https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:59:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks/page/2#post-562034 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:39:37 +0000 tysonja 562034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I'd do it! Having your parents and the baby only 1hr away would be really conforting to me. Living in a big city, 1hr doesn't seem very far at all -- it feels like we're always driving an hour to get anywhere! :) Maybe having the baby stay with you the first night and then baby-sat by your parents the second would be a nice option, too! yay weddings! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561943 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:51:08 +0000 lisa1783 561943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I left my LO at 7 weeks for 2 nights when I was in a wedding and I cried for the first half hour in the car but I was totally fine after that. I started pumping for my stash around the 3.5 week mark and was able to get a stash of 60 oz which literally was perfect. (He finished the last few oz right when I got home). But I left formula just in case he needed it. I left my LO with my SIL and she texted pics every few hours which made it so much easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561631 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 09:57:51 +0000 blackbird 561631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think a couple nights away from the baby when she's 5 months old will be awesome! It's going to be tough no matter what, but if you do it when they're a little younger, you probably won't feel as traumatized by it later on :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561456 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:29:57 +0000 Adira 561456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks so much ladies for your insight!!! I talked to Hubs last night and he is ALL FOR leaving the baby with grandparents and spending the weekend away, just like I knew he would be, haha. I think I'm going to just go ahead and book the room, but I'll probably double-check that the hotel has baby-sitting services in case I end up freaking out at the idea of leaving the baby and want to take him with us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561301 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:56:02 +0000 googly-eyes 561301@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd do it! I'd stay overnight, not the second option. We are leaving LO on a trip before six months... But we have someone we REALLY trust, and LO is FF...although if I were still BFing I'd just do it and pump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561292 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:38:12 +0000 Running Elley 561292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't be ready to leave the baby overnight I don't think. We have date nights pretty often where he stays with our parents for a few hours so we get plenty of adult time. He's 18 weeks now and I can't imagine leaving him overnight even though I'm sure he'd be fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561279 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:10:25 +0000 MsMini 561279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There is no way I would have been ready to leave S overnight at 20 weeks, I was barely ready to leave him for a long evening away for DH's Christmas party at 7 months old. I wouldn't have enjoyed myself at all worrying about him. I have an exceptionally clingy/mommy centered baby though, and he would flip out and not sleep if I wasn't there. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-561260 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:33:50 +0000 wheres_c 561260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are going to an adult only wedding soon in another state.<br /> Conveniently my mom lives half an hour away. We are planning on staying with her, rather than the hotel.....and leaving B with her.<br /> I think i would be too anxious to enjoy spending the night in a hotel/drinking </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560859 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:54:58 +0000 hellobeeboston 560859@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the harder part if you are EBF will bring able to get the 16 or so bottles that the baby will need while you are away! </p> <p>I want to do one night away and can't figure out how to have breast milk for him, and my freezer stash is down to only a few bags (LO is 15 weeks)</p> <p>But besides that part, I think you will have fun and should do it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560853 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:46:41 +0000 mrsjyw 560853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Id do it! At 12 wks, dh and ill be spending our first night away on Thursday this wk. My mom will be staying w the baby e frozen bfilk a d I'm going to pumo and dump.</p> <p>While it will.be hard. I also am excited to have time aone w dh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560736 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:57:25 +0000 Adira 560736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: haha, I should ask her if she'd be interested in that! My parents would probably find that fun, although I think they might be a little offended if I was booking the room for them, even though I know they normally wouldn't do something like that. That definitely could be a sensitive topic with them, so I'm not sure how I'd pull it off! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560731 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:56:12 +0000 LuLu Mom 560731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DH is in a wedding when our DD will be 25 weeks old so we will be staying away from her for 2 nights as well with grandparents. I wasn't that excited about, I was planning on bringing her, but that isn't able to happen. I know I"ll be okay (I left her overnight at 12 weeks with grandma) and I handled it fine. I think if you want to enjoy the wedding with drinks than do it, it will be a nice little getaway for mom and dad, and you can get some solid sleep! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560724 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:52:25 +0000 sunny 560724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If it were me, I'd book a room for your Mom at the same hotel and have her come watch the baby while you're at the wedding and then she can stay the night and won't have to drive home late! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560718 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:48:34 +0000 Adira 560718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JoJoGirl: I'm not sure - I probably would need to do some more research. I'm not sure my mom would be willing to come for the evening if she had to leave late at night. And I'm not sure the room situation, if we'd be able to have her spend the night in our room or not. I think the hotel might have baby sitting services though, so I could potentially look into that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560714 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:45:47 +0000 JoJoGirl 560714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Could your mom come with you to the wedding? We had a ton of EBF infants on our guest list and had to make the executive decision to have it be adults-only anyway. Most folks either had a parent stay with them at the hotel, or did a trade-off like that where mom and DH took turns. That was the out-of-town guests though.. the in-town whose LOs were still in daycare left them home for the 5 hrs with a sitter or relative. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560708 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:40:31 +0000 Adira 560708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bluebonnet: Thank you for your insight! I'm thinking maybe the earlier we do this, the better. That way both US and the baby can get used to it. I know that Hubs and I will want to do things still just the two of us occasionally, so maybe this is the perfect opportunity to start! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560681 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:33:51 +0000 Bluebonnet 560681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We left LO overnight when she was 12 weeks. Honestly, we missed her but it was nice to have some adult time. We've had a few overnights with out LO and its not a big deal (maybe because our first one went so well)! </p> <p>I had a freezer stash, so LO got frozen milk and I pumped while I was away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560678 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:32:09 +0000 Adira 560678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@autumnlove: Thanks for the info!!! I feel like these types of "success stories" are really encouraging! I'm definitely now leaning towards just leaving the baby with grandparents and having a blast at the wedding baby-free! I know I won't be able to lush it up because I'll be pumping, but I figure I'll still be able to have a glass of wine and Hubs and I will get a night (or two) to ourselves, which would be fun! Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560671 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:29:29 +0000 autumnlove 560671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I was pumping a lot from the moment my milk came in so I already had a stash built up at that point. I also bought my mom a little can of formula in case of an emergency...her freezer losing power, etc. LO was already sleeping through the night at that point and she didn't have any trouble sleeping at my mom's house and it was her first time there! She didn't have any problems adjusting back to her home routine...I think she was really too young to notice. :-) Good luck!</p> <p>ETA: I Facetimed with my LO when I was gone! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560669 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:27:59 +0000 Adira 560669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: I think you're totally right! And I feel the same way - I really want to make sure that I make Hubs and I a priority even after the baby is here. And I'm sure Hubs would probably really appreciate some quality time just the two of us, so maybe I should just plan to rip the band-aid off and go for it! I'll talk to him tonight and see what his opinion is, but I suspect he's going to agree with you 100%! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560655 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:20:40 +0000 Smurfette 560655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I look at this way, it is going to so hard to leave them the first time. So might as well just pull the "band-aid" off early when the baby really won't know the difference. I want our baby to get to use to staying with other. I don't want her to freak out when we do leave her with a sitter or over night trips to grandparents. We can't be there all the time. My relationship with DH is just as important as being a good parent. If we aren't happy, baby won't be happy. So time away for us, has to still be a priority. Granted I say this now before she is here, but I really don't see it changing. Plus I am sure DH will make sure we do stick to it since we both feel the same. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560646 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:17:04 +0000 Adira 560646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: Thanks so much for your schedule!!! I'm hoping that I'll be blessed like my mom and have a bountiful supply so that I'm able to build up a stash easily, but my fear is that I won't. It's definitely encouraging to hear how others have done it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560642 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:15:10 +0000 Adira 560642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: I'm with you! I feel like it's hard to think about it because I'm currently baby-less so the idea of a night out with Hubs and being able to stay up late and just spend time together sounds WONDERFUL. And I'm thinking that by then, we may really want that time together (I know Hubs will!!!). But I'm also worried that I'll plan it and then be all "AHHHH!!!! I can't do this!!!"</p> <p>@Foodnerd81: It's crazy how much more we have to think about things with babies than we did before! Before, I'd get a save-the-date and be all "Party!!!!" and book the room, and now I have to figure out logistics and everything! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560637 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:12:50 +0000 LemonLong 560637@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I started pumping when my LO was about 6 weeks old. I pumped once everyday right after her first morning feed (morning your production is the highest). After I went back to work I would feed my LO at 5 am then pump right after (sometimes I skip this session though) then I pump at work at 8, 11, and 2. I give her 12 oz at daycare, so any extra gets added to the freezer stash. I then nurse LO when she gets home from daycare at 5 and 8 pm. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560634 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:12:05 +0000 Foodnerd81 560634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: We have friends getting married soon-ish and I thought they might do it this fall, which would be when LO will be less than 6 months. I didn't think I'd be able to leave the baby for a whole weekend so my plan was to hit up the groom's sister for her babysitter recommendations-- my family would be too far. So I've thought about it a lot already :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560628 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:09:20 +0000 Smurfette 560628@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think that it is totally doable. I have a friend that had to do this, baby wasn't even 3 months old. They had a wedding out of town so had to leave baby for 2 nights with grandparents. She wasn't BF so I think that it made it a little easier, since she wasn't having to pump. </p> <p>If the hotel is only an hour away, maybe the first night bring the baby, then the next day drop him off at your parents house. </p> <p>Personally I think at 20 weeks, a night away with just my DH and me sounds great. You have to leave him at some point, you know he is in good hands. So I say go for it and enjoy the night of sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560620 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:06:57 +0000 Adira 560620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Hmm, that's an idea! I'm not sure - I don't know how the hotel would feel about guests who aren't staying. I also have no idea what time the wedding starts - if it's a late wedding, my parents probably wouldn't want to do that since they wouldn't want to drive home late at night. But maybe I could look into whether the hotel has babysitting at all - that could be an option! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560605 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:01:19 +0000 Foodnerd81 560605@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: If it's only an hour away from your parents, do you think they could come to the hotel and babysit? Then you are only leaving her for the time that you are at the wedding, not 2 whole nights. Maybe if they came for the whole day they could enjoy the resort before hunkering down in the hotel room with the baby? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560603 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:01:03 +0000 Adira 560603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LemonLong: So this is slightly off topic - but at what point did you start pumping in order to build a stash that lasted you that long? Being able to pump enough to build a stash is one of my biggest worries! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/leaving-baby-at-20-weeks#post-560599 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:57:37 +0000 LemonLong 560599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: yes, my daughter is EBF. While I was gone she took milk in a bottle from the freezer stash and I pumped while I was traveling. I was able to bring most of the milk I pumped home on the airplane to help replenish what she ate. </p>