To think we need to carry on as normally as possible?

[RockyisMYRhino]

We have a 4 week old ds and while we are getting out and about as a new family (we are first time parents) my dh is very reluctant for us to go to a restaurant and have a meal (think along the lines of Nando's etc, not Michelin star lol). We used to do this all the time and while I understand that no one wants to listen to a crying child surely if I am willing to feed him if needed or we time it so that he will be asleep we can still carry on eating out for a while?

Tbh I would go, Nandos is really loud anyway so I doubt a crying baby would even be noticed.

Plus if you are cool to feed and baby is relatively easy to settle I really don't see the problem. YANBU

Babies are super-portable. Toddlers aren't. Enjoy it while it lasts, get out and eat. I love cafes and restaurants with small babies. I breastfed all of mine, so even when they woke I'd stick them on a boob and carry eating.

In my experience babies sleep better in noisy environments. So go whilst you still can. Soon he'll be slinging chicken around and sticking chips up his nose.

Yes, absolutely enjoy being able to go out with a baby sleeping peacefully in his pram....it won't last, as others have said!

Congratulations, too!

We always did; Dd went out with us for food from her first week home. Didn't stop as a toddler onward either

Yes do. We carried on taking them to restaurants for early dinners around 6 too.

As in 6pm not the age 6.

Go now it's much easier when they are newborn plus it will give you the confidence to carry on. Your life cannot stop

Yes gets a lot harder very soon so make the most.

Go for it!!!

We went to Nando's when DS was 4 days old. It was next door to mothercare (we went there every day!!!). It was fine he slept through it and then woke up for a feed right at the end! Do it!

Yes go, it's so important for your mental health to get out!! It's much easier now as pp have said, even when they are older it's not bad - times correctly you can have a lovely lunch out while they sleep in the pram. Outside restaurants in my local town there are often parents wheeling round their babies/toddlers to get them to sleep for a quiet meal together.

Yes go. People are tolerant of tiny babies and it's much easier now than as toddlers. Good for all to have nice family/social activities.

Definitely go out. It's important for you get out and do normal things. We always took ours out to restaurants from very early on. If the baby cried and wouldn't settle one of us would take them out whist the other ate. That didn't happen very often at all.

I went to a Michelin starred place when mine was a few weeks - everyone loved her!! Definitely carry on as normal

Oh definitely get out now while you still can! Mind you, Nando's is refreshingly feral. You could release an entire zoo in Nando's and no one would bat an eye.

Congrats on your DS!

Our DD is now sixteen weeks, also first born.

I think she was about five weeks old when we first took her to a restaurant as I was a bit nervous that she would cry and upset the other customers. However it was fine, she slept the entire time! Like someone else said, babies seem to sleep quite well in noisy environments!

We now have no issues going out for meals with her, as she usually sleeps through or if she does wake up, I sit her on my lap and she has a good look around.

I imagine going out for a meal with a toddler is far worse than with a baby!

Thanks everyone - I didn't think I was being odd but it's nice to hear someone else's opinion! Will work harder on dh to take us all out for lunch - I'm going a bit stir crazy being at home or in the same shops near to us all the time!!!

I think part of his reluctance is that ds has been a bit colicky recently in the afternoon so he worries that we won't be able to settle him if he starts to create. Has anyone got any coping tips for us?

Taking your baby out is a hell of a lot easier at 4weeks than it is later! Make the most of it whilst they are still very portable!

As for colicky, a bumpy walk worked with mine, I walked him and the dog across the park then we went to the pub for lunch and he slept! (Yay) good luck OP

Congratulations!

Yes carry on as normal, me & dh did after both our dc. We still went for walks, meals out, friends over, holidays etc life doesn't have to stop just becuase a baby is around now

Obviously just be prepared to take the baby outside/feed whatever so other customers aren't disturbed by crying.

Yes! Go out now!

From age 2 to 4 (or in my case 14) eating out is hell

I always used to time it so DS would be asleep and if he work of just pop him on my boob. Now he's almost 2, we can't go anywhere with him. Seriously. He goes ballistic while waiting for food. Goes ballistic if it arrives and is too hot to eat. God forbid we're still eating when he's finished.

While he is this young I would go but I know babies have a habit of waking up just when you are about to eat. I always suspected they could smell the food! As they get a little older and start to develop their own sleeping pattern, it can be a mistake to take them out a lot rather than letting them sleep at home because they become accustomed to sleeping when out. I've seen a lot of people a few months down the line who are exhausted because their babies won't sleep at home so they are not getting a break either. Congratulations