Is it okay to leave my baby in her bassinet while I do things around the house?

Question

or is that neglectful? I mean when she is lying there awake and looking around/ I do interact with her a lot during the day talk to her sing to her take her for walks etc but is it wrong to put her in her crib alone when awake? my mom said it's "not awful" but she said it could cause developmental problems if I do this often? I dont mean for all day I mean for like maybe an hour or so even though shes awake and alert? or is it wrong to leave her alone while shes awake and could use interaction and company?

she is 5 weeks old by the way.

Answer 1

There are always times when a mother has to leave her baby in a safe location in order to do other things, for a few minutes here and there.  As long as she is safe and you check in on her, and she's not upset, then you do what you have to do.

Answer 2

nope thats fine aslong as the baby is content then why not ?? you gotta get other things done also !  

Answer 3

It's not "neglectful" per say, but would you want to be lying in the same spot for an hour staring at the ceiling?  If you have a play mat, put your daughter under it so she has something stimulating to do, or put her in a swing or bouncy chair and talk to her while you are doing the chores (ie - "Mommy is going to wash the dishes now.  Mommy is soaping up the cups.  Rinse, rinse, rinse...").

We all need to get stuff done, but there's a way to get at it without ignoring your baby.

Answer 4

maybe a better suggestion is to put her in a bouncer or something and take her to each room with you. so that she doesnt get scared and began to cry, but is able to entertain herself somewhat and watch you move...

i had a papisan for my son when he was littler, that vibrated and such and he thoroughly enjoyed that, i took him everywhere i went. but atleast he could see me and not feel alone...worked well for me...

Answer 5

Of course you can.  I leave my 2 month in her bouncy seat, swing, crib or even sometimes on a blanket on the living floor just to get things done around the house.  As long as the baby is content, why not!

Answer 6

No, nothing wrong with that at all. What I used to do was pull my daughters co-sleeper in what ever room I was in, attach her mobile to it, and she loved it. No harm done.

Answer 7

It's okay, she's safe there. But she can also be in the swing, or in a bouncer, which is a bit more entertaining for her. My son used to love the bouncy with the toys on it and have the radio on for him.  

Answer 8

Im not sure but why not lie her on the floor of the living room where she can watch you.    or a front pack or sling.  then you can chat to her while you work.  babies love hearing their mothers voice

Answer 9

It would only be neglectful if you were leaving  her in her bassinet for hours on end or when she is screaming & crying because she needs something. Theres nothing wrong w/ leaving her in it for an hr or so while you do things you need to get done. Its not like your leaving her in a dangerous situation, you know where she is and that she is content.

Answer 10

no there is nothing wrong with leaving her lay there and look around. she may enjoy just looking. hang a mobil by her, i would let mine lay and play and i always talked to them while i was doing house work. when she gets alittle bigger get her a swing or one of those bouncy swings that hang in a door way. they also have those saucers that they sit in and play ,you can get that and move it from room to room when she can sit up. its better than having her stuck on your hip because then you couldn't get anything done. good luck.she will let you know when she needs you.

Answer 11

No, but you might want to make sure that she has a mobile, or something with bright colors that she can look at so she's not just lying there bored. Babies get bored too! Also make sure that you have a baby monitor with you at all times!

Answer 12

yes its fine.  seriously do you think all moms have their children on their hip 24/7.  if your baby is not crying she is happy.  i used to take the bassinet with me from room to room.  it will not cause developmental problems... unless you only take her out to feed then put her in again.  like i said she'll tell you if she wants out or not... if not let her look around from there!  good luck

Answer 13

   I felt this way at first too. It's not wrong at all. You have to get stuff done! It won't cause any delays. Why would it? As long as she doesn't cry she's fine. She'll let you know if she's unhappy. Don't worry. Just trust your judgement, you're the mommy.  

Answer 14

Well just staring at the ceiling will get mighty boring and isn't very stimulating for her. We got a swing and put one of those head support things in the seat for before she could support her head. She'd sit in it, swing sometimes if she felt like it or was fussy, slept, watched us around the room, etc. It was a nice safe place for her to be and she could see everything going on, and sleep if she wanted to. And best of all we got a break and could get things done and keep an eye on her! Now she's 5 months and she still loves her swing, and we even kept the head support because she uses it like a pillow.

Here is the swing we have:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...

and the head support: (well, a similiar one)

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...

Answer 15

Do you have a swing or a vibrating chair or even a baby gym for the floor?I think its best that babies associate their crib with sleeping.That way when they are older they know that when they go into their crib its to sleep not to play.No your not doing anything wrong so dont feel bad..

Answer 16

that is somehting that is totally fine for your baby

Answer 17

its perfectly normal.  

Answer 18

as long as shes fine your ok/ she will cry to let you know she needs you how else are you going to get anything done?

Answer 19

How else r u going to get things done?

Answer 20

Have you considered a sling/mei-tei/baby bjorn/etc?

You can wear your baby, have your hands free to do whatever you need to do, and she'll get a ton of stimulation, Mama-time, and frequently changing environment all at once.  

My DD used to hang out in her sling for hours at a time, happily watching the world around her, safe and secure, and then she'd nap when she got tired.  Baby-wearing is a lifesaver, especially when baby gets older and needs to be kept safe, but will not be content to sit in a playpen for much time.

Answer 21

I used to think the same thing when my daughter was that age and my friends had to snap me out of it they all have kids and they all said the same thing " your not leaving her there for ever" which is true like if I had to wash dishes put some clothes in the wash dust something like that I had to put her down. there is nothing wrong with just go and check on her and say hi to her let her know you are still around.

Answer 22

I don't see a problem with it, there are times when my son is in his exesaucer while I do housework. As long as she's not crying and wanting mommy then she's fine. It won't cause developmental problems as long as you interact with her through out the day.