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Parenting

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Original poster

How old was your baby when you left them for the first time

81 replies

wintersun21 · 23/05/2023 08:12

And how long did you leave them with someone else be it nursery, family member or friend etc?

OP posts:

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notangelinajolie · 23/05/2023 09:04

Went back to work when one was 3 weeks old. Part time 4 hours a day. My mum looked after them.

DH cared for another newborn for nearly a month when I was in hospital and couldn’t look after them,

Notamum12345577 · 23/05/2023 09:06

It was 18 and almost 16 years ago, so hard to remember, but probably from a couple of months for a couple of hours with grandparents. Overnight possibly 6 months or so. We went away for 3 nights for a wedding when our daughter was 10 months old. Again, overnights etc all with grandparents either side. MIL was late 30s and parents mid 40s, so they had enough energy lol

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 23/05/2023 09:07

Five days when I left my first for an hour. Five weeks when I left my first overnight. Three weeks was when I went back to work with my second so left them here and there for that reason. My third I actually sat an exam in a different city when they were six weeks so I had to leave them for that, but it’s harder to call in favours for DCx3 than the first. DC were breastfed in varying ways but I couldn’t let that be a reason to tie me down because I had other commitments.

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Wolbarker · 23/05/2023 09:09

3 days: left in hospital overnight
2 months: left with MiL so we could go to a Christmas party overnight

yikesanotherbooboo · 23/05/2023 09:11

DC1 was a few weeks old when we went out for a drink with a friend babysitting.I didn't regularly leave them ; only for once in a while interviews or appointments until they were nearly 2.
DC2 was left with a child minder once or twice a week for the whole day from three months which was usual maternity leave in those days.DC3 was very infrequently left apart from the odd hour at parent teachers or whatever until they were nearly 2 when I went back to work and they were left with a day nanny.

NewPinkJacket · 23/05/2023 09:15

Does the school run count?

If so, the following day with the middle and the youngest and a couple of weeks with the eldest.

Middle and youngest were left with their dad because the school is just round the corner and I wanted to stretch my legs/catch up with friends. Oldest was left with MIL while we popped to our local in the next street.

ExcitingTimes2021 · 23/05/2023 09:17

10 months when my little one started nursery.
Over night 21 months.

Currently pregnancy with number 2 and will hopefully be doing things differently this time. We don’t have a lot of friend/family support to be honest though, and I don’t see people queuing up to look after a toddler and a baby. So I’m probably just kidding myself that I will be able to have a bit more time to myself this time round x

takealettermsjones · 23/05/2023 09:18

redbigbananafeet · 23/05/2023 08:58

I would think that was a fair assumption. Imagine roles reversed and a man saying when he first left the mother alone with their child 🙄

Show quote history

Can't speak for anyone else but just to clarify, for me there was zero issue leaving baby with DH, it was just that I didn't want to leave her. Neither did he, so we just did everything together. There wasn't any 'role' issue iyswim.

mondaytosunday · 23/05/2023 09:24

About six weeks. My husband was in hospital and I couldn't take such a young baby with me so left him with friends for a couple hours. Would have left him longer but I was breastfeeding and he didn't take a bottle.

Dontcallmescarface · 23/05/2023 09:38

DD was 12 weeks when I left her with my Dsis for a day to go to a court hearing wrt custody of her half sibling.

Boxbedbank · 23/05/2023 09:40

Dc1 6 months as I had to go back to work (maternity leave wasn't as long then).
Dt 14 months again to go back to work.

Danikm151 · 23/05/2023 09:42

My first night out was when baby was 4 months old. My mom was having him overnight and the plan was for me to come round the next morning… I left at 7. By midnight I was using the spare key to let myself into mom’s 😂

Mutabiliss · 23/05/2023 09:44

Four months with MIL, to go to an art exhibition I'd booked before I got pregnant and was desperate to see. I loved the break and feeling like me again!

After that I left him regularly with either MIL or my own parents as I started physio for SPD and also therapy for my mental health.

Peridot1 · 23/05/2023 09:45

When DS was probably around 4 weeks I left him with my mum for a couple of hours while I went shopping. Came home and she met me at the door saying she would never look after him again. I thought he had been awake and crying but no it was because he had stayed asleep the whole time and she never even got a cuddle!

We were staying with my parents for a few weeks so she did get lots of cuddles!

Phos · 23/05/2023 09:47

For a couple of hours with my mum when she was 2 months old and we went out for a meal. Similar kind of age when I went to have my hair and nails done.

I left her overnight when she was 7 months, again with my mum, as I had to go to Scotland to film a TV show and it was easier for my mum to look after her than for DH to be getting her up early and dropping her off there.

Snugglemonkey · 23/05/2023 10:05

3 when he started nursery.

MrsSkylerWhite · 23/05/2023 10:06

Around 8 months, with parents at our house. Went for a meal, about 3 hours.

discan · 23/05/2023 10:31

@redbigbananafeet

Not being rude at all but if you described the first 22 months as a 'hard slog' you made it through, what benefit did you get from not having anyone else mind the baby?

I'm not sure where you have got 22 months from? My youngest started nursery at 3.5 years.

Also; I didn't have anyone else. When I say it was a hard slog I don't mean parenting in general I just mean not having anyone else to take the kids for an hour or so. I'm happy enough in my own company and many years later I often do things alone as does DH but when the kids were every small a quiet coffee just the 2 of us would have been very welcome. I suppose hard slog was a bit too extreme - I didn't mean it indicate I found the parenting a hard slog.

discan · 23/05/2023 10:33

My OLDEST

CadburyDream · 23/05/2023 10:36

2 when I needed hospital but I don’t have family that babysit so no time before then

MyBrownEyedHandsomeBoy · 23/05/2023 10:47

Hugasauras · 23/05/2023 08:18

When DD1 was 3mo we left her for little while with my parents while we went for a meal. Honestly I was desperate to get back to her and we just wolfed our main courses, skipped dessert and raced home again, so we were only out about an hour and a quarter

🤣 same

AliasGrape · 23/05/2023 10:47

I think she was around 8 or 9 months when I left her with my in-laws as I had a hospital appointment.

11 months she started the childminder initially 1 day a week as that was the only slot she had for the first few months, then went to 2.

15 months with in-laws so DH could go out for a meal for my birthday.

Overnight not till recently, around 2.5.

Left her with her dad obviously when she was younger so I could sleep/ shower/ nip to the shop etc.

DD was a lockdown baby so that impacted things, and although once childcare bubbles came in and we 'bubbled' with DH's parents - they weren't happy to have her on their own till she was a bit older (they're still not overly keen actually).

Also - I just didn't particularly want to for ages, which isn't meant to sound all 'oh I could never', and goodness knows I'll take any excuse for a break now we're at peak toddler craziness, but I didn't particularly feel I was missing anything back then.

Obviously DH had her on his own from the early days - though usually still all in the same house because again - lockdown.

HippeePrincess · 23/05/2023 11:01

My close friend actually looked after my youngest at 8 weeks, which is before he was actually left with dp as he was breastfed and we only introduced bottles at 6/7 weeks. I left him for 5.5 hours and the only problem was my boobs were a painfully full hot leaking mess!
Then dp started taking him out for about an hour if it matched up with when we thought he wouldn’t need to feed, or I’d pop out briefly.
Then he was left again with dp at 12 weeks for a daytime hen do for 9 hours, I had to take my manual pump a cool bag and all sorts, and it took over a week to build up enough milk to leave for a days feeds…
sometimes it’s just not that easy to leave an ebf baby, with their dad or anyone else, for those of you scoffing at mums who don’t even leave the baby with the dad.

Wicksytricksy · 23/05/2023 11:18

DD - about 4 months for a meal, hated it then at 9mo she had an overnight so we could go to a wedding. She didn't sleep though till 2yo so no one really wanted to take her as she was a bloody nightmare sleeper!

DS - few hours at 5mo with grandparents and overnight at 6mo when we went away for the night.

shakeitoffsis · 23/05/2023 11:22

3 days old left with my mum so me and my husband could go to Asda, 4 weeks old she slept over at MIL as we went to a wedding. First daughter left with Nan for 3 nights when we went on a city break.

People will say that's strange but it's the norm for all my friends and family.

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