Leaving Baby with a Sitter or Grandparents

The short answer

When you leave your baby with someone, they need four things: what just happened (last feed, last nap, last diaper), the rules that aren’t up for debate (safe sleep, the car seat), what has already been given (medicines, with the time) and who to call (you, 911, your health line, poison control). Everything else, like how to rock the baby or which lullaby works, can differ from one house to the next without any harm.

This article suggests a simple way to hand it all over, whether to grandma on Tuesdays, the Friday-night sitter or the other parent taking over at 3 a.m.

What just happened

It’s the first question anyone asks when they take over: “When did he last eat?” Leave at least:

the time of the last feed, the side (left or right breast) or the bottle amount;
the time of the last nap and how long it lasted, to know when tiredness will hit;
the last diaper, wet or soiled;
anything unusual today: a rough night, a tooth coming in, a vaccine yesterday.

For a newborn, these few lines are worth more than a long schedule: feeds don’t follow the clock (see our article on the newborn feeding schedule). The person on duty mostly needs to know how long it has been since the last feed and which hunger cues to watch for.

The rules that aren’t up for debate

Habits change from one generation to the next, and so do some safety guidelines. Health Canada actually asks parents to share its safe sleep guidance with everyone who cares for the baby: grandparents, family, sitters and friends.

Safe sleep, according to Health Canada and Québec’s INSPQ:

always on their back, for every sleep, naps included;
in a crib, cradle or bassinet that meets Canadian rules, with a firm mattress and a fitted sheet;
nothing else in the crib: no blankets, pillows, bumpers, positioners or stuffed toys;
car seats and swings are not beds: if the baby falls asleep in one, move them to their crib when you arrive;
never sleep with the baby on a sofa or armchair, or after alcohol, drugs or medication that makes you drowsy;
avoid overheating, and no hat indoors.

The car seat: if the caregiver drives with the baby, the INSPQ recommends keeping them rear-facing as long as possible, at least until age 2 in Québec, and checking that the seat carries Transport Canada’s compliance label and hasn’t expired. Lending your own seat, already adjusted, is often simpler than borrowing one with an unknown history.

Allergies and foods: if your baby has started solids, say which foods they have already eaten without trouble and which are still waiting. A new allergenic food is best introduced at home, with you (see our article on introducing allergens).

What has already been given: medicines

This is where mistakes happen most often when several people care for a sick child: one parent gives a fever medicine in the morning, and grandma gives it again at noon without knowing.

The simple rule: every medicine is written down when it is given, in one place everyone can see, with:

what (the product name);
how much (the amount given, as measured);
when (the time);
by whom.

For the dose itself, the caregiver follows the label, the pharmacist or the doctor, never a guess. The INSPQ lists a few principles worth passing on: use the measuring device that comes with the product rather than a kitchen spoon, don’t give two fever medicines at the same time without a professional’s advice, and never give a child aspirin. Its fever page covers the rest; read it before giving anything, not during.

Also keep medicines out of reach and in their original containers, at your place and at the grandparents’, where pill organizers are sometimes left in plain sight.

Who to call

Post these numbers on the fridge and add them to the caregiver’s phone:

your numbers, plus another trusted person in case you can’t be reached;
the full home address, to give to 911; under stress, even a grandparent who comes every week can blank on it;
911 for any emergency: a baby who is struggling to breathe, isn’t responding or is having a seizure;
in Québec, Info-Santé 811 (option 1), free, day and night, for a health question that isn’t an emergency (parents of children 0 to 17 have a priority line); elsewhere in Canada, your provincial health line;
Centre antipoison du Québec: 1-800-463-5060, free, day and night, if the baby swallowed or touched a product, plant or medicine; outside Québec, your provincial poison centre.

Also leave the baby’s health card, or a photo of it, and the name of their clinic.

The sitter: a course, and a trial run

No course is required to babysit. The Canadian Red Cross Babysitting course, for youth about 11 to 15, covers first aid, choking, basic baby care and unsafe situations. For a first time, an hour together while you are home (a feed, a diaper change, putting the baby down) teaches more than a long list.

A shared record instead of text messages

A note on the fridge works for one evening. When several people take turns every week, texts get lost and everyone has their own version. What helps most:

one place where everyone logs and reads, rather than a message thread;
one account per person rather than a shared password: you know who logged what, and you can remove a sitter’s access without changing everything;
chosen access: the Friday sitter may not need to see the pregnancy record or the whole family calendar;
an author and a time on every entry, so “the 6:50 p.m. bottle” has a name attached.

In short

Hand over what matters right now: last feed, last nap, last diaper.
Share safe sleep and car seat rules with everyone, grandparents included.
Write down every medicine when it is given; for the dose, the label, the pharmacist or the doctor.
Leave the numbers: you, 911, Info-Santé 811, Centre antipoison du Québec (1-800-463-5060), and the address.

Naître et grandir also has tips on choosing a sitter and getting grandparents ready.

Frequently asked questions

What should I leave in writing for a baby’s sitter?

The time of the last feed and nap, known allergies, medicines already given today with the time, your home address, your phone numbers, and emergency numbers: 911, and in Québec Info-Santé 811 and the Centre antipoison du Québec (1-800-463-5060).

How do we avoid giving a medicine twice?

Write down every medicine when it is given: what, how much, when and by whom, in one place everyone can see. For the dose itself, follow the label, your pharmacist or your doctor.

Should grandparents follow the same sleep rules?

Yes. Health Canada asks parents to share safe sleep guidance with everyone who cares for the baby: on their back, in a crib that meets Canadian rules, with no blankets, pillows or toys.

Does a babysitter need a course?

It isn’t required, but the Canadian Red Cross Babysitting course, for youth about 11 to 15, covers first aid, choking and basic baby care.

Can a baby tracker app be shared with family?

Yes, several apps allow it. Prefer one account per person over a shared password, so you know who logged what and can remove one person’s access without changing everyone else’s.

This article is for information; it does not replace advice from a health professional. In Québec, call Info-Santé 811 when in doubt (elsewhere in Canada, your provincial health line). In an emergency, call 911.

Sources

Safe sleep for your baby (brochure), Agence de la santé publique du Canada
Sleeping safely, INSPQ
Travelling safely, INSPQ
Child car seat safety, Transports Canada
Fever in children (medicines: read before giving any), INSPQ
Une pharmacie bien pensée (French only), INSPQ
Centre antipoison du Québec: contact us, CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale
Info-Santé 811, Gouvernement du Québec
Babysitting course, Croix-Rouge canadienne