Hi all,
Name changed in the unlikely event this outs me.
I need some advice and I'm hoping that some of you can help me please.
I have a 4 month old DD, so far I have left her with both DM and DMIL for a few hours but now my DSis has asked about babysitting/watching her for a few hours.
The thing is that she has bipolar. Now whilst I would in no way, shape, or form, automatically say no because of this she is currently signed off from work as she is in a down phase. She is having therapy and is on meds (I can't remember what currently, sorry). Again I wouldn't normally automatically rule out letting her look after DD just because she's been signed off, but when I saw her the other day she told me that she was struggling to get herself washed and dressed in the morning, and that she doesn't have any motivation or energy to do anything. She got teary about half way through our time together (nothing had happened to trigger it as such, she said she was in a really low mood that day), and I also overheard her saying to my DD that everyone thought that she (DSis) was stupid and that no one was bothered about her. DD also started crying and I could see that DSis was getting agitated, and this was only a short cry compared to her occasional wailathons. Finally she fell asleep with DD on her chest, and the position she was in she could easily have rolled off and under DSis.
I love my DSis to pieces, and am keen for her to be involved, however I'm a little hesitant about leaving DD with her if she's in a low mood, but at the same time I don't want to upset her by her thinking that I don't think she's suitable to look after her. Just for clarification, I absolutely do not think that she will harm DD, it's more that if she gets low she retreats within herself and normally goes to bed, and if she has DD she won't be able to do that, so is it fair on either of them?
I was wondering if anyone had been through similar, of if anyone who has this condition can tell me how they would feel about looking after a baby? I know it affects everyone differently but I am keen to hear from others so I can gauge what to do next.
Thank you so much for reading.
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Mental health
DSis/Bipolar/babysitting - advice needed please
9 replies
ConfusedandDazed24 · 19/10/2013 12:20
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