What do date nights look like once baby is here?! Maybe you’ve given this a ton of thought or maybe it hasn’t crossed your mind. In any case, we’d like to offer some of our favorite date ideas because connecting with your partner is important. While dates may be a little more succinct and may require more moving parts (like, literally a breast pump), intentional quality time is so important throughout the parenting journey, and that starts with early postpartum.

We do, of course, encourage new parents to get lots of rest in the initial weeks postpartum, so please honor your recovery and the rest you need. That said, we also know that leaving home and going out into the world can be important self-care, too. So, please go at your own pace and listen to your body!

Date Ideas with Baby in Tow

The date ideas below are meant to facilitate connection and accommodate baby. You may not be ready to leave baby with someone else yet, you simply want the ease of a spontaneous date while baby is with you, or you like the idea of a family date! Plus, before babies are toddling, they are often happy in a carrier, car seat, blanket on the floor, or a portable bassinet of some type. Check out our favorite ideas below to plan a date or two:

1. Get outside! Take a walk, sit on a scenic bench, go to a local park, etc. Connection with nature is one of the five universal postpartum needs.
2. Have a picnic. Combine #1 with some favorite (or new to you) food. Make it easy by picking up take out or throw a bunch of yummy snacks on your next curbside grocery order.
3. Coffee shop hangout. Coffee shops are come and go as you please sort of places. You can enjoy a beverage and maybe a snack. Depending on location and weather, maybe there’s even a great patio to sit on!
4. Dinner double date at home with take out. Whether your friends have a baby or not, you can have the comfort of home, companionship with friends, and delicious food. If your friends do have a baby, this could become a regular, rotating hangout.
5. Get a sweet treat. While it may feel more accessible to eat dinner at home, leaving the house for a treat may feel like the perfect balance. 
6. Take a scenic drive. Get out of the house and drive somewhere pretty! This could be a way to connect with nature (#1), or you could do an urban version. Maybe you can think of a place to stop for a treat (#5) while you’re out and about, too!
7. Have a game night. First, decide if this is a group date or just for the two of you. Then, decide on a few games to play! 
8. Watch a movie. This might involve finding a quiet time in the day to go to a mostly-empty theater, or pick a special movie to watch at home.
9. Do a mini-spa day at home. There are lots of options from face masks to foot soaks to hair treatments to shower steamers. Pick a few products that bring you joy and carve out the time to care for one another.
10. Get a date in a box. There are several companies that curate and plan dates to do at home. 
11. Ask one another questions for connection. We like the Gottman card decks app. These “card decks” offer questions for active listening and connection. There are other tangible cards like Table Topics or We’re Not Really Strangers.

Baby Guru is Here for You

We are here to support your family and help you navigate the joys and challenges of early parenthood. Reach out about postpartum support in Austin or birth and postpartum support in Asheville!

*Photo credit: Image by rawpixel.com