STMs question

imsoexcited915 · August 2015

wondering when you felt you were first able to leave baby home for an errand - like say to get a haircut or something for maybe 2-3 hours. Wondering what's a realistic time frame.

jessrjennings · August 2015

I think it's going to be different for every momma in each situation and with each different person. Me personally I felt fine after a week to leave little man with my mom or my husband, but longer for other people.

BeachBabe22 · August 2015

My mom stayed with us for two weeks after our daughter was born and we went to dinner while she watched the baby. It was great because I obviously trusted my mom completely and I was able to get a few hours alone with my husband. I honestly don't remember how old our daughter was when I left her with my husband for a few hours but i'm guessing it was around 3-4 weeks. He was great and I pumped and he fed her bottles. There were quite a few hour long Target trips in those first few weeks and they kept me sane!

WDDCH · August 2015

Yeah I think maybe 3-4 weeks old. One time I left our firstborn, brand new baby with my husband so I could get out and run errands alone. I accidentally left the volume on my phone off so I didn't hear the TWENTY times he called.

He left messages. The first was him angry with me and asking why I wasn't answering. Baby was hysterical.

Then he started leaving messages that he was worried that I wasn't answering. Baby was still hysterical.

The last was him crying with baby! Both hysterical. By the time I got home she had fallen asleep but it really upset DH. He tried everything for her (she was bottle/formula fed so it wasn't a bottle or breastfeeding issue) and did such a good job trying... but he just wasn't mommy. Make sure phone volume is on when you leave lol!

Our firstborn did NOT want daddy until she was a year old. She was stuck to me like glue. It was me or no one!

Our other kids were more flexible in this regard, some seeming to not really prefer one of us parents to the other. So I'm not saying all babies are remotely similar to my firstborn.

We laugh about it now but I always try to run errands close to home AND turn my volume on in case I'm truly needed, ha ha! It can be done but be prepared that baby may have a preference to your care.

thefuturemrsdaniel · August 2015

We left our son I guess a month after he was born to go on a date for our anniversary. It was probably 4 hrs or so. He stayed with my mom. I was good leaving with her... my nursing boobs not so much haha

melco19 · August 2015

I think I got my hair done at around 2 months, but my son was born just before Christmas so that whole first month was crazy busy. When things settled I decided to do my hair and left him with daddy.

rebeccabloomwood · August 2015

I think it was more me who felt comfortable enough to leave than baby. Probably around 3-4 weeks as well. If baby has just been fed and seems to follow a fairly predictable schedule its easy to run out for an hour or two. I just wasnt mentally prepared to leave her at first. I think this time will be easier for me.

ForeverEverAfter · August 2015

I was BFing and didn't want to introduce a bottle til 6-8 weeks. So I was fine with short errands in between feeds (30min-1.5h) from a week pp. M was born just before Christmas, so I had lots of visiting family willing to watch her while I drove DH to work, or got groceries. M was 2 months old for our first evening out (Valentines) and my stepmom watched her for a few hours, went well

itsasapphire · August 2015

DD was about 4 weeks old when DH and I went out for a beer together. My mom stayed at our house with her and we were within a mile. We have security cameras so I checked them about a gazillion times.

The first time I left her with DH I did the same thing as @WDDCH and my phone was still on silent. He left three messages but it was regarding something for work. Then his day got worse because she had her 8 week shots that morning and was not feeling well. He called me about every 15 minutes until I left work early. From then on I brought her to work with me and everything was fine

ETA: I did breastfeed and made sure I had a stock pile of milk before leaving. I would either nurse or pump right before leaving.

meggipi5 · August 2015

I would leave for short things between nursing at about a month. If you leave a bottle, you still have to pump sometime in there to keep up your supply, too. So 2/12 to 3 hours is probably a reasonable stretch at about a monthish.

kanga915 · August 2015

It was 2-3 months for me. It depends on a lot of factors though. Breastfeeding is the biggest issue. If baby will take a bottle it gives you a bit more freedom.

knowmeinadifferentlight · August 2015

Wellllll, we are all different. If I had to tell the truth, my daughter was 9 months old until I left her with someone else for more than a bathroom break. I know, it seems extreme. That was 7 years ago. Now I'm pretty sure I'm not as worrisome as that, at least, and would probably consider it after a few weeks.

jmacd22 · August 2015

I agree with the other moms and say 3-4 weeks

Boobopgirl · August 2015

My DD had feeding issues, so I had to nurse her on a strict schedule, feed her a bottle after that and then pump for 15 minutes to get the next bottle ready. Until I had done all of that, I only had an hour tops until the next feeding. It was a long time before I could even leave WITH her for more than a few hours unless I knew I would have somewhere to sit down and nurse/pump.

Even after that I was super nervous to leave her and have her be hungry, so it was awhile. This baby I'd imagine will be sooner.

FinalyFound · August 2015

I agree it will be different for everyone. We left DD with my Mom for an hour at a few days old. My SIL however has never left her son alone with anyone and he's 5 months (she's the epitome of helicopter mom)

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