Bringing a newborn to a wedding?

Question

Hey guys I need some help here. So I’m due with my first on August 6th and my sister is getting married at a small ceremony on August 14th. Where the wedding is taking place is over 2 hours away from where I live. 
My problem is I don’t want to miss out on my only sisters wedding, but I don’t want to put my baby at risk. Some people suggested I get a babysitter, but I want to breastfeed and I don’t want to leave him with someone just yet. 
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. I am going to speak to my doctor about it next month when I see him.

Answer

Your due on that day. Baby might not come until a few days or even a week or so after. I would be crushed to miss my sisters wedding, but the recovery after giving birth is not a walk in the park. You may only be a few days post partum. Youll still be bleeding pretty heavily, your milk will be coming in, you’ll likely still be sore from delivery. I felt like i was hit by a bus for a week or so after delivery. A 2 hour drive will be hard with a days old infant. I wouldn’t go. There’s just too much going on in those days immediately post partum that I wouldn’t even risk it.

Answer

Honestly I just wouldn’t go or wouldn’t stay for the whole thing. With a newborn if they start crying during the actual ceremony you’re gonna feel embarrassed or like you ruined the moment. During the reception you will eventually be ready to go early. 
I personally would attend but have an extra set of hands to help that isn’t particularly interested in the entire wedding stay. Like my husband would probably stay at a hotel with the baby and check in with me while he got to relax.

Answer

Be prepared for the possibility of going over your due date & not going due to that or if you end up having a c section.  I don’t want your plans to be ruined, but just keep that in the back of your mind.

Answer

I wouldn’t go. That sucks, but two hours when you’re not even two weeks post partum would be incredibly difficult. Also I would never in a million years leave a baby that young with anybody!

Answer

It could be possible to try and pump as much as you can to give him enough to have while you’re gone. And then you’ll just have to take a pump with you and pump every two hours so you don’t lose your supply. You may have to supplement with a good formula but it’ll be okay just for a short time. I know it’s hard to have to leave them when they’re so little, but I personally wouldn’t take them. With Covid the way it is and honestly even without Covid I wouldn’t take them just because their little immune systems aren’t ready for such a big crowd. If you can get someone you trust to watch baby, I definitely would go that route, I know it’s hard but i think it would be worth it to ensure baby doesn’t get any kind of viral infection, COVID or otherwise.

Answer

I would have someone go with you who can babysit. Pump for one bottle and only stay for the ceremony. They'll understand missing the reception.

Answer

Have someone live stream the wedding. That soon after giving birth you won't be in the mood to drive two hours away for a wedding

Answer

I think you’ll just have to talk to your sister, tell her how sorry you’ll be to miss it, send her a lovely, heartfelt gift, and hope that she can understand why it would be so tough to go. Baby could likely be late. You’ll still be bleeding and probably won’t be sleeping. It’ll be far too early to pump enough for a decent stash. You also don’t know if baby will take to a bottle. Not to mention COVID, and everything else the baby will be susceptible to at that point. If it’s a really small, intimate wedding, would they be willing to push it back a month or so so that you could come? I know that’s asking a lot, but it could be possible if it’s say at someone’s home or somewhere else that doesn’t require deposits.

Answer

I wouldn’t go. I know it sucks but I wouldn’t take a one week old to a wedding. There will be loud music which will not be good for baby. Also over stimulation from the noise, people around them, etc. After a week, you yourself will still not be feeling great. Breast feeding a newborn can be really random and you’d just be going off to some corner somewhere by yourself for a very long time to nurse. Could be during vows... could be right at the start of dinner where you’ll miss the meal... could be during speeches, first dances, etc. I guarantee... you will not enjoy yourself. Not to mention how EXHAUSTED you will be from having a newborn in the house. It’s a terrible idea if I’m honest. 
My cousin didn’t go to her brother’s wedding because her baby was a couple months old and he was doing a destination wedding that required plane travel. It sucked but just didn’t make sense for her to go.

Answer

As shitty as it is, I wouldn’t go. 😞 Is this your first baby? Pandemic aside, you’re not going to want to leave them. Plus your body is going to be fucking bonkers in recovery. Your boobs will be insane, your hormones will be insane, you’ll be wearing those big ass pads and bleeding like crazy, you could have vaginal pain from tearing, you could be in more pain recovering from a c-section, and obviously you’ll be very tired. I would never feel comfortable leaving a newborn with a sitter, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable having a bunch of people around my newborn before she got her shots. 
Obviously you know yourself and the people attending better than we do and you know who’s being cautious, so if you feel comfortable go for it! But I feel like since you’re asking you don’t feel comfortable going. The well-being and safety of your baby comes first.

Bringing a newborn to a wedding?

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