when is it ok to let our 6 week old start "sleeping out"?

Question

our daugter is 6 weeks old and her grandma keeps asking us to let her sleep over. the baby doesn't have any shots yet and is only 6 weeks old.

Answer 1

shots LOL he sounds like a puppy....sorry.
It depends on how you feel, how well you think the baby will settle, how much trust you put in grandma.Grandma might be a sprightly 42 year old or a not so sprightly 88 years old.
I went to a wedding when my youngest was 10 weeks old and left my brestfeeding baby with my mum,some expresssed milk and some pre made nan.I t was a long night for the both of them.my husband had had no trouble bottle feeding with formula or expressed milk but he didn't want to fed from nan. Eventuially they worked it out betweeen them, he fed and went to sleep and nan was quite proud that,she hadn't lost it:)

Answer 2

Yeeks, 6 weeks is too young to be without mama.

Can grandma sleep at your house? It might be a terrific break for you--she can do the night feedings and feel involved. Also, you might pick a date in the future to let grandma know that you will allow it eventually. Choose a date that is 2 months in the future--mark the calendar and show grandma--and plan a date with your husband for that day while you're at it. Both grandma and hubby will feel special!

In my state it is standard that if a baby of 8 weeks or less runs a temp of 102 or above it's an automatic hospital admission and they are assumed to have a bacterial infection and are given IV antibiotics (the heavy duty ones). That was enough to keep my little one out confined public spaces (or even most other people's homes) until then. I was also the "hand washing police" and after awhile my friends would greet me with "I just washed my hands!" instead of "hello!" which was terrific.

It'd cold and flu season which increases your little one's chances of picking something up. If she gets a cold it is really difficult for them to nurse or take a bottle because they simply cannot breathe and eat at the same time--and most pediatricians are very hesitant to medicate a baby that young. It can really be a miserable experience for the two of you.

My little one didn't get sick until 8 months old and I was really grateful that I was on the edge of being a little neurotic about keeping her as germ free as possible. It was completely worth it.

Now I don't mind if she is exposed--it's actually good for their immune systems to have some exposure--but I know that she can much better tolerate being ill as an older baby. By the time they get older they are so busy exploring their worlds that they are exposed to a lot of stuff which is all part of life.

Best of luck with grandma.

Answer 3

Let Grandma have an hour or two with the baby, you can go run errands or have a much deserved nap. If baby and grandma do fine, then try for 4 or 5 hours the next time and work up to overnight if you dont feel comfortable with her keeping baby overnight now. But dont deny Granny time with the baby. As much as you need to bond with her, Grandma needs bonding time too! I didnt let my first baby stay away over night till she was a year old... but by my 3rd child, I was happy for a full nights sleep very early on. But ultimately it is up to you... how comfortable you feel. Maybe ask Grandma to stay the night at your house first and let her attend to the baby so you can get some "me" time.

Answer 4

I'm a Grandma and I would not ask or expect my son or daughter to let a baby that young stay over night at my home or any other home other than with the parents, that baby is to young no its not OK If the mom was sick and could not care for the baby then I would go to there home and help or if the mom was in hospital I may let the baby come if I am unable to go to there home but it would have to be an emergency

Answer 5

I'd say no way, not for a while, but this is just my strong personal opinion. This is when your baby is bonding with you. She is used to your smell and so forth. I wouldn't do it, not without you right there, within sight and reach. I'd be unable to sleep with all the worry about my baby being gone! It won't hurt the baby to actually let her spend the night with grandma, and grandma to take care of her for a night, even without shots. It will actually be easier for grandma right now, than when the baby gets older, and starts recognizing her surroundings more.

Answer 6

My son is 6 months old and I still haven't spent a night away from him. I am more worried aobut me than him, though.

Why don't you spend the night at the grandma's with her, but let Grandma take care of you, if that is an option. Then you could get a break and Grandma could bond

Answer 7

I don't think that is a good idea , I would wait in-till she has all her shots,Grandmas tend to want to show off baby more and let other people touch! there is alot of rsv going around and if your baby gets that at 6 weeks it is very dangerous,maybe you can suggest having her over for a sleep over!

Answer 8

Grandma is always Grandma, but Momma is going to keep that baby till she is ready to start showing off that newborn.

What I did when my Son was born we kept him close to us at all times for a full year and he didn't get to stay over at Grabndmas till he was 4 years old.
Now thats me, but you can make your own choices. I was a very over protective Father of my Son in fact I was so overprotected, that my wife and I only hired a babysitter one time in his life to go out to a club and never did it again.

My Son was the most cutest beautiful baby and was being adored by hundreds everytime we took him out. We were offered by a studio when we got our portraits that he could be a baby model, but I refused it.

I felt that as a parent if you have a child it your responsibility to raise that child no one else should have that right unless you are found to be unfit.

So everyhwere I went or my wife..my Son went with us.

When we went to a party one time he was 5 years old and hanging with the Harley guys and they loved him to death. The compliments were overwellming.
The key to this was that we spent all our time we had raising our Son and putting everything from reading books to him to teaching him at a very young age and it paid off.

Love and more love and love again just keep dumping that love in that child and you will not see terrible two's, three's or four's, no brat tantrums...NOTHING LIKE THAT he was our Angel baby and born on Christmas Day and that wasn't planned, it just happened that way.
My wife went in to labor Chritsmas Eve and at 3:05 After midnight December 25, 1985 My Son was born. He was the first baby born at St. Francis Hospital, and what a Chritsmas present that was.
I am saddened because he grew up so fast and was riding a mini bike at 4 years of age then we moved him up to the Go-Cart and Now he is on a 2006 Harley which I gave to him and he is driving a 2006 Mustang we traded in his older one which is in the blog by the way, so now he has a girlfriend and I can't possibly think of anything else to say than what I have already.
My Son graduates this year from Columbus College, but I gave him his present already that 2006 Mustang and the 2006 Harley FXST.
Now I need Grand children then I can do it all over again that is how I live today. Children are what parenting is all about.

I have a pictue of my Son on mypage and the blog as well. He has the Fender Squire guitar in his hands.

I have everything from God to Jesus to my wife and my Son. I live for them and that's it. Enjoy your life and treasure those valuable moments you have with your baby, because they may never come again.

Answer 9

I had this problem with my mom also...I finally told her to just come stay with us for a few nights. That way grandma gets to take care of baby, and you can still check on baby. I don't think I could stand being away from my 9 week old over night...I would miss her =(.

Answer 10

A baby that young should be at home with momma. Grandma had her chance to be a mom. If she wants to spend time with baby, she can do it in the daytime when baby is awake. There is nothing she can do with baby spending the night that she can't do during a daytime visit.

If mom is breastfeeding, then this is absolutely WAY TOO SOON for them to be separated overnight.

ETA:
We chose to not have out kids spend the night anywhere but home until they could express a desire to do so themselves. My son's first time apart was at age 2 when his sister was born. My middle daughter's first time apart from me was when she was about 3 years old. My youngest daughter has been put to bed by someone else 2 times but I was home with her before she woke up. She's about to turn 4 years old.