Disrupting sleep routine to go out

[carls]

I have just started bub on a great routine, and his first night sleep is usually around 6pm - 11pm.

We have been invited to a suprise bday party this weekend and have been told to be there by 8:45pm. I really want to go but am too scared about taking bub out halfway through his sleep. I'm afraid it will disrupt his whole night, the music and noise at the party will keep him awake etc etc

Does anyone else wake their bubs to go out or should I stay at home?

[melfunction]

I was scared to disrupt K's sleep too, so I stayed home. I always hear the old saying 'never wake a sleeping baby' running around in my head.

[Mrs Little]

I too wouldn't wake him unless it was an emergency.

Could someone babysit your bubs at your house for you? Thats what we do if we want to go out. If you're breast feeding you can express and get that person to feed them with a bottle at the necessary time.

Hope that helps.
Mrs Little & Son.

[carls]

One of the only reasons we want to go is to show him off! :D

[the_queen]

Weigh up the "show him off" factor (which is very appealing, I know!! :D) against the "how many nights will it take to get him back into this fabulous routine" factor.....

If it was me, I'd get a babysitter and go to the party for a couple of hours, armed with PLENTY of photo's of bubby!!

[elissas]

We've been to a few parties now. I figure if we can't be flexible, whether to have some fun or see people, then it won't do anyone any good. First and foremost on my priority list is people - so I'd rather miss bathtime or break routine for a day if it meant that DS (and us) get time with people who are going to be important factors in his life (and are already in ours). But then, although I have a bit of a pattern, I don't have a clock-based routine (I base it more on daylight/nighttime) and let him set the pace during the day.

Every time we've taken DS to a party he's slept through with music pumping, people yelling etc. But I've always made sure that there's not deafening silence at home when he's sleeping, so he doesn't get too used to it (always have music playing, dishwasher running, vacuuming etc). I've always let him sleep in his pram a lot during the day too, so he slept when we were out.

If you're worried about noise levels, you can buy a packet of the pliable ear plugs at the chemist, and cut them down to size (I was told this by a paediatric audiologist). As long as you make them big and long enough to be able to pull them out easily and so they don't get stuck.

[Smurfette]

I won't take Liv out past her bedtime ever. The only exception is if we are already out and it wont be a long night or she can sleep where she is going, which has only been once. We don't really have anyone to babysit so that is bit of an issue.
I just think it is unfair to drag her out when she is normally asleep and lets face it, I wouldn't want to be woken up in the middle of the night to be around a lot of noisy people. Also, Liv is not a happy if she is tired, which makes my life difficult and unpleasant for her.

[zenifa]

Carls, I totally understand you wanting James to come to the party with you and to show him off. He does look like a real cutie!! I guess it depends on what has happened previously when his routine has been disrupted.

We have taken our DD out to weddings, parties, bbqs etc with family and friends and she has been very good while we've been out (happy, sociable), slept in the car on the way home, but occasionally we have paid for it when we got home - DD being grizzly, hard to settle and not wanting to go to sleep. Now we have decided that we will try to take her to events during the day or the early evening and try to be home by 9pm at the latest, to breastfeed her and put her to bed.

I guess a party starting at 8.45 isn't too late, unless you have a 3 mth old baby. What sort of mood is he likely to be in? For us, DD would be tired, at risk of getting overstimulated and wouldn't be in her best mood, esp for showing her off.

Any chance of organising another event with these people that starts and ends earlier so James can attend next time? Just a suggestion, good luck with it.

[Foxy]

Did you say 8:45pm? Good god woman - I would be in my slippers by then!!

Personally, I think if little James is in a good routine, one night probably will not spoil it. However, if you are suspecting it could be an issue, well I wouldn't risk it, a good routine is hard to come by!

[Mrs Little]

I've just had an idea...been thinking about your situation all day.

What if you went to your friends place a little earlier while your DS was awake as part of his normal routine. Then put him down for his next sleep...whatever time that is normally. Put him in a portacot in one of your friends rooms in their house. Then you can keep your routine going, while you enjoy the party.

The only bad part would be when you need to take him home. If he transfers well (meaning u can take him in and out of the car and put him into bed all while keeping him sleepy) then u can just wake him gently and put him in the car when u want to go home from your friends place. If he doesn't transfer well...you could consider waiting till it's his next feed and feed him and go home after that. Or maybe stay the night at your friends house?

Just some ideas.

Mrs Little & Son.

[Kim2008]

Mrs Little's suggestion works for us.

My son is 4.5 months old. He has dinner (a breastfeed) at 6pm each night. If we're going to someone's place, we tend to leave home in time to feed him when we arrive. He'll then either play or have a bath at their place, and then its to bed in a portacot at his normal time of 7:30pm. We then take him home in time to arrive home for his dream feed between 10pm or 11pm. He tends to just go back to sleep in the car if he hasn't been too disturbed. After his dream feed he just goes back to bed as usual.

Thankfully we have accomodating friends because on some occasions we've asked if we can arrive early to fit into the above.

Kim