When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I've been out of the house for a couple hours at a time, but I've been hesitant to make any big plans. Got that new mom nervousness going.

I know that if I left DD with my mom or someone I trust, all would be fine...she'd be taken care of. My worry- is me. Would I even be able to relax?

I miss my Yankee games, yet that's such a looooong day without her. And she certainly isn't ready to go with us either. Though I wonder...think I could take her when she's 3 months old? She's such a fussy baby now...doesn't like car rides/stroller...can't imagine her enjoying a day at the ballpark. i have the moby wrap but she hates it when she's fussy - and we sit in the bleachers, imagine how uncomfortable that is.

So...what did it take for you to feel ready to have a life again?

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

DD is 6 months, and honestly, I still have a hard time leaving her to go "out' for myself other than work.

Ive gone to the movies 3 times, and left after she went to bed for the night. This whole summer I could leave her anytime I want to go do whatever for a day and I havent at all, just for random drs appointments.

We also went to a (I know dont yell) mets game 2 weeks ago and only after DH begged. I didnt want to leave her.

I wind up missing her the whole time when I go!!!!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I never felt ready, but DH and I were invited to a friend's big 30th in the city. It was an all day thing to the night. We only stayed till 6 PM so we were home and able to put DS to bed. He's 2 and a half months now and that was 2 weeks ago. Now I'm back at work and he's with MIL. Still hate the fact that I'm leaving him, but at least it gets him ready for the fact that mom can't be there all the time so he can get used to other pple.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

We left Kaydyn for a couple of hours with my mom on Valentine's Day (she was 3 weeks old), but we didn't do an all day thing until she was about 6/7 months but that's only b/c we didn't really have any big plans for anything.

Next year my cousin is getting married in CT and we would have to leave both kids with my ILs overnight (Kaydyn will be 2 1/2 and the new baby will be 4 months)...we're still debating about going because we feel it's a big responsibility for my ILs with such a young baby who prob will not be sleeping through the night.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

Until DS was 3 months old, if I could have any kind of break, I would have chosen sleep.

I went to work back to work when DS was 4 months old and I felt more comfortable leaving him with DH or my mom. Now DS is 5 months old and I totally feel fine leaving him. However, I work pretty long hours and want to spend every spare second with DS that I am not at work.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

Never But, I was ok leaving him with my mom when I had to.

I had a wedding when DS was 4 wks old and one when he was 7 wks old and had to go to both. We were gone for hours. And, for OB appts etc. I would leave him with my mom so even though I wasn't completely ready - it was fine

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

If you start leaving little by little, it makes things easier. DH and I had our first dinner out when DD was 2 months old. That was hard, but it made it easier when we went out the next time. We made sure to do quick outings without her, like dinner or a movie, and our parents stayed with her. Now at 6 months, we just did our second overnight away from her and it wasn't bad at all (though I was SO excited to see her the next day!).

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I left my DS with my mom when he was 6 weeks old so DH & I could go to dinner and a movie. It was easir knowing he was with my mom who i knew was also going to be watching him when I went back to work 2 weeks later. DH was actually worrying more than I was & wanted to call every 1/2 hr!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

Tara - you know my "I'm not ready story!" Even at 6 months I'm still not "ready" but we (by we, I mean.. I...) force ourselves to go out without Samantha. The more I do it, the easier it is. For me, its more about letting go of control of DDs day and schedule. I've VERY lucky that my MIL follows my instructions to the "T" though.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I am very lucky in that my parents are close by (within minutes) and are ACHING to babysit all the time. My mom is a teacher as well so she's been home the whole summer with me. I'll stop by my parents house to visit for a while and then run out to do a couple of errands, leaving DS with them. But it sounds like you mean for longer periods of time. Our DS is 7 weeks old right now and we left him pretty early on with both sets of grandparents so that we could have 'adult time'. When he was 3 weeks old, we left him with my parents so that we could have a date. We went with friends to see The Hangover and then out to dinner. We were gone for about 7 hours. About a week later, DH's parents watched him so that we could go to the Dave Matthews concert. Again, we were gone for about 6 hours. Altogether, we've had them babysit 4 different times for extended periods of time. I admit that I need breaks every couple of weeks. I enjoy the time with DH and it makes me miss DS and appreciate the time I have with him even more. It sounds like you are a HUGE Yankee fan and would enjoy going to a game again. IMHO, you should go and have fun! They are on quite a streak anyway and it would probably be a great game. Yes, you'll miss DD, but it will make the moment you see her at the end of the day all the better. Go Yankees!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I left DS for four days when he was 4 1/2 months old. I had a destination wedding and DS stayed home with DH and MIL. I was freaked out the first day, loving the second and third and counting down on the fourth!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I guess because Erin is #2 for me I don't feel bad leaving her with anyone. I need that break...and I get to spend time with my older girl. So far I have gone to the beach a few times for a few hours each time, Depeche Mode concert and next week I am leaving both of them for an all day winery excursion with friends. The outings help keep me sane

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

My isn't here yet, but I will be leaving him or her overnight when (s)he's only about 2 months old.

I am both dreading it, and excited about my first big night out in a looooong time!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I left DD at when she was 5 days old for 2hrs while I went out w/DH

She's not a month yet and I've left her a couple of hours here and there (movies, dinner) she stayed with my mom

Last week we took her to the city for the day (noon to about 8pm), she was 3 weeks old then

When she's 3months, we'll be leaving her for 3 nights...

I feel like I'm not in the norm because I don't feel that badly when leaving her...I miss her, but I'm not getting really sad or anything

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

Message edited 8/17/2009 4:09:20 PM.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I don't go out much alone. If I do DH is home with DS and it is for a couple of hours. I do a lot with my friends who have kids which is fun.

I know I am going to have a hard time going back to work in September. Although DH will be home with him a few days a week but still.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

dd was born on 3/20/07 and we went out to dinner for our 1st anniversary on 4/15/07 and left her with my mom for about 4 hours

she was fine and so were we

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

from the very beginning, DS was left with my mom or MIL when i wanted to go to certain stores and didn't want to bring him.

he's had sleepovers at the grandparents' houses from the beginning.

i had no problem with leaving him at all! he loves it, grandparents love it and i get to sleep in! win/win for everyone!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

Define leaving? I was comfortable early on 4-6 weeks to go out for dinner or visit with friends, but I didn't leave her over night until DD was over 1 year. I just never felt the need to. I DID feel the need to be able to go out to lunch or dinner with friends or DH without my DD so I had no problems leaving her for a few hours.

DD#2 is another issue. I'm more than ready to leave her to go out but she refuses to take bottles and eats erratically so far I haven't had the opportunity since I can't leave her with my mom if she can't feed her.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I left him alone w/ DH right from the beginning - maybe a week old.
IMHO Daddy is should be able to do everything Mommy can for the baby -

I had to learn......so does he IMO.

DH and I went out to dinner about 2 weeks after Sean came home. We left him w/ my parents - We've been out many many times since - He's stayed w/ my parents, my sister, SIL, MIL and even my BIL one night. I'm less comfortable leaving him w/ my MIL - but that's a whole other story -

I will say though, that I am VERY lucky to have a very mellow, easy going baby so I don't worry that he's going to have a meltdown and be screaming his head off and un-consolable while I'm gone ...


ETA I am still home w/ him until I go back to work in October (he'll be 6 months) I'm sure THEN I'll be less eager to 'leave' him when I have next to NO time w/ him all week -

Message edited 8/17/2009 5:14:35 PM.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

I left him constantly with my mom when I was on maternity leave for 3 months if I had to run errands, go to the stores, or pop into the office for an emergency. I also left him with her overnight when the weather was bad and I didn't want to take him out in the rain or cold. I don't know, I never had issues leaving him and trusted my mom with him 150%... more than I trusted myself with him in the beginning.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

DD was 3 weeks old when she spent the night at my parants house.

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

DD is 7 weeks old and I leave her with my mom all the time so I can run errands or go to the dr or whatever and DH and I left her there for about 5 hours last week while we went out to dinner and movie.

For some reason, I feel completely comfortable leaving her with my mom and never really gave it a second thought. The only issue is that I end up missing her alot around the 2 hour mark and start itching to get back to her asap!

Re: When did you feel 'ready' to leave your newborn?

The longest we have been away from DD is 6 hours straight for a friend's wedding- besides that we have been on "dates" a couple of times in the afternoon but I am ready to go on a mini-vacation (a long weekend)

I have no problem leaving DD because it's always with family who I trust more than anyone else.

I have always told myself- anything can happen- whether I'm around her 24/7 or not. I can't give up myself and my marriage because I'm a Mommy now