https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 25 May 2026 22:12:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-377386 Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:36:59 +0000 PrincessBaby 377386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rainbow Sprinkles: DH and I are trying to figure that out...My last day of work is Nov 21st and I'm off the week after Thanksgiving (using vac time), and then H is supposed to get induced on the 2nd and my maternity leave will officially start. So I was kind of thinking of trying to do interviews that week I'm on vacation. DH thinks we should get her here and get settled in, and then do interviews in early Jan or so. I go back to work mid-Feb, so he thinks we have plenty of time. I've just been telling people that I will let them know when we get our sh*t together and interview. I'm actually pretty anxious about the whole thing. Oh, and I'll want to hire someone far enough out to use her a few times to see how H does with her...Like maybe watch her for a couple of hours a few times while I'm still on mat leave so that we all feel better about things:) Okay- me. So that I feel better about things:) So we haven't decided when this is all going to go down...DH thinks hiring in Nov is too soon for a job that won't start until Feb or so, but I don't know.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-377381 Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:31:03 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 377381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: so are you going to do interviews to pick your nanny? When's that happening? I feel like that would be a fun process! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-377380 Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:28:55 +0000 PrincessBaby 377380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rainbow Sprinkles: I actually have already jumped on the Cleaning Service bandwagon! When I was on bedrest in the first tri due to my subchorionic bleed, I had them come out to deep clean the house bc I couldn't do it and I realized how worth the money it is b/c they can do in 2 hours what would take me an entire day.....And the more pregnant I got, the more useless I got:) So I just kept up with having the service every couple of weeks... So you're right, that will definitely help! And I'm under the impression that a lot of nannies do light housework anyway, like while the baby is sleeping or something. And when DH is home, I will just have the nanny for like 20 hours a week or so. I ran an ad on Care.com and said that it would be 32-36 hours a week when he's gone and I would guarantee a minimum of 20 hours when he's home. That way he can still get to spend a lot of time with her on his own, but will also be able to take care of stuff that are "his responsibility" like our yard, our pool, and go do stuff like get a haircut or play golf if he wants to when he's home. I was worried that schedule wouldn't be attractive to a lot of people but I got an overwhelming response, so hopefully one of them will work out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-377186 Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:30:24 +0000 Navy_Mommy 377186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH has been gone for just over 2 months now (DS is 7 months old) and we actually don't know when he'll be back :-/ Sometime between April and July is their projected homecoming. He also left for 4 days when DS was a month old and 4 weeks when he was 3 months old. Its sad to say, but you actually get used to it. I never stop missing him, but at this point I've gotten used to doing it by myself. </p> <p>A week shouldn't be that bad, plus you'll appreciate your DH a ton more when he gets back! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-377175 Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:17:45 +0000 pinkcupcake 377175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He's never been away overnight, but he works a lot so there are days he's out of the house at 7am and not home till 1am. Those days can be tough :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-376295 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 07:30:47 +0000 matador84 376295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is 9 weeks today and DH just got back from a week on business! He was oot on business when LO was 3 weeks also. He lives/works oot and is able to come home 1-2 times a week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-376271 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 06:28:35 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 376271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: it seems that it always works out that way! The day they choose to leave, something goes awry! This has been the worst couple days of LOs life (in terms of her sleep). Wish he was here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-376269 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 06:24:47 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 376269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Cowgirl: I wont be able to go on a trip for a while since I am breastfeeding, but I think I at least deserve a spa day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-376254 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 05:53:57 +0000 loveisstrange 376254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep. DH is in the Air Force in a pretty high-deploying field (he works with bombs/explosives/etc). He's been gone a few times already since C was born, the longest being 2 weeks. We know he probably has at least 2 more 2 weeks trips before April and then he's getting deployed in April (right after her 1st birthday) and will be gone for 7-8 months. </p> <p>I was fine for the week-long trips. I stayed busy. C and I had a lot of quality time. The 2 weeks trip was rough though. It was right when she decided she needed to be swaddle-weaned so neither of us was sleeping. It was rough. If her sleep had been normal, I probably would have been fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-376245 Sat, 03 Nov 2012 05:35:20 +0000 Sweet T 376245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep. So far, I've done 4 months, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks as a "single" parent. I will be doing another 2 weeks in the spring. DH is in the Army. The 4 months was while he was deployed. He left when I was 6 weeks pregnant and was able to come home for R&amp;R right before my due date. He had to go back to finish his deployment when DS was 10 days old. The other times were for trainings/schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375326 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:33:33 +0000 mrs. wagon 375326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The first time Wagon Sr. left us overnight was to go to his best friend's bachelor party. I think it was two nights. Wagon Jr. was 3 months old. He started teething and was up all night long. I remember Wagon Sr. calling at 3:30am because his friend was drunk and wouldn't leave the casino, and I answered the phone with a screaming baby in my arms. I specifically said "you are never allowed to leave us alone ever again." </p> <p>The next time was supposed to be for two nights again, because he was running an event (in our city, about 30 min drive from home) and he had to stay overnight at the hotel where the event was. The first night Wagon Jr. was vomiting nonstop. Wagon Sr. ended up driving home at 10pm and drove back to the hotel at 5am. He came home the next night.</p> <p>Since then he's done a night here and there for random things, but luckily neither of us travels much and he pretty much doesn't travel at all for work. I would NEVER make it as a single parent. I'd have to move back in with my parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375306 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:29:18 +0000 Mrs. Cowgirl 375306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep, I've done up to 10 days. It's not so bad once we are in a routine, but it definitely helps to pack your days, too with lots of play dates!</p> <p>So, do you get to have a leisure trip next, @Rainbow Sprinkles: ??? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375296 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:27:08 +0000 MamaBehr 375296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am currently alone with my two kiddos for four days while DH goes to visit his Grandpa (probably for the last time, his Grandpa is in hospice care....). It is very intimidating but I'm holding it together!!! Our family is far away, but I feel so lucky to have neighbors and friends who are taking good care of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375272 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:22:52 +0000 MusicaV 375272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH travels for work, and he is going out of the country for a little over a week when DS is 7 weeks old. It's probably going to be a monthly thing, him going out of the country. He also makes a couple short (1-2 days) domestic trips in between. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375133 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:40:17 +0000 Sammyfab 375133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband had a work trip when LO was 5 months. He was across the world (8-hour time difference) for 6 days. Thankfully my LO slept decently that week and everything ran smoothly. He also went camping a couple of weeks ago and my LO had his two best sleeps he's ever had. He totally spoiled me but it only lasted two days!</p> <p>I can't imagine being in some of the situations described in this thread. I feel super fortunate that my husband doesn't travel often for work these days (a couple of years ago would have been a different story). You are all super mamas (or mamas-to-be!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375046 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:54:32 +0000 winniebee 375046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not for leisure matters....but my husband works insane hours (5:30 am to a lot of times after LO goes to bed) so there are definitely several days during the week where I'm a single mom - cooking, cleaning, taking care of the baby (and now, working). It's exhausting.</p> <p>Any way that your mom or MIL can come over for an afternoon so that you can get a little break? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375042 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:52:30 +0000 Weagle 375042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: They all ended up staying at home. It is a great blessing that the jobs pay so well (plus, cost of living in my hometown is really, really low) My closest friend in this situation just gave up a great nursing job. Granted, she absolutely loves staying at home and after seeing how much she enjoys being with their son, she has absolutely no regrets. They end up taking a short trip most of the time he is home which is really nice and fun for them. A little time away for their family to reset. </p> <p>You may continue to work and you may not. There's no need to decide now. There's no way to predict how you will feel when your LO arrives. You'll know what's right :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375024 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:44:27 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 375024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: I don't know if you read my sleep post I made earlier but right now my LO Is sleeping the worst she ever has in her life. And knowing my husband is on vacation right now, it is kind of irritating! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-375011 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:39:32 +0000 sarac 375011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband went on an 8 day business trip when our baby was about 8 months old. It was the worst of her sleeplessness, and without him to send in, I was up all night with her. I was with my mother who was supposed to be helping, but really wasn't any help, at all. And he was in Florida and got to spent a ton of time just laying around the pool, and I was enraged. I told him next time we're coming, or he's staying home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374943 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:17:13 +0000 blackbird 374943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine will be leaving me for 2 weeks for military training, and my friend's DH left for a month of training when her son was 9 days old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374898 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:54:07 +0000 littlek 374898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm planning on taking LO with me to San Diego for a week for training for my new job. The original plan was to leave LO with DH for a week, but I just found out that there is a daycare option for free, so I'm taking LO with me. I feel better having LO with me for a week then leaving him with DH for a week. My best friends husband travels a lot and she also has a demanding job and she manages to make it work with 2 kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374896 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:53:52 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 374896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: That would be really hard. Do you have a house cleaner? I think that since you will be working, once you get off work you will just want to spend time with your DD, not worry about having to keep your house clean! And when DH is home, you will want to hang out with him and your little family when you're not working. I know for me that once we had a little one, keeping up with all the household chores got a lot harder, and we are a VERY clean family. It became impossibile to keep up with laundry, etc. If maybe you had someone who could help you out with that, your situation might be a bit easier.<br /> So when your DH is home for those three weeks and you're working during the day, will he be home with LO? or will you still have the nanny while he is home?</p> <p>I guess it might be easier for you (having a DH who is gone a lot) than any of us who aren't used to it because it is all you know. It's not like you will get used to him being home all the time and then have to adjust to his absence. So since his schedule is the same from day 1 of H's life... you won't know any better!</p> <p>you make medical device sales sound so glamorous! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374877 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:45:46 +0000 cyndistar3 374877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well I was basically "single parent" for the first 2 years of lo's life due to our circumstances. Then dh had a job that he had to work out of state for the week and I only saw him on weekends for a few months. Then he worked night crew when we first had #2 so I had to take care of both lo's by myself for the most part. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374823 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:32:38 +0000 jennylynn 374823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was pretty much a single mom for the first 6 months of LO life. DH was on night shift + mandatory overtime 6 days a week 12 hour shifts, so when I was home he was (understandably) catching up on sleep, since he somehow still managed to watch DD while I worked. We only saw each other in passing, and on Sundays if we were lucky. It was really rough, but we got through it. I have respect for everyday single parents! It's hard work! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374719 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:58:10 +0000 heffalump 374719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dh had to have surgery and stayed over a week in the hospital to recover. But my mom is close by so she could help out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374041 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:40:24 +0000 PrincessBaby 374041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@c.sassy: Do they work or Sah? I feel like a lot of offshore wives, well really all of them, end up sah just bc it is such a huge job to do alone and any level offshore job pays well so it's very doable. For us, it works and does help us keep our spark bc we cherish the time he is home, but I 100% believe what you're saying about it changing once kids come along! I'm thinking that the LAST thing I'm going to want to do when DH, LO, &amp; I are finally together is leave them and go to work all day! I'm going to want our family to be together all the time when he's home! But I feel like I have to try the work thing, just bc if I walked away from this job, I would be giving up a lot:( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374036 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:38:59 +0000 dcw6411 374036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am pretty much a single mom five days a week. DH works swing shifts, so he sleeps most of the day and is gone every night before I get home from work. My best advice is to plan meals, etc, in advance. It really helps me to survive during the long weeks. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374030 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:33:23 +0000 Weagle 374030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PrincessBaby: I have lots of friends back home whose husbands work offshore in various jobs. It's very hard! Husbands miss their kids, and wives miss having a partner. They say it's much different after having kids than before... they couldn't have prepared for it even though they had been on that schedule for years. But, they all appreciate the time together much more! Now, some of them have the longer schedule (being gone a couple of months at a time while a rig is being moved)... that's a whole 'nother animal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374005 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:20:30 +0000 PrincessBaby 374005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This seriously is my #1 fear/worry! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/have-you-ever-been-a-single-parent-for-a-week#post-374000 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:18:28 +0000 PrincessBaby 374000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ughhhh! This will be my life once H is born! DH works offshore (he drives oil rigs, he's a Captain) and he is gone for 3 weeks at a time and then home 3 weeks (with no work at all). It freaks me out to the point of wanting to SAH but the sad fact of the matter is, my job is too good to walk away from:( We'd still be comfortable on DH's salary alone, so I am VERY tempted and sulky about it, but being in med device sales, I make my own schedule to a certain degree and get a lot of perks like a free company car, on top of a really good salary and bonuses. I almost wish it wasn't so good, so then I could make a reasonable argument for being a SAHM. So I will (begrudgingly) go back to work and we will have a nanny. I will only work M-Th and have the nanny all day, and then Fridays I'll stay home with H and have an "office day" which just means I'll answer my phone and emails. I am used to DH's schedule, and quite frankly, the salary that he makes is what makes me not even bat an eye at it, and I'd never dare resent our situation because we're so blessed....I am mainly just worried to death about basically being a single working parent for 3 weeks at a time. I am hoping that having the nanny will make me not lose my damn mind! Okay well now that I have ranted all my fears, lol....</p> <p>Will you be working at all while your DH is gone? I think taking care of a LO for that week if you're not working will be okay (although I'm sure EXHAUSTING), but if you are working at all - man, that will be really tough! Good luck to you!!! </p>