People I dont even know.

I didn't leave my bubba with anyone but my mum ( and even then I rang very hour!) until he was 10 months old and then it was only for an hour at a daycare I really trusted.

Friends suggested their kids , I was like I don't want your 10 year old watching my new born!!

So I totally understand, people are mad sometimes!!

oh yes I dont know any mother who lets even friends babysit her new born.

I will want to bond with my baby and certainly wont feel right leaving him or her with anyone else.

and besides I would never "offer" to babysit someone's baby when I had never even met them before.

ok - heres some 'old' hand advise.

I am sure your friends are only saying it cause they think its cool and by all means not to upset you. And honestly I have left my baby with a friend to have a break (and visa versa). Its also good for you and your partner to go out for a coffee just by yourselves. Not that i have done this much as mostly its my mum. This will be one of those things that should be in 'things I said I wouldn't do'. After 3 kids you learn to relax a bit with that sort of thing - although it does help I trust my friends with my kids (not saying you guys don't but it doesn't sound like you do???)

Anyway thats my ttwo cents worth. Too many times I have been to 'proud' and wanting to be wonderwoman (-and I still do try to be that wonderwoman) to take help and afterwards wished I did.

ETA: I don't mean that you should leave your baby with strangers you don't know though.

Edited by AnnC

well in my case caitlyn was staying at her dads from 2 weeks old, we werent together and he wanted to bond with his daughter, thats fine i wasnt and never would stand in the way of that, and she was fine, sure i missed her ....for about 5 minutes then i realised all the things i could do while she was gone-like sleep.

If i trusted my friends with her i didnt mind them watching her for an hour or so for me, even if it was just while i slept.
I really think your friends are a) trying to be polite and think offering to babysit is the done thing, and 2) trying to show their excitement for you

When I say a "bit of a night out" I don't mean raging til dawn either.... just for a couple of hours to be "me" instead of "a mother"- YKWIM?

Nikki - you put the other side of what i was saying. friends are just trying to be good friends and helpful. You don't have to take them up on their offer.

Completely understandable!

I only had my first night away from Hannah this year. It was hard!

I recently baby sat a 3yr old, and it was the first time his parents had been out together since he was born!!!
You are lucky to have grandparents close, our folks live in different citys, so baby sitting duty will have to be from friends.