Do you ever get a date night with a cosleeping nursling?

[KTS]

I have a 12-month-old who has always slept with us and has always been nursed to sleep (both naps and nighttime). Up to this point, I have never considered being away from her at night. However, my DH and I have been invited to a friend's going away party on a Saturday evening and we'd really like to go. The friend will be moving out of state! Bringing my DD is not an option as it's adults only. My question is HOW do I go? I've never left my DD with anyone longer than 3 hours and never at bedtime. I have no clue how anyone could get her to sleep as even my DH can't do it without my help. I have visions of her crying the whole time. How do you start the process of getting a night to yourself once in a while? Is it possible to have any kind of social life with a bfeeding, cosleeping, kiddo? What have I done? HELP!

[Maluhia]

We did....

What we did was that I'd have a college age or above babysitter and we'd nurse and have THEM drive us to the party so that DD would fall asleep in the carseat (tada no milk!) and then the babysitter would transfer her to her swing (large) that she'd sleep in without us or into our bed that smells like us.

We'd take a taxi home or catch a ride with friends and climb into bed with DD and she did great.

Obviously we are not super late-owls and we did this after her natural wakings were only after midnight for nursing and we'd be home before midnight, later a few times once she dropped night nursing BUT it's rarely good for us to stay out later than that since we still have to get up with her in the a.m.

I'd say go, find a way ie. driving or walking in a stroller to get to sleep without you and have a backup plan for your DH to stay and you to go home if it goes horribly. One failure does not mean it will never happen, it is all about if it will work right now with your DD

[zoebird]

we do everything before bed time, usually in between nap time and dinner time.

[crunchy_mommy]

Does your DD sleep in a wrap or carrier? Honestly that's what I'd do, stick her in the wrap, walk around outside for a bit 'til she's asleep, then go in & join the party. A sleeping baby attached to you shouldn't count as violating the "adults only" rule!! Of course if your DD won't sleep with the commotion it may not work (my DS sleeps GREAT at parties & stuff though, it's like white noise for him).

Not sure what to say if you want to leave her home, I would have the same problem!!

[gkb2215]

I have an 18-month-old who nurses to sleep at night and wakes a lot, screaming until she gets to nurse. However, during the day when I am at work and the occasional evening that I'm out, she goes down just fine for my husband. He turns the lights out, walks around with her in the Ergo, reads her a book, and puts her in our bed once she's totally out.

If you can find someone to babysit who your daughter already knows and trusts, that will probably help a lot. Why not just go to the party, keep your cell phone close by, and let the sitter know to call if the sleep thing just isn't working?

The few times I've gone out at night, it's been to someplace nearby so that I can run home if the baby wakes up howling for milk.