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

[wintersun21]

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

'Left them with my husband' I can't believe that people think this is even worth mentioning - they are the other parent!!

Excluding with DH -

6 weeks with MIL for an afternoon while we went out for lunch.
10 months - started nursery 4 full days per week
16 months overnight with MIL

@HippeePrincess 100% agree. First time I left by EBF baby was for an hour and that was when she was 7 months and on solids, so if she got hungry DH could feed her.

I return to work in 2 weeks, she'll be 9 months, and she doesn't eat enough to satisfy her. I'm so anxious but I've been reassured she'll make up for it overnight.

A day after his first birthday for the whole day (left before he woke and arrived after he had gone to bed), but I left him with his Dad so I'm not sure if that counts. Second time was overnight, at 22 months, again with his father.

Mine was 8 months - left her with my parents for an overnight stay when we went to a wedding. She was absolutely fine, but I struggled. It was supposed to be an opportunity for a peaceful night's sleep but I didn't sleep a wink! Also I was still BF so I was pretty uncomfortable and had to take a pump with me.

Because the thread title literally says "How old was your baby when you left them for the first time?" 🤷‍♀️

I feel a bit bad reading all of the above. We left DS at 3 months old with SIL whilst we went away for 2 nights.

Of course, but attachment to a mother is a biological fact at that age? My kids literally came out of me, there was a strong urge to be with them or at the very least looking at them at all times! I've seen threads on here where mums have said things like "I don't want to leave newborn DC with anyone including perfectly lovely and competent DH, what's wrong with me" etc. I didn't know whether OP was asking in that sense, so I wanted to respond to both. It's a perfectly normal feeling to have as a new mum imo.

Agree totally. Both may be parents , but being a mother is different to being a father. I carried them, birthed them, breastfed them and afterwards there was a part of my brain for the first few months that made me not want to not be away from the baby. It’s a common enough instinct amongst other mothers I know.
Right now the youngest goes everywhere that I go. He will get bigger and then I will happily go off places without him leaving daddy to it.

DD started nursery aged 2y2m and that was the first time we'd left her. DH had sole care of her sometimes before that, though not very often. Never felt the need to have anyone else look after her - we'd take her to restaurants, shops, galleries, cinema, weddings and city breaks and did exercise while she watched.

My DD is 8m and has only just now being left with MIL for an hour or so but this has only happened 2 times. She’s never been away from me and no one else has had her except me. I am forever being pressured by his family to leave her with them all day or overnight and it’s draining.

2 weeks for a few hours, 6 weeks for overnight.

Don't feel bad. People are just different, including mothers.

Not all mothers feel the need to be constantly with their babies and it doesn't make them any less mothers than the ones who don't leave their side until they start school.

I went back to work full time when DS was 3 months.

7 months for a couple hours with my parents to go on a date with dad. Haven't done overnight and DD is almost 2

Ds was about 8 or 9 months I think. Left with my mum whilst we went to a gig and then returned home so maybe 4ish hours?

Dd - I think probably 3 years because we didn't have any family who would or could take two young kids.

Obviously they'd been with dh alone before that.

A lot of people saying when they left their child for the 1st time with their DH/P, I assume the OP meant the 1st time the child was left with someone who wasn’t their parent?

Well it was a fancy French chateau and we had World Cup tickets.

It is obviously only up to you and your DH, but it might be good for you both and your child to get the ILs to have them for a day?

When DS was 10 weeks old. I had an urgent hospital appointment

I just couldn’t do that to her. When I’m away from her for longer than an hour she cries to the point she goes purple and literally stops breathing and I’ve also witnessed my MIL screaming at her other grandchild when she was my DD age. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her

First time I left the house without her was 9 months old. She stayed with DH for 1 hour. It would have been sooner as I was desperate for a break, but she had feeding problems from birth and getting her to the point where she could be away from the direct source of breastmilk for even a bit was a big deal.

Still haven't and DD is 2

6 months

10 days ... my DM was staying and DH and I went to a local village event, five minutes walk away, all our friends were congratulating us and saying nice things except for one woman who actually said 'I can't believe you've left your baby' . We only stayed about an hour and a half but it was nice to do something 'different'.

Let me guess. She said it only to you even though DH had also left his baby?