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Original poster

F1 with very small baby - are we mad??

55 replies

growcookeat · 12/03/2017 09:29

Ok I've looked online and have found little to sway me either way. Hope I've included all relevant info below.

First baby is due start of May. DH has significant birthday in April. He loves F1 and racing in general so I bought him 2 weekend tickets for July Grand Prix and told him about them in advance of his birthday so he could arrange travel/accommodation etc and decide which friend to take.

Now I admit, it was a rash decision on my part and I probably should have just talked it through with him but I wanted him to be excited by the surprise.

So the problem is now, none of his friends can go with him and he doesn't want to go alone. He's saying I could go with him but I'm not convinced it's safe in terms of noise levels for an 8-10 week old baby. Although I've heard you can get baby ear defenders??

So...
Option 1 - we both go and take baby (with ear protection) - I would stay well back from the track etc.
Option 2 - we try to sell the tickets online and possibly lose a lot of money
Option 3 - I travel down and stay nearby with baby and convince DH to go alone so as to not waste both tickets.

Anyone been with young children?
Wwyd in our situation?

OP posts:
RatOnnaStick · 12/03/2017 09:34

Option 1 definitely. We took both our children racing from a young age (not F1 but loud enough). You can get baby ear defenders but i'm not sure whether they are suitable for under 3 months. Ours were nearer 4-5 months when they wore them first. F1 isn't constant noise the whole time anyway.

Get a comfy sling and have baby snuggled up to you or him the whole time with the other using a backpack for baby paraphanalia. Pushchairs are a bloody nuisance at race meetings IME.

Legrandboucle · 12/03/2017 09:35

I think that taking a small baby to an F1 race is a silly idea. It can be very noisy even if you aren't next to the track so in all likelihood you would end up looking after the baby and not see the racing. I would try and get a refund on the tickets and aim to go next year instead.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 12/03/2017 09:35

Option 3

It is very noisy and crowded

Could anyone look after your baby for a few hours ?

Areyoufree · 12/03/2017 09:36

I've been to a F1 race, and the noise is unbelievable. It physically hurts. Don't take a baby - seriously.

welshweasel · 12/03/2017 09:36

Definitely go! Babies that age are very portable and tuck them up in a sling and they will probably sleep most of the time. Stay somewhete nearby/hire a posh van so you can escape for a while if you need to.

Mouikey · 12/03/2017 09:47

We got baby ear defenders for our 6 week old when we took her to a couple of music festivals and a wedding. These were small music festivals which although loud were not on the scale of reading/glasto iyswim. The ear defenders were Ema 4 buds which go round and not over the head - these were the best we could find. However f1 is really really loud and I found it uncomfortable when I went many years ago with ear plugs/defenders. Even away from track it's loud. Talk to your midwife and see what they recommend!

That1950sMum · 12/03/2017 09:49

You can't take a tiny baby.

Option 2 or 3 really the only choices.

Nusername · 12/03/2017 09:49

I've been to a few F1 races. It's not at all noisy unless you're right up beside the track or the pits

IHaveBrilloHair · 12/03/2017 09:51

Very, very loud, even if you couldn't hear it you will certainly feel it, I wouldn't take a baby.

Redtartanshoes · 12/03/2017 09:55

Go, use a sling, take ear defenders. If baby is unsettled you can always leave/find a quiet area. You'll never know unless you try.

Areyoufree · 12/03/2017 09:59

@Nusername - that's weird that we had such different experiences of F1 races. I wonder if the acoustics of the stadium make a difference? That might be something to investigate, OP.

TeachingPostQuery · 12/03/2017 10:03

Remember that the new hybrid engines aren't nearly as loud as the old v8/v10s. I haven't heard them in person but I think it's noticeable even on the TV coverage. In the first test of them reporters even stopped wearing ear defenders (not wise, obv!). So on the noise front I'd take advice from someone who's been to a race in the last three years, not before.

I don't have DC but I'd imagine if you could find ear defenders, the bigger problem would be logistics - it's a long day and baby will still be quite new.

Jennie Gow (BBC 5 live f1 reporter) just posted on twitter about taking her little baby to the test this week. You could try tweeting her in case she replies?

Areyoufree · 12/03/2017 10:06

@TeachingPostQuery - ah, that explains it then. It's been a few years (nearly 20, how the hell did that happen?!?) since I was at a race. OP, ignore my comment!

Mungobungo · 12/03/2017 10:10

I'm not sure I would take such a young baby to an F1 meet, too noisy and too crowded. A pushchair would be a nuisance to you and others and with baby in a sling I'd be too paranoid about being bumped. You also need to think about feeding as you'll need somewhere to sit and feed baby (whether boobing or bottle feeding) and prepare bottles if you're using formula which may not be an easy task. You'll probably also be bloody knackered from lack of sleep so think about the likelihood of you enjoying it. Plus at that point you're probably unlikely to want to leave baby with family if you went without the little one.

Of course it's a personal choice and one which you can't really make until the baby has arrived and you know how you feel and what will work for you.
Can you sell your tickets back to the track?

Hannahbanana1725 · 12/03/2017 10:12

Option 1! You can always go find a quiet spot if the baby isn't coping well! You'll never know until you try 😊
Or can you get someone to look after the baby for a few hours near by whilst you're there together? That way you'll both be able to enjoy it without worrying about the noise, and you'll still be close by to the baby if needs be 😊

highinthesky · 12/03/2017 10:13

Why on earth would you even consider taking a young baby to F1?

Stay at home with DC and let DH decide what to do with the tickets.

RandomMess · 12/03/2017 10:13

Not sure how it compares in decibels but friend had to take her DC to a very very very loud event (I hate going due to the noise and music volume - forget how bad it is EVERY time) - she bought ear defenders, he was fine with them didn't seem to mind at all he was in a sling all cocooned just like you are in the womb...

RiversrunWoodville · 12/03/2017 10:15

Option 4 take me Grin
No I would genuinely go with option 1

Excited101 · 12/03/2017 10:19

There's not a chance I would take a baby to F1. You could do real damage to their ears as their skulls are thinner when they're under 3 months old and ear defenders are not going to be practical or even suitable for such a young one.

Surely there's SOMEONE who could go with him??

jay55 · 12/03/2017 10:19

No way.
Get his travel and accommodation sorted and nearer the time he's bound to be able to find someone who wants to go.

LittleLionMansMummy · 12/03/2017 10:21

If your worry is about safety, I really think it's a non issue as you'll have ear defenders for the baby. If however you just don't feel like it and don't think you'll enjoy it because it's not your thing then don't feel obliged.

I'm generally in the 'babies are portable, give it a go' camp. You adapt your lives to fit a baby in, you don't stop living altogether. If you decide to go, I also recommend a sling. Dd lived in hers for the first few months!

PlumsGalore · 12/03/2017 10:21

I wouldn't either, I would and have taken tiny babies all over but not somewhere where you don't know what the damage could be for several years to come.

Original poster
growcookeat · 12/03/2017 10:29

Thanks for all the replies. Seems to be a complete split though!!

I'd happily go along if it was just me (I don't mind watching it with him on tv and think I'd like the atmosphere etc). We live around 3 hours away and the tickets are for the weekend so taking someone else to look after baby isn't really an option.

We have reserved grandstand seats for the Sunday so I would have a space to sit if that makes any difference. I wouldn't want to take a pram - a sling would certainly be our preferred method of transportation but yes we would be very new to it all, possibly still sorting feeding etc.

Yes my main concern really is the safety aspect for baby. It's the not knowing if damage has been caused that I'm struggling with.

I will call and see if there's any way to return the tickets but they were sold as non refundable and non transferable so I'm not hopeful!

If anyone finds any info on tiny babies hearing I would be very grateful - I've struggled to find advice online.

OP posts:
BlinkyT · 12/03/2017 10:30

Option 1) Surely they have indoor bits out of the noise? You could phone and ask?

Original poster
growcookeat · 12/03/2017 10:32

Highinthesky I don't really feel it's fair to make it DHs problem as I kind of forced them on him in the first place. He feels really bad about not having someone to go with. Even if the second ticket is paid for, it's a fair amount of money for someone else to fork out for travel and accommodation if they're not that into F1!

OP posts:
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