Can i take a 8-10 week old baby to a concert?

[angeltattoo]

Please excuse the naivety of a first-time mum!

I am due on 12th April, and there is a concert i would kill to love to go to on 20th June. Obviously I do not know exactly when i'll give birth, but if she arrives between due date and two weeks over, she'll be between 8-10 weeks

My DH says we cannot take a baby that age to a concert. Is he right? I saw a baby at a Rugby match in a big stadium once, it was days old, and slept all through. Although a rock concert will be louder. I was thinking a sling and some ear muffs/hat?!

Am I stupid and idiotic BU?

Opinions of experienced mums appreciated. I hope to be EBF. My mum is close by and could babysit but I think she'll be too young to be away from me, and me from her

[tempnameswap]

No need to apologise OP - lots of things are confusing about having your first and try and ignore the people saying you are mad for asking.

I suspect when you have had her, you will feel differently and the answer will be obvious. They are fairly portable at stage but not IMHO to that sort of event. Much too loud and chaotic and you will probably spend the entire time either feeding her, jiggling her and/or worrying. You may or may not feel ready to leave her with someone, but it is hard to tell before the event.

FWIW I had all sorts of plans for the early weeks before I had dc1 - art courses, bread making, concerts.... When the maelstrom arrived, they fell by the wayside!

[aufaniae]

Bruce Springsteen is amazing in concert! I've seen him three times :)

I would take a young baby to a concert if:

• it wasn't going to be incredibly loud
  
• I knew we could sit somewhere (at the back?) where we could make a quick exit if needs be. (If your baby hates it, s/he will make it known, and - forgetting the needs of the other concert goers for a minute, you won't want to see her/him suffer)
  
• it was somewhere I knew we could comfortably breastfeed (if that's what you intend to do)
  

None of these apply to a Bruce Springsteen concert, sorry!
You will get another chance to see him another time I imagine. It's not the end of the world.

But bringing your baby will most likely be a distaster for all concerned! And could easily damage his/her hearing.

At 8 days, many mums haven't even ventured out of the house to the shops yet. Having a baby with you brings up all sorts of logistical problems, it takes a bit of getting used to!

And unless you have a planned CS, your baby might only be a couple of days old by the concert, if s/he is overdue!

[YouOldTinsellySlag]

No, don't do it.

I took my 9 week old to a cinema and the film was so loud his entire body vibrated. I took him out about two minutes later.

A Springsteen concert will be much louder. Not only will you need ear defenders, but I'm guessing you won't get full enjoyment out of it if you have a baby to concentrate on. Leave them with your Mum.

However, wait until he/she is born as you might not want to leave them at all!

But definitely don't take your baby to a loud gig.

[aufaniae]

Ooh, the cinema! You can take babies to mum and baby screenings though!

Check out your local cinema. Mum and baby screenings are usually in the morning, they have the volume not so loud, the lights not completely out, and lots of other mums and babies who IME generally sleep or gurgle their way through the film!

Is your baby still little YouOldTinsellySlag? Mum and baby screening are the way forward!

[Idlegirl83]

I would say no, its not a good idea for poor baby and you also wont enjoy it as having your first baby completely knocks you for six (at least it did me) and youll be worrying about baby too much to properly enjoy yourself.

Far better to let your mum babysit and enjoy a few hours feeling like your pre-baby self again.

(but you are YANBU for asking - having a new baby is confusing stuff!)

[ThreeWheelsGood]

I have a 7 week old - my first - and, noise issues aside, I really don't feel like going to a concert right now. Feeling sleep deprived, plus I'm breastfeeding so wouldn't want to worry about whether I'd be able to sit comfortably and do it there, let alone how best to transport the baby (she loves the pram but it's massive, we've tried a carrier with mixed success). Sadly you'll have to let this one pass, being mum takes priority!

[YouOldTinsellySlag]

No he's 3 now, so he goes to kids showings with us.

The film I took him to was actually a kids matinee but was deafeningly loud so we sat in the lobby and had a coffee and a cuddle whilst DH and DS1 finished watching it.

[AlienRefucksLooksLikeSnow]

Ah bless ya, either leavt it with Mum,if old enough, or go next year! he won't stop touring til he drops, and like others have said, you probably won't even feel like it once the baby's actually here, but you're not mad for asking, that's what Mn is here for :) Good luck with the new baby

[KittieCat]

We took DS to see Pulp in Hyde Park. He was about 7 months. I booked this before I had him and might not have done so otherwise. We bought ear defenders and he was fine and it was enjoyable all round.

All that said, I deffo wouldn't be happy taking a younger baby to an indoor gig.

[mycatlikestwiglets]

You probably won't actually want to go once your PFB arrives, but there's no real issue with taking a baby to a concert provided you have ear defenders - you could speak to the venue about what they recommend because some people do take babies. DH was at the Jingle Bell ball in the O2 at the weekend and someone in his box had a small baby with them with ear defenders on. It wasn't a problem for any of them. That said, it's fairly common for very young babies to be unsettled in the evening and if you have one of those, the last thing you'll want is to go out.

[angeltattoo]

A no then!

Thank you, that's very helpful. I'll give it a miss, as not sure how i'll feel about leaving her.

Good job i've already seen him once or four times and this actual set at IOW in May

Makes perfect sense, i wouldn't want to damage her hearing, and I'd take her out if he was screaming, so might miss it all anyway.

Thanks once again

[janey68]

No I wouldnt, for all of the above mentioned reasons... Too loud, if your baby screams non stop (and you have no idea yet what your baby will be like- placid/ colicky/ whingy) then if I was sat next to you I would be seriously pissed off.
Where would you do nappy changes? What if you're not near toilet and changing facilities? < please don't come back and say youd be one of those entitled people who changes their baby anywhere because their baby's shit smells of roses..>

Basically, a stadium concert is a hugely expensive special event. People go Because they want that experience. I would either accept that you need to wait longer and see bruce a another time. Or decide to go, organise a babysitter and go without baby.

We went to a concert when dd1 was around 8 weeks- it had been booked before I was pg and I really wanted to go, so we got a babysitter and I spent several evenings expressing enough milk for her. As someone said upthread, I came home with a rock hard chest so it wasn't entirely comfortable but far better than trying to bring along a little baby and ending up risking missing parts of the concert because she was crying or needed changing.

We can forgive you your naivety as your baby hasn't arrived yet! But honestly- don't even think about seriously trying this.

[janey68]

X post there- glad you've seen sense!

[FlatFacedArmy]

I went to Florence and the Machine in the O2 last week, when DS was 8 weeks old. We had booked it when I was pregnant, having tried and failed to get tickets to see her many times over the last two years.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about leaving him, but my very oldest and closest friend had offered well in advance to babysit (I have no family nearby) and is great with babies. In the end, we only went for the main set, I was fine, and she sent me loads of picture messages mostly of DS asleep. She had come and spent a couple of afternoons with me and DS before starting a new job, and I was comfortable that he'd be fine with her. DS is also very sociable and a chilled out baby, so no worries on that score.

I wouldn't have left him with anyone I didn't trust as much. I wouldn't have left him if he'd been a colicky or fractious baby. I wouldn't have left him if he wouldn't take a bottle. And I had a great time and danced for the first time in months.

Buy the tickets, see how it goes. You'll know around the 6-7 week mark if you're going to be able to leave the baby or not, which is enough time to resell the tickets online.

[FlatFacedArmy]

Oh - forgot to mention there is no way I would have taken DS with me to the concert. Concerts are not for babies. Noise, crowds, people drinking alcohol - it's in no way a safe environment for a baby

We took DS to a wedding and I freaked out when my husband took him on the dance floor as it was way too loud in there for a baby (DH's hearing isn't great so he wouldn't have noticed, but I personally found it really uncomfortably loud), so I took him out and went to chat in the hotel bar instead.

[Nancy66]

No. I think a wee baby would find it very stressful. Even strapped to mum.

Springsteen will be brilliant though. He really gives his all in a performance. Remember seeing him at Glastonbury and he was so fired up and sweaty that he had steam coming off him....Phwoar.

[angeltattoo]

Great advice FFA and others, thanks.

Congrats to those with new babies and thanks for the good luck wishes.

[angeltattoo]

Yup, he rocks Nancy.

Up there with Hairy opening that fucker up

He gives his all, I can never quite believe he's the same age as my Dad!

[LadyBeagleBaublesandBells]

Going off track for a second, where and when is Bruce coming, and is he playing Glasgow?

[theidsalright]

Yanbu to think about it.

Thing is, when the time for the concert comes round, you won't want to go. You will be too tired and it will seem too stressful and you def won't enjoy it if you leave the baby. You will be protective of your baby and unlikely to want to expose them to the noise!

I'd save yourself the stress and wait til he comes back next time. There will be a next time for Bruce but your baby won't ever be so small and needy again!

[angeltattoo]

Wembley, Glasgow Hamden (?sp) park, and Coventry Ricoh.

So yes to Glasgow! My friend took my tickets saw him in Glasgow a few years back, she said it was fab.

Tickets on sale now - enjoy!

I've seen him in Manchester, London and IOW before And so will get over myself this time

He has so many songs I have never seen the same set twice

[angeltattoo]

Oh, 18th June for Glasgow Ladybeagle

[LadyBeagleBaublesandBells]

Ooh thanks angel.
I'd love to see him live.