Leaving baby to shower

I think it's impossible to never leave them for things like the loo, sterilising etc when they're sleeping- just be sensible about it and keep checking on her which I'm sure you'd planned to do anyway. I'm sorry your midwife said that to you, I mean I guess you could put her in a sling so you can still go to the loo if you want to stick to that advice! X

I feel like the midwife is being a bit overzealous here, how long does it take for a quick wee?? It's impossible to be looking at them 24/7! As said above, just be sensible about it x

Just as a possible shower solution, as a fellow very small bathroom owner, I would put my daughter in a bouncer chair just outside the door with the door open so we could see each other.

I find that ridiculous I always put my baby in the bassinet and do things well she’s sleeping. Whether that’s eating, showering or sterilizing. As long as you can hear for the baby she’ll be fine. My baby is only 6 days old and she’s perfect.

I also did what @joanna has said. You can get bouncers that are safe to use for newborns. You may even find your LO loves it My little boy was mesmerised by the water.

You can 100% leave them in a safe and secure area e.g. crib to pee or shower.

This is terrible advice from your midwife as all it does is instill fear in you, it is totally okay to leave your baby in a safe space and step away, whether that's to go to the toilet, make a cuppa or some food etc. please don't just sit and watch your baby 24/7 as you'll go insane with worry. Use your instincts as to what feels safe for your baby.. as long as you're leaving them somewhere safe then it is okay to step away from them, it's no different to you being asleep really. Use others advice for showering of putting the baby in a bouncer by the door, utilise your baby monitor and just trust yourself. The advice you were given is just ridiculous and impractical, please don't let the midwife make you question your judgement, it's your child and you have to adapt and figure out what works for you, every child is different and so is everyone's situation! Xx

Ridiculous. I have a baby chair/bouncer that I put baby in and place just outside of the bathroom door with the door open so I can still see him. Majority of times he falls asleep in it. I’ll often leave him in his swing chair or asleep on his Moses basket downstairs and get on with housework etc If you are particularly concerned and don’t want to leave baby you could always use a sling so baby is on you all the time, obviously can’t do this is the shower though! When babies are newborns they’re like potatoes anyway. Don’t move and just stay where you put them 😂

My advice.... Find a different midwife! It's as well you've been discharged! That's completely crackers.

I used to put her in her car seat on the bathroom floor whilst I showered. When we got a baby bouncer, I used that instead. Anything that secures them. You can watch them happily from the shower or loo. That HV is very unrealistic. My midwife said to me, when you are tired , overwhelmed or upset the safest place for babe is her crib. Put them down and walk away. Have a few minutes to yourself knowing they are secure and can’t move away x

You need to report the midwife as that’s really awful advice, she’s basically setting you up for a loss. Of course you can leave her to have a wee, make a drink, make a bottle etc. you’re only human. As long as she’s in a safe place, she’ll be fine.

There are times u have you leave them , jus make sure it's in flat safe surface and if you have a monitor i don't see what's wrong going to the loo quickly !

Aww lovely this is horrible advice and I agree you need to report her. Obviously you cannot have eyes on her 24/7. The general is you can put baby in a safe space. So yes a cot is fine for you to put baby in for you to go to the toilet/eat/shower. You need to take care of yourself too.

This is terrible advice from the midwife, how does she think you’ll do anything! Leave the baby in her crib/Moses basket where she is safe, she will be fine 😊

We have a small and awkward shaped bathroom too and I used to put the wedge changing mat on the bathroom floor and pop the baby on it and jump in the shower. When she was little she couldn’t move or wriggle off, and she generally enjoyed the change of scene. When she was bigger, i used her bouncy chair. That sounds like mad advice you’ve been given. You have to be able to go to the loo and shower and make a cup of tea. As long as the baby is safe, you’re good.

Thank you so much everyone for your reassurance - I thought her comments were a bit extreme, I'll definitely feed it back to the midwifery team. So excited to take a shower without feeling guilty about it!

I put my 9 week old in her Moses basket when she’s asleep and just make sure I can hear her, nip in the room frequently to just check on her and when I shower I take her Moses basket in the bathroom with me lol. It’s impossible to never leave them alone for a short time x

I've always left my daughter in her moses basket/bouncer/rocker/highchair/crib for a pee or a shower. Don't be afraid to leave her if you need too, your midwife needs to calm the fuck down. Just like when midwives tell you if you feel yourself getting frustrated, leave your baby somewhere safe and take 5 minutes, make sure she's safe and do what you need to.

that’s crazy! my midwife told me as long as my baby is in a safe place/environment (eg, crib or bouncer strapped in) then it’s fine. if your worried then if you have a moses basket you can put your baby in, you could always put her in there and put it outside the bathroom if possible whilst you shower then that way you’ll be able to hear her if she cries. i wouldn’t stress about it too much, some midwives over react and some are really calm and relaxed.