2 month old, childcare logistics for attending concert

[Phoenix321]

My dp and I have concert tickets later this year which were booked before finding out I was pregnant. Baby should be a couple of months old by the time the concert comes round. I really don't want to miss the concert but am worrying about logistics of who would watch the baby etc (and would I be ready to leave them for a few hours with someone at that age). I keep flipping between considering getting a hotel room and dp looking after the baby there and my daughter (late teen) coming to the concert with me, just watching the main act, not all the warm up acts etc to then thinking I should just sell the tickets but I have been waiting for the band to tour UK again for a long time. Just wondered if anyone has been in similar situation and can offer me any advice? TIA

It’s going to depend on your birth and baby really. There’s no way at 2 months old I would have left my baby to go to a concert, but maybe others would be different. At 2 months you may still be establishing breast feeding if you decide to do that, possibly recovering from birth, your baby will want mum.

I had to leave my baby at 3 weeks old with his grandparents, as I needed dental surgery. He slept most of the day. But I couldnt breastfeed, so it wasnt as difficult. I also had a c section, was fine after a couple of weeks. Its all dependent on your circumstances really!

Thank you - I won't make a decision until after the baby's arrived, as won't be sure how I will feel, how the baby will be, how feeding will be going etc.

I couldn't have left any of mine at that age for more than a couple of hours as breastfeeding.

I would attempt DP having baby in hotel room nearby or actually mine would've been happier just in a sling with DP walking around and then meeting immediately after for a feed.

Depends on baby tbh.

I think if everything is going well then asking DO to look after the baby nearby is a good option.

How much do you want to watch the warm up acts? If you’re not bothered then skipping makes sense, especially if you’re seated. You can probably make it work if you want to. If you’re planning on breastfeeding then mine took a bottle at that age and refusal came later. I know a fair few people who had events booked at that age and they were all fine and able to attend.

Have you got seated tickets or standing? Standing could be a challenge.

Definitely skip the support acts and probably be prepared to leave before the end, just to get out quicker if nothing else.

Unfortunately could only get standing tickets so realise that I'm unlikely to have a good view as won't be getting there super early as have done in the past as not fussed on warm ups and wouldn't want to be away from baby for too long. The more I actually think about it the more I'm swaying towards not going.

I think you're being very unrealistic. At 2 months old me and DP did go out A LOT. We took advantage of a portable newborn without a set bedtime etc to go out to nice restaurants, house parties, we even went on holiday. HOWEVER:

1. Concerts are incredibly LOUD. Babies hearing is extremely fragile, it would be extremely irresponsible to expose him to a Concert.
2. outings with a newborn are SHORT. They cry, they poop, they need a feed, all within 90 minutes. You need to be somewhere you can exit to calm them down, feed etc.

Sell the tickets. Book a weekend away and enjoy your time. Don't ruin the newborn period by being overly ambitious.

And no, you can't leave a 2 month newborn all evening to just go yourself.

It really does depend. One of mine was combi fed so would have been fine left with dad - my boobs would have exploded after more than 3 hours though.
The other was EBF and was still feeding every 90 mins and almost continuously through the evenings. She flatly refused any form of bottle/cup - never took either, or formula or cows milk. I did very little on my own for 15 months with her.

I was back attending gigs about a month after both of mine were born - left them with their dad who is perfectly capable of parenting - I wasn’t breastfeeding though which made it easier. Was fine with standing gigs and that was after a crash section - but obviously everyone is different.

@CoffeeTime4583922i don’t think OP is planning on taking the baby to the gig! Though I did see a very small baby in a sling at New Order in Heaton Park once which I thought was quite brave

Oooh I misunderstood, she's taking her other daughter with her.

Depends so much on you, your baby and the venue. It’s probably too loud (and baby is too young for ear defenders) so taking with you isn’t an option but a hotel room nearby could work. I went out a lot with mine as newborns, dd2 even got taken to a classical concert at 3 weeks old (if was only an hour and one of those designed for children, just not newborns) but we had a subscription for dd1. They went to outside neighbourhood gigs as babies too, common where we lived , every community had one festival each year.

I didn’t stop doing things because I was pregnant or had small children but everyone is different, births vary, not everyone is physically fit within hours of giving birth whereas I nipped to the supermarket on the way home from the hospital because I really wanted a proper English dinner think stodgy!

I wouldn’t even have considered this I’d have just sold the tickets.

stand up tickets - if you have to have a section this is a no go
are you bottle/breast feeding??
you’ll be trying to establish a routine too

I just think it’s plagued with potential issues, you can’t get this time back with your baby either I’d be making the most of it and you can always see a concert at another time.

Thank you all for your advice. As I said I think I will probably accept I can't go this time and sell the tickets. Just have been waiting 7 years for the band to come back to the UK. Didn't expect to fall pregnant so quickly so when I booked them I had thought I'd probably be attending pregnant (18 years ago I went to see them at about 34 weeks pregnant and managed 5 hours on my feet without needing a wee). And absolutely would not dream of taking baby with me due to their sensitive hearing.

If the tickets are in demand and will sell quickly anyway, I’d hold onto them and see how you feel closer to the time. I didn’t have anything like this booked, but I know lots of families mostly with EBF babies who did make it to prebooked concerts and shows and had a great time. If you have the tickets then you have option. But if you sell them and find that your baby’s super chilled left with their dad, and will happily take a bottle of milk, and you’re feeling fine to head out on your own for a few hours then you can’t get those tickets back. And if you’re not ready to go, then you can still sell them closer to the time and be in the same position as if you sold them now.

Do you plan to breastfeed? I could have definitely left my baby who was formula fed with dh for an evening at 8 weeks. Would I have preferred to be at home and in bed? Probably. But breastfed one, no way.

Tell us who the band is OP?

I took mine to something similar (though in an outdoor setting, so a little quieter probably), with ear defenders on in a sling. It was within safety limits, no risk to her hearing, and absolutely fine and slept through most of it.

If you're uncomfortable with that, then I think older daughter is an option.

I'd also gone out without baby to a party by that age, and would have been fine physically for it (planned section) but I think having a couple of flexible plans and seeing how you feel is probably wise.

She how you feel nearer the time, don’t panic about it now and maybe DH or someone else can take your daughter if you decide not to go?

I think you'll have to see how you feel when the time comes - breastfed baby still establishing a routine, you won't be able to go. Bottle fed baby left with close friends or grandparents who already adore them might be fine.

I’m currently 2 months PP and I could leave LO for a concert if I had one booked. Lucky to have had a very straightforward delivery and baby is bottle fed so no issues there, I would probably wait and see nearer the time how you feel.

Thank you all. I think I will wait and see how I feel nearer the time and sell the tickets if needed. It's Bonjovi. Die hard fan here and neither dp nor my daughter would be fussed about not going.

Not saying this to try and make you go, but as a huge fan myself (with tickets as well for this upcoming tour), I’m wondering if this might be his last tour (over here anyway). I could be wrong, but Jon’s voice was so damaged. I know he’s had vocal cord surgery recently but honestly I’m still not convinced he can get through this tour as it is. If his voice goes again I think that’ll be it for Bon Jovi forever. But we shall see! Fingers crossed I’m wrong!

@Sqqash ah you get it! Yes this is my concern - not sure if/when he will tour UK again and would be gutted to miss it.