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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

4 month old taken to loud restaurant

7 replies

MayimBialik · 10/03/2013 05:24

Last night we went out for a meal for a friend's birthday with a large group of people to a pub/restaurant in the country. I'm BFing a baby that's refusing a bottle at the moment so the meal was arranged for 6pm so that we could go along too and take DS back home early to bed.

What I didn't anticipate was the level of noise - the place was packed out and my friends were talking very loudly around DS. He seemed happy enough being passed around like a little parcel (another thing that made me a bit uncomfortable but lovely that all my friends were delighted to see him) and was full of smiles for everyone.

We stayed for one course only but that ended up taking 2.5 hours and it was so noisy and loud. I feel so guilty for taking him as it was completely the wrong environment for a baby and I'm now worried I'll have damaged his hearing. We're also out for lunch for Mother's Day today and no doubt that will be a packed out noisy restaurant too. I wonder if actually I wouldn't have thought about the noise levels but the fact that it was an evening made it seem worse? Any words of wisdom?

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MrsHoarder · 10/03/2013 05:37

Why would noise in the evening damage his heating more than in the daytime? Make him more excited and harder to get to sleep, maybe, but not damage his heating more.

And if you could hold conversations he should have been well within the safe range.

Original poster

MayimBialik · 10/03/2013 05:51

There's obviously no difference in noise at day and night I just mean did I think about it more because he normally works be winding down for bed and tucked up by 7pm whereas he was getting passed about in a very noisy restaurant. Feeling stupid for having taken him (thought it would be much more chilled out at that time)!

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ZuleikaD · 10/03/2013 07:34

Unless he clearly got overstimulated (crying, fussing, impossible to settle) your baby was fine. At this age they don't need to be 'winding down for bed' during the evening.

The womb is an incredibly noisy place, so don't worry about his hearing if it was within conversation-having levels.

TwelveLeggedWalk · 10/03/2013 07:38

Is this your first?
Imagine dinner time with an 18mo and 3yo, watching in in the night garden, banging every plate and cup on the table, and having random screaming fits throughout. Was it louder than that? if not then lots of third children have lots of evenings like that, and turn out just fine! I think babies are very good at telling us when they're unhappy, if yours didn't then don't worry.

seeker · 10/03/2013 07:40

If he was full of smiles and was happy then he was absolutely fine. They soon tell you if something's bothering them! And the passing around like a parcel and being loved by lots of people would have been incredibly good for him.

Make the most of the time when you can cart them round anywhere you want to go- onc they are mobile this is impossible much more difficult.

Original poster

MayimBialik · 10/03/2013 08:25

Thanks for the reassurance everyone. I guess I'm being a bit precious about him - he is my PFB!

It was a case of suffering The Guilt in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep I think

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Bumpsadaisie · 10/03/2013 20:54

Dont panic! We took our eldest to a working textile mill when she was about that age. The noise of 12 steam powered looms was deafening. She slept through it all in a sling!

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