby was quite young, probably around 6 weeks, my mum walked her round in the pram for a few hours. It sounds like DH should take the offer - everyone needs to rest!

Why are you isolating from your baby? Unless DS is particularly vulnerable, I wouldn't be doing that - being separated from mum from an extended period of time can be very traumatic for newborns.

About 5 days old I went to Asda for half an hour then 2 weeks We went a party for 4 hours and left her with my parents.

Urrr because I don't want to give my baby covid... surely that was gobsmackingly obvious?

When my DD was 5 weeks old I had to go into hospital and we had no choice but to get family to look after her for a couple of days.

She was absolutely fine - at that age they don't really know who they're with - a bit older like 3 months plus I think she'd have been more fussy.

Take the help.

I cant get over you isolating from your 6 week old baby! My kids were all away from me for the first time around 12-14 weeks old, just 40-60 mins at a time while I did a gym class and built up from there. Personally I think 6 weeks is a bit young to be away from mum but clearly he is away from mum anyway. Not sure why your husband would burn out though, I've been a single mum of 3 since my youngest was born and while it's exhausting at times I cant imagine why I'd burn out

You are isolating from your six week old? Holy shit

The risk of COVID to your baby is vanishingly small, and if you're breastfeeding you'll be passing antibodies which will help, but the impact of prolonged separation from mum at such a young age is significant.

For context, I got COVID when my baby was a similar age and was advised by midwives etc not to isolate because babies that small need mum, and don't get sick from COVID. Has a medical professional told you to isolate?

Do you have severe anxiety around covid OP? There is no other explanation for you to be doing this

Also, doesn't it feel unbearably awful to be away from your baby for days on end?

I had covid when my DD was born so no chance of isolating, and then we all had it as a household when she was about 2 months old. It didn't occur to me to part from her for even a second. She had slight cold symptoms so she may have caught it but was absolutely fine, as are almost all babies and children who catch covid. Your DS is a tiny newborn and needs his mum!

Of course it feels awful being away from my baby, I can assure you all I am not doing this for fun.

I am very ill with covid, and would be absolutely no use to my DS at present as I cannot even get out of bed.

I am not breastfeeding, DH has been exceptionally well involved from birth and genuinely the parenting has been 50/50 unlike other parents I know. I cannot possibly see how being cared for by his father is going to traumatise my son.

A week old I had no choice though probably would have left it longer otherwise

I was going to say this. How long are you isolating from your 6 week for?

It's not being looked after by his father that is traumatic, it's being separated from his mother. If you're bedbound, I'd be contact napping and doing lots of skin to skin with baby. Wear a mask if you must, but don't isolate from your baby. I'd be shocked if any medical professional advised you to do this.