A new mum has asked whether it's okay to leave her baby on its own while she takes a shower without taking a baby monitor. What do you think?
When you welcome your first child to the world there are lots of scenarios you might not have considered. Like, will you ever be able to drink a cup of tea without it going cold?
One new mum is facing a similar situation and took to Mumsnet to get some advice as she and her husband seem to disagree.
The new mum explained: ‘We’ve had our first baby and my DH [darling husband] is back to work today after paternity leave. This may seem like a stupid question but we seem to disagree about whether I can take a shower while the baby sleeps in the bedroom without my having a baby monitor to take into the bathroom.’
She continued: ‘I think I should be ok if the baby’s upstairs, I’m in and out asap - potentially leaving the bedroom and bathroom doors open. He reckons I need to take a baby monitor into the bathroom (which we haven’t yet purchased).’
The new mum jokingly finished the post: ‘Please be gentle, Mumsnet, we are first time parents’ and has received a mixed bag of advice from other Mumsnet users.
Some have reassured her that a few minutes away from the baby is fine and is actually good for her to have a little alone time but others have said they wouldn’t risk not taking a monitor in.
Do you think it's okay to shower while the baby sleeps?
One user in the ‘go have a shower in peace’ camp wrote: ‘Go for it. I never took a monitor into the bathroom with me for any of mine. You won’t be gone long!’
Another said: ‘Absolutely fine! Realistically, how quickly can you have a shower? Even if the baby cries for 5 minutes, they’ll be fine. If you’ve got a good sleeper you could always put them on a mat in the shower with you. Mine (8 weeks) is a snotty one so I take her in with me most mornings to clear her out. She’s quite happy kicking her legs in the bouncy chair and watching me in the shower!’
A third simply wrote: ‘Totally fine’.
Some users have suggested against taking the baby monitor into the bathroom because it could damage it.
One person wrote: ‘And no, don’t take baby monitors into the bathroom. The steam from the shower will Knacker them!’
Another warned: ‘With a baby that young (I’m assuming two weeks?) I’d definitely take the monitor in. I’ve only started popping for a quick shower without the monitor and my little boy is nearly 7 months.’
What did you do when you first had your children? What advice would you give this new mum? Head over to our Facebook page to share your tips! We’d love to hear your suggestions and we’re sure other readers would appreciate it too!
