Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
MIL Lets Infant Sleep Unsafely And Go Without Food For 7 Hours, Stunned When Banned From Babysitting
Interview With Expert
Newborns are probably the most delicate things ever, so they need vigilant caretakers; otherwise, things can go haywire pretty quickly. They are also the cutest and the most adorable in this stage, and everyone in the family wants to look after them or just be around them.
Even the original poster’s (OP) mother-in-law kept insisting on babysitting her newborn, so the couple finally gave in to her wishes. However, when the new mom woke up, she found the baby sleeping in a Boppy, while the grandma boasted how it hadn’t eaten for 7 hours, shocking the woman!
More info: Reddit
RELATED:
Newborns are the most delicate and they need vigilant caretakers who will complete all their requirements
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster’s mother-in-law kept begging to babysit their 3-week-old baby, so they finally gave in to her wishes
Image credits: fakemcbake
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
However, when the poster woke up in the middle of the night, her baby was sleeping in a Boppy while the mother-in-law was also asleep
Image credits: fakemcbake
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The new mom was completely horrified by this as the grandma also boasted that the baby had not eaten for 7 hours straight
Image credits: fakemcbake
Despite everything, the grandma refuses to accept that she did anything wrong, so the couple might suspend her babysitting rights for a long time
In today’s story, Reddit user fakemcbake tells us how her stubborn mother-in-law almost put her toddler’s life in danger. Well, after becoming a grandma, she had been begging the couple to let her babysit, so they finally complied, but realized what a huge mistake it was.
When the poster woke up, she found the 3-week-old baby sleeping in a Boppy while the older woman was sound asleep next to him. Terrified, the poster ran to check up on the baby and made sure it was alright, but the grandma couldn’t even read the room and went on to brag how the kid had slept for 5 hours and hadn’t eaten for 7 hours!
The mom was shocked as he’s just 3 weeks old and eats almost every 3 hours, so he had to have been starving at this point. However, the grandma simply couldn’t accept she had done anything wrong and started blabbering about how her mom sleep trained OP’s husband.
Completely baffled by her response, the poster couldn’t figure out what the urgency to sleep train such a newborn was and calmly tried to explain how she put her kid at risk by letting him sleep in a Boppy. Well, the stubborn grandma refused to listen to her at all and kept insisting that she had done nothing wrong, even when her son tried to reason with her.
Naturally, the couple took away all her babysitting privileges and might think twice before leaving their baby with her ever again! When the poster vented on Reddit, people couldn’t fathom how careless the grandma sounded and said that it looked like a typical case where she felt her parenting was better than the couple’s.
Image credits: kues1 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Many people also pointed out how scared they might have been if they found their baby sleeping in a Boppy, and they couldn’t understand how the poster could stay so calm in such an intense situation. When we look at the news about how these Boppy loungers have actually fatally harmed babies before, we can understand their frustration.
To get deeper insights about caretakers and safety practices around newborns, Bored Panda reached out to Gazala Khan, a mental health counselor at an NGO called New Morning.
She spoke about how psychological factors like fear of losing control, nostalgia, cognitive dissonance, and overconfidence in one’s parenting experience can make a grandparent dismiss modern safety practices. She mentioned that they may feel their own parenting methods, which worked for them decades ago, are being criticized.
Gazala also added, “Generational perspectives heavily influence parenting conflicts, as older generations often rely on outdated practices they believe to be effective. Modern parenting approaches are rooted in scientific research and guidelines, which may be seen as unnecessary or overly cautious to older caregivers/grandparents.”
According to our expert, such a clash can create tension, especially when grandparents perceive new practices as a critique of their parenting or a threat to their parental authority. Gazala also stressed that adherence to safe sleep practices is important so as to prevent risks and accidental suffocation.
Lastly, she concluded, “In order to convey this urgency to the older caregivers, parents need to communicate assertively, equipping themselves with evidence-based information, and have collaborative conversations with them. These modern safety practices need to be viewed as necessary precautions rather than criticisms to foster better understanding.”
Well, looks like the grandma needs to amp up her caregiving education and adapt to the changing times, instead of putting the baby at risk. Wouldn’t you agree? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Folks were baffled by how careless the grandma sounded and couldn’t fathom her obsession with “sleep training” such a new baby
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
Gwyn 1 day ago (edited)
My eldest child slept through the night that young but my other two didn't. I wouldn't be concerned about the feeding - if the baby didn't wake for food, then it's probably not a problem. But sleeping in the boppy is unacceptable. At that age they are very susceptible to SIDS and should be in a crib with no blankets.
SpiderWoman13 58 minutes ago
The infant "slept through 7 hours' because MIL let them cry to sleep - an absolute NO-NO. My daughter breast-fed and fed every two hours. Healthiest toddler on the block later on. I had enough breast milk to feed all of Zimbabwe.
Load More Replies...
Kathy Richardson 7 hours ago
So I can see the worry about sleeping in the boppy, but on the other hand, when you are traveling somewhere, babies fall asleep in car seats all the time (which I would think is much more dangerous) and people think nothing of it. The truth is, doctors and researchers come up with new recommendations every few years about babies and sleeping safety because they STILL don't know what causes SIDS. In the short time between the births of my 3 children way back when, the recommendations were changed TWICE. Still MIL should have done what you wanted because it is your child, not hers.
RP 17 hours ago (edited)
The MIL should have apologised and listened. BUT if the baby slept through then baby was probably just comfortable and happy at not being alone in a bed. If it didn't wake up, it wasn't hungry. I had to google the Boppy but it looks pretty cuddly and like it would give a similar sensation to be held. Which is what babies need and want. I'm not saying to use it if it has been proven to be unsafe, but I can see why the baby might have slept well
Jenn C 1 hour ago
The mother's problem is that if he turned his head, he could have smothered from having his face in the cushioning.
Load More Replies...
Gwyn 1 day ago (edited)
My eldest child slept through the night that young but my other two didn't. I wouldn't be concerned about the feeding - if the baby didn't wake for food, then it's probably not a problem. But sleeping in the boppy is unacceptable. At that age they are very susceptible to SIDS and should be in a crib with no blankets.
SpiderWoman13 58 minutes ago
The infant "slept through 7 hours' because MIL let them cry to sleep - an absolute NO-NO. My daughter breast-fed and fed every two hours. Healthiest toddler on the block later on. I had enough breast milk to feed all of Zimbabwe.
Load More Replies... Kathy Richardson 7 hours ago
So I can see the worry about sleeping in the boppy, but on the other hand, when you are traveling somewhere, babies fall asleep in car seats all the time (which I would think is much more dangerous) and people think nothing of it. The truth is, doctors and researchers come up with new recommendations every few years about babies and sleeping safety because they STILL don't know what causes SIDS. In the short time between the births of my 3 children way back when, the recommendations were changed TWICE. Still MIL should have done what you wanted because it is your child, not hers.
RP 17 hours ago (edited)
The MIL should have apologised and listened. BUT if the baby slept through then baby was probably just comfortable and happy at not being alone in a bed. If it didn't wake up, it wasn't hungry. I had to google the Boppy but it looks pretty cuddly and like it would give a similar sensation to be held. Which is what babies need and want. I'm not saying to use it if it has been proven to be unsafe, but I can see why the baby might have slept well
Jenn C 1 hour ago
The mother's problem is that if he turned his head, he could have smothered from having his face in the cushioning.
Load More Replies... You May Like 68 Fantastic Games For Couples Wanting To Spend More Time Together 193 Couple Trivia Questions For An Entertaining Evening 75 Bucket List Ideas For Couples To Make The Honeymoon Phase Last Forever
Eligijus Sinkunas
Eligijus Sinkunas
Larysa Perih
Related on Bored Panda
42
22