Babysitting an 8 week old baby

I would certainly do it, for a good friend. If she made the decision to leave him with me I'd be fine with it. I love babies.

I think that would be a lovely thing for you to do for your friends. A two day stretch for your first time looking after them might be too much for you though, how about telling them that you're considering it and asking if you could take the baby for an evening to see how it goes and then see if you want to commit to the full two days? I'm sure they'd be grateful just to have the initial offer even if you don't decide to do the two days in the end as at least then they've had a nice evening out/in from you!

If she's breastfeeding it would be near-impossible- she could express milk while away and you could bottlefeed the baby (if it will take a bottle) but it would be a very tough experience for all three of you.

If she's bottlefeeding, there are fewer practical problems but I think most new mothers would find it hard to go away for 2 days at that age. In my experience few parents would contemplate 2 nights away until the baby is at least a year old, if not older.

Why not ask her? I'm sure she'd appreciate the offer even if she says no. You could also offer something lesser as well, eg to babysit for an evening, or is there any way you can go along to wherever the festival is and babysit nearby so that they can go for some of it?

Thanks - at the moment they're not going, because they will have the baby, but maybe if I offered they would decide to go. hmmm, what are 8 week old babies like, generally? do they sleep a lot? ?

Yeah im not sure if she's actually prepared to go even if she did have someone to babysit. I just wanted to think about it before offering. Of course it would depend if she is BF'ing too. I like your idea KN, of offering to stay somewhere nearby - that could be a good plan, thanks!

Oh just to add- in that situation I would offer to sit at their house, not mine. not sure how practical it is. but you'd need everything there.

I would certainly do it (at their house or nearby) but would be prepared for the mum to do change her mind at the last minute, 8 weeks is teeny tiny.

How much do you know about babies? ?

You're a very lovely friend to be thinking about offering!

FWIW, I'm sure it would be fine, assuming she's not BFing, or at least that you would do no worse than anyone else. Some 8wo babies sleep all the time, others scream their heads off, but that's more down to the baby than what the adult does (assuming you do the basics, obv).

However, at the risk of repeating myself, I'd be amazed if she accepted (so much so that I actually read your original post as being about whether it would be silly to ask because there's no way she'd accept rather than silly to ask because she'd accept and then you'd be stuck with a baby ?) I'm only emphasizing this because it's a lovely offer and I'm sure she's be very grateful for it, but I think it's highly unlikely she'll accept so don't take it personally at all.

It would be kind of you to offer - though as KN says it might not be practical. TBH at that age I'd take the baby with me rather than miss out.

I was going to suggest that Hazel but wondered if the baby was a bit too small for ear defenders?

I nice cosy sling and ear defenders could make a fabulous birth present? ?

Thank you all - Im guessing she'll probably say no as she wont consider leaving the teeny baby - but me offering will at least give them the option if they consider it - they've got a few months still. I know next to nothing about babies (not a great selling point), but my mum is near so if anything was beyond me I could ask her for help. She could take the baby with her, they allow kids but not at the gigs after 8pm which would be the ones likely to be good. i'll suggest I can help, or that I could come with her, I love the idea of the mini ear defenders though ?

I'd just take the baby to the festival tbh and slung him all the time.

It would have been impossible, I was around the clock bfing and couldn't have expressed enough milk even if he had taken it. And he co-slept, usuing my boob as a pillow. I wouldn't have tortured a baby sitter for 2 days with him ?

However, not all babies are quite such boob-clinging monsters and the offer would have been appreciated anyway!

If I could be sure of it not being deafening I'd take him with me if I were the mum, at least for a while. It's a lovely offer to babysit, but WKAZS.

Its a really nice thought of you but, i wouldnt have even considered leaving my little one for 1 night let alond 2 nights at that stage.

I was still in a world of my own and trying to get back to some sort of normality and last thing i could have done was go to a festival - assuming she is breastfeeding - he milk supply would be ruined unless she expressed whilst away from her baby (which they dont recommend to begin with).

Why dont you suggest they all come round to yours and watch it on tv and try and re-create the festival at yours - ha ha

So nice of you though x