going for dinner while on holiday with 6mo baby - sleeping in buggy?

[titferbrains]

Staying in a hotel on hols in the states, no restaurant in hotel as it's a self catering type place. Assume we'll have to take baby to restaurant asleep in buggy to eat - anyone else done this, and did yr LO wake up? I know they sleep quite heavily during 1st half of night, hope this is going to work or it's take out every night for 8 days, my body will go into revolt from lack of veggies and eating too much sugar!! I always feel ruff as it is when I spend time in the states from lack of veg!

when I say self catering I mean there's a microwave and a sink.

yes, I always took DS out to eat on hol with him asleep in his buggy. It sometimes ook a bit of walking around first - on holiday we put sunglasses on him to make him think it was dark!

We did it. Took DS to Florida when he was 6 months. We had a Maclaren Techno XT which he slept in when we went out in the evening.

He was very good and rarely woke up.

never worked for me - mine were basically screamers for the first year

good luck though

We did this every night in Mallorca when DS was 6 months. We'd wheel him around to get him off to sleep then find ourselves a lovely restaurant. Just wish we could get away with it now he is 2! Have fun.

Never worked for us either!

We tried everything! Get him to sleep in the villa then transfer him to the pushchair and go out - he woke the second we got to the door of the restaurant!

Take him a very long way round to get him to sleep on the way - he woke the second we got to the door of the restaurant!

Not bother trying to get him to sleep - just have him in the pushchair - he was tired and wingey and it wasn't much fun!

Hope you have better luck than us!

Worked for us at 6 months and 18 months. Had a walk round to get DD to sleep before choosing a restaurant and then having a nice relaxing meal.

Worked for us. But then again DS can and does still fall asleep at the table in restaurants, and he's 6 now, so I realise he may not be typical

DD did it too but not quite as reliably - but if awake she was happy to join in and then go back to sleep later.

cool well at least you've given me the confidence to have a go. I think the nearest decent place does do takeaway so if all else fails we'll be in front of the telly with hummus and pitta.

Why cant you just eat early - at the same time as he will be eating - ie 5.30/6pm? they eat very early in the states anyway.

I'm breastfeeding and might die in the night from hunger or might end up nibbling LO's toes for snacks... have a large appetite and I know I won't be organised enough to eat that early. it wd do my head in. I'm a night owl.

fair enough their restaurants can be winding up by 9 though anyway...

I'm the opposite when we stay in hotel rooms with the dcs - I move onto their time cos we eat out together ( though i do eat at 6 anyway cos am starving by then) and then cos we're all in one room we go to bed together as well iyswim.

You can get something called a Shadeababe which is like a blackout curtain for the buggy - designed to keep the sun off but also makes it quite dark - it might help. Good luck!

Did this in Sardinia last year. DD 8 months - all bathed, fed and in grobag.

Drink first and she would be all excited, after 30 mins fast asleep. Dinner and then to hotel room for about 10pm/11pm. Lifted her out of buggy and straight into her cot - never woke up!

I second shade-a-babe suggestion. Pack this before anything else. Used it at 6 and 18 months. DS slept like a dream protected from the sun during his daytime naps and in the dark at nightime while we ate. Just transferred him to his travelcot when we were back in the hotel.
Buy or borrow one if you can.
Enjoy your holiday!

I think I have somehting similar to shade a babe - given by a friend, will investigate...thanks for great tips.

I also perfected the art of choosing menu items that could be eaten with a fork in one hand while bf-ing at the table.

We did this, we used to 'tent' off the stroller using a light weight cloth over the hood down to the legs to make the restaurant appear dark and had a fab time. repeated this with my DD. Now are both a bit older and no chance but at 18 months should be no probs.