When did you first leave your PFB overnight with GPs?

[Fufulina]

Hi - my DD is 3 months old on Friday. It's our wedding anniversary in May and we're planning a night away - without DD. My mum is going to come down and look after her for the afternoon and night. We'll leave at lunchtime on the Saturday and be back after breakfast on Sunday.

The thing is - I am terrified about leaving her. Contrary to all expectations I am far more 'indulgent' with her than I thought I would be (she's PFB). I can't bear to hear her cry. My major worry is her night feeds (she has one or two between 6.30 ish and 7 ish) - and she's only ever known me and boob at night (actually she's only ever really know me and boob for all her feeds bar about 3 bottles DH has given her to make sure she takes a bottle). Is it mean to leave her with my mum and to have a bottle of EBM instead of boob?? I know this sounds ridiculous but I am so worried about it I'm thinking of canceling - but then worry that it will just get harder to leave her IYSWIM? So - what would you do? And am I being ridiculous?

thinking about it, I was terrified when DS was tiny - I couldn't have left him when he was 4-5 months old, but then my Mum is the type to 'leave babies to cry' or 'don't give them too much fuss, they'll get used to it'

6 weeks, my Mum was desperate to have her to herself overnight and we are very close both emotionally and geographically so had NO concerns at all about leaving DD.

She was also sleeping through from 10:30pm to 7am (she doesn't now, don't hate me!) which I think helps.

DS will be staying overnight with his GP in May when he will be 7mo. Would happily leave him sooner but don't need to until our anniversary in May when we want a couple of days away on our own.

DD is 2.6 and very clingy. I have never left her overnight yet and nor would I want to. I don't need a night away from her nearly as much as she needs her mother at the moment. PILs are v keen to have her overnight but she is such a tiny limpet that I would really worry about her. I'm fine with leaving her with a known and trusted babysitter, of course, in her own home or somewhere else she feels comfortable. I wouldn't leave her in a strange place or with someone she didn't know well. I'm not saying you are wrong, OP, because more than likely everything will be absolutely fine, but I would personally worry about leaving a breastfed baby overnight. But then mine wouldn't take a bottle no matter how hard we tried so we didn't really have the option.

Overnight at home at 12 weeks - he was absolutely fine. He was BFed as well. My boobs were nearly exploding when I got back!

Mine was 10 months. I felt guilty (ish) and/but also had a lovely time. He was fine. My parents were over the moon to have him for 36 hrs !

Thanks everyone. My mum is coming here to our house - but agree about getting her more used to a bottle. Also going to stay with mum in a few weeks so will get her to give a bottle or two then. I'll see how that goes and then make a call on it.

thanks again

I don't think the issue is the age at which you leave your DC with GPs overnight, but breastfeeding. You must get your DD used to a bottle before leaving her - breastfed babies don't necessarily take to bottles very easily IME

DS is 23 months old and I've never left him overnight with anyone; nor do DH or I want to.
If you're that worried about it, don't go. You'll just spend your whole time worrying and not enjoying yourself; is it really worth it?
And she is very young; just because you don;t leave her now doesn't mean you won't be able to at a later stage. Plenty of time yet.

DD's 17mo and I've never left her with anyone overnight, not even DP . Before I had DD I imagined that I'd be getting all family members to babysit every day of the week and packing her off to grannies every weekend and life would carry on as usual. I had no idea how hard I would find it to leave her. Everyone's different but I personally find it really hard to leave her and don't feel ready to do it any time soon. You should just do what feels right for you.