Please reassure me babies are adaptable

[Fishpond]

Due to circumstances totally beyond my control I have to put my 7-week-old into full time nursery for about a month or two. After that I'll be home with him 3 days pw and he will have a nanny 2 days pw who is a family friend we have known for ages.

I'm absolutely dreading next Monday when I have to drop him off, the nursery is ok but not amazing, better of the 2 I could find on such short notice. I know how important it is for small babies to stay with mum as long as possible, am I going to damage him by putting him there at such a young age as some psychologists have suggested??

I keep trying to tell myself it's only a drop in the hat as far as the timeframe, he's just so small. :(

7 weeks is very young to be in a nursery, I imagine that you feel pretty desperate to have to put a small baby into childcare.

I think you are right that small babies are very adaptable. I think the biggest issue will be your baby catching all the germs going at a very young age. I think that small babies don't really have speration anxiety in the same way. I think a seven week old will be happy provided it gets lots of cuddles.

Small babies are very adaptable, and as long as his needs are met and he is cuddled lots when awake, he'll be fine. When ds was in nursery and little (went from 16 w) he spent all his awake time being snuggled by one of the staff, and they were v good with only having a very few staff who worked in the baby room

Well, if you can try not to worry about potential "damage", you can read all sorts of stuff written by all sorts of people that will make you feel bad and that might also be untrue.
Clearly it is not ideal but you are not neglecting your child.
I agree with the post above with regards to germs but I think that until 3 months, babies still have some of their mother's immunity, so he might be ok on that front.
Babies are adaptable, in fact chances are he will adapt to the situation quicker than you. I am sure he will be fine, but I feel your pain.

I think it'll be one of those things that when you look back in a few years time, you'll wonder why you worried so much. Everything is so magnified when they are so little (I'm not undermining how you feel, I would feel the same) but when DS is at school, this time will be forgotten. He sure won't remember it! Its for a short time too. It will all be fine. Good luck.