Leaving Baby for the First Time

I recently left my baby with someone other than her father for the first time to attend my sister's wedding. It was one of the hardest things I have done as a parent to date. She was with my husband's parents so she was in good hands, but I thought about her all afternoon and evening and checked in more times than was necessary to see how she was doing. After all, it was the first time that she was being given a bottle by someone other than my husband, that she was being put to sleep by someone other than us, that she was being driven around by someone else and that she was apart from us! That is a lot of 'firsts' for one afternoon/evening.

I am sure it will come as no surprise that she was just fine. Her nap schedule was a little screwed up and she went to bed later than usual, but that is just par for the course. She was happy and that is all that really matters. Luckily, she was just around the corner and I was able to slip away from the wedding between dinner and the first dance to nurse her. The last time I had nursed her was in the early afternoon so I was starting to feel a little 'full'. I didn't have a chance to pump at all while I was away from her so I was worried about being engorged, leaking, and screwing up my milk supply (I know, I do seem to worry a lot). In the end, there were no adverse affects on my milk supply nor did I leak, but my breasts were full (although not painfully or uncomfortable so).

We picked her up at about midnight and transported her back to my parent's house. She must have been wondering what the heck was going on; it is not everyday we rouse her from a deep sleep and pack her up in her car seat. When we arrived home, I nursed her and she went right back to sleep. Everything seemed to be back to normal the next day and the anxiety I had been experiencing about leaving her had disappeared. Mind you, I am no hurry to leave her again and don't plan on doing so unless it is absolutely necessary (at least until she is a little older).