• Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • |
  • About
  • Work With Me
    • Brand partnerships
    • Nutrition Coaching
December 27, 2017 (Updated April 19, 2023)

Going Out to Dinner with a One Month Old at Home

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

43 comments
share this post:
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

On Friday night, Matt and I had our first restaurant meal out since Riese was born! My brother was in town for the holidays and his girlfriend joined us for a couple days before Christmas before heading off to see her family. We were excited to get to know her, so my parents offered to babysit so the four of us could go out on the town. Woohoo!! Big night out!

We went out to dinner at Lyon Hall in Clarendon – an old fave. First order of business was two things I haven’t had in quite awhile: red wine and raw oysters! Yummmm.

going out to dinner with a one month old

For my entrée, I’m really into salmon again lately (fish was hit or miss when I was pregnant) so I went for their salmon with greens and lentils. Hit the spot.

first dinner out after having a baby

We lingered over the wine for quite awhile – such a fun night out and a special treat since it had been a month since we’d had dinner out at a restaurant!

Speaking of – a few of you asked when I mentioned we were planning to go out solo again how we plan/manage being away from a one month old (especially since I’m exclusively breastfeeding). Obviously I’m not an expert here, but here’s what I’ve done the times I have planned to be away for a couple hours. I think I have left about 4 or 5 times now – it has been really good to have those “adult only” moments – I come back refreshed and excited to see her and be a good mom. I think it’s important to make some “me time” a priority if you can – both Matt and I have been really prioritizing a mix of getting out solo (with the other one of us watching Riese) as well as together (thanks to my parents babysitting for us – I know, we are lucky to have them close). Anyway, here’s what I’ve done:

  1. Feed Riese right before we leave. It’s hard to time this but generally I can make it happen – that way she will be nice and milk drunk for the start of the babysitting session, and I’ll have more time to work with.
  2. If I’m going to be gone for more than 2 or so hours, I leave some breastmilk in a bottle. We did a trial run with the bottle last week because we didn’t want to have to race back from dinner. To test the bottle (thank you for the tips on how to do this!), Matt fed her about 0.5 ounces upstairs while I was downstairs (apparently you don’t want to be nearby because the baby will smell you and be annoyed they aren’t just getting the breast). We did this in between feedings – she was starting to get a little hungry but nowhere near starved. It went well and she had no problems taking the bottle, which was great, so on Friday night we left the first “real” bottle ready to go for my parents. We left them 2.5 ounces. As I mentioned before, I still haven’t done any pumping but I’ve had success suctioning off let down milk using the Haakaa – highly recommend it. Let down milk is all foremilk (vs. the more fatty hindmilk at the end of a feeding), though, so it won’t hold them over as long. I need to start real pumping soon so the milk I leave/store is a better mix of foremilk and hindmilk! But for now this works so we are going with it.

haakaa pump review

One more thing – if you are leaving a bottle, have the person who will be feeding your child watch this video on paced bottle feeding. Thank you to those who recommended that to me! It will basically help the baby to not overeat and simulates the breastfeeding experience a bit more. I’m glad we left a bottle on Friday because we ended up lingering at dinner for over 3 hours and my parents did end up using the bottle – she had about 2ish ounces, so almost all of it. She was pretty fussy most of the time we were gone (evening is always “the witching hour” for her), but the bottle did help for a little while they said!

Anyway! Another food highlight recently was on Saturday night when we had a nice meal at my parent’s place – my mom made a variation on my Baked Salmon with Lemon Mustard Dill Sauce (<- recipe). Always hits the spot! Plus a splash of white wine. 🙂

salmon with yogurt sauce

On the fitness front, we are still enjoying lots of walks, although it got really cold the past couple days which is a bummer! Speaking of fitness, I was shocked that on Friday at the doctor I was cleared for ALL exercise at only 4 weeks post-C section surgery. I was like, “Uhhh… really? Any guidelines or things to keep in mind?” and he said “nope! you’re healed! don’t overdo it, but you’re cleared for anything.” Um… I don’t feel healed, that’s for sure, and I can’t believe the doctors don’t give you more guidance about postpartum fitness and how to safely reintroduce movement – or at least caution you about what NOT to do! I mean there’s no way I’m healed enough only 4 weeks out to jump right back into my normal boot camps and running, and he made it sound like I totally could. I’m glad I know better thanks to advice from you guys!

I am itching to get some more movement in, but I want to be smart about slowly ramping back up and not doing anything that will make my recovery slower (or hinder it/impact it long term). I don’t feel ready to run at all (my incision is still really tender and pulls when I walk, and from what I’ve read online doing high impact workouts isn’t smart so early – I’ll probably wait until at least 8 weeks to try that), but I am looking forward to some light yoga, swimming, and strength training. I’m going to do a whole post about how I’m reintroducing fitness safely (following various plans I’ve found online thanks to you guys) – stay tuned for more on that. For now, here’s a photo of me and Riese out on our very first completely solo (without Matt and our dog Freyja – they were off running) walk last week. She’s in my lalabu soothe shirt – I hold her head while I walk with her in it but otherwise it’s definitely sturdy enough for walking! I like that I don’t have to do any wrapping/set up – you just slide her into it and go. (Sidenote – if you get that shirt, get a size up from what their measurements say – it runs super small.)

lalabu soothe shirt review

Now that the holiday festivities are over, Matt and I are having a low key week and planning some meet ups with friends who are in town visiting! Later today I’m heading out solo to see my best friend Jenny and her sister Gretchen – Jenny was going to come over to meet Riese, but we’re postponing that for the weekend or early next week because Jenny has a bit of a lingering cold. Matt is going to kick it with Riese while I’m gone.

I will leave you with an important question: how long do you leave your Christmas tree up? It’s so fun and festive it makes me sad to take it down! But… we’re thinking probably the first week of January we’ll take down all our holiday decorations. Boo! It makes such a nice photo backdrop, too. 😉

homemade brunch christmas tree

Runny egg yolks, you are everything. Also, bacon, toast with a fun variety of jams and nut butter, and half a leftover Pear Ginger Honey Muffin.

Have a good one, my friends! And be sure to check back in tomorrow – I have a cozy and winter-y recipe coming at ya.

- anne
share this post:
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

join the list

Sign up for my e-newsletter and I'll send you a meal plan packed with a week's worth of healthy meals, snacks and a shopping list. Happy eating!

you might also like:

A Quickie Leftover Packed Lunch

SATC Series > SATC Movies

Happy New Year!

Healthy Dinner Collaboration: Sweet Potato & Lentil Salad with Hemp Vinaigrette

leave a comment

Cancel reply

43 comments
  • Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
    December 27, 2017 · 2:27PM:
    Your dinner out looks go good! I'm glad you two were able to get in some adult time.
    Reply
  • Grace December 27, 2017 · 2:46PM:
    I love seeing new moms taking time for themselves and not apologizing for it. Such a great attitude to have and example to set for your daughter.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 27, 2017 · 4:11PM:
      Thank you Grace!
      Reply
  • Kori
    December 27, 2017 · 3:04PM:
    It is surprising that your doctor would clear you with no guidance. It's sad because some new moms would probably overdo it and then wind up hurting their recovery. Thankfully, as you said, you know better. Your dinner sounds super fun, and all of your food looks great! We're leaving our baby Christmas tree up until after the new year. I'm not ready to put it away either!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 27, 2017 · 4:12PM:
      I know right?! If I didn't have you guys sharing advice I'd probably think I could jump back into all fitness right away!
      Reply
      • Melissa December 27, 2017 · 8:30PM:
        I was cleared at 5 weeks pp and with little to no guidance. I was shocked that my discharge paperwork from the hospital did not have specific instructions for c sections. I felt very unprepared and informed about my surgery care. I knew more about my grandma’s restrictions after her surgery than my own.
        Reply
  • Jessica December 27, 2017 · 5:18PM:
    A pelvic floor physical therapist would be a good person to see about getting back to exercise safely after delivery (whether vaginal or c section). Good luck!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 27, 2017 · 5:45PM:
      I'm definitely going to make that appointment - will be helpful to know how much/how long I need to seriously modify workouts!
      Reply
  • Sian December 27, 2017 · 5:23PM:
    I had the exact same experience with the OBGYN who did my c-section, but I knew better. I would r commend seeing a pelvic floor physio to assess your pelvic floor, as that’s one of the ways you can do real damage by exercising too early. Even if you had a c-section, you were still carrying a baby on your pelvis for all those months. It’s also important, apparently, to do work on your scar to make sure it doesn’t stick to your insides (or something, google “c-section scar massage”). This is a hard one for me to remember. 8 months on I mostly avoid high impact stuff, sticking with walking, Yoga, and barre at my mama studio (they do classes designed for pregnant and post natal Mamas). If my abs or scar hurt, I know it’s time to scale back. I will admit i’ve been lax with my kegels and need to go back to my physio. I’m hoping to be running in the spring so need to do the prep work to get there. I will say though that all this stuff can feel overwhelming and I struggle sticking to all of it. I figure if I can make sure I walk, stretch, and stay hydrated the rest will come. Although I had my first barre class a few weeks back and it felt really satisfying to sweat and get my heart rate up. No matter what, you’re doing great!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 27, 2017 · 6:24PM:
      The program I'm doing talks about the C section scar massage - fascinating! I'm definitely going to incorporate that into my routine. Making an appointment with a women's health PT, too, to assess ab separation and pelvic floor health... great tips, thank you! <3
      Reply
  • Karin Carmack December 27, 2017 · 8:31PM:
    Tree already down. Came down day after the 25th. I get sad looking at it after Christmas. Kinda weird I know.
    Reply
  • Allyssa December 27, 2017 · 10:11PM:
    Kudos for taking the slow and cautious road of fitness after delivery! Also smart because you’ll want to watch your milk supply as you start to incorporate exercise back in and doing it slowly is the safest way to avoid a big drop. I usually take our Christmas decorations down shortly after New Years. I’m never ready to say goodbye to the tree before that. I start to switch out the decor on the shelves and stuff during this week but will leave the tree up until the first (or second depending on my work schedule) week of January.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:24AM:
      I didn't realize exercise could impact milk supply, but that makes sense! Good to know!
      Reply
  • Abigail T December 27, 2017 · 10:49PM:
    I don't know that much about c-sections and exercise post pregnancy in general but I think I've heard that most doctors clear patients for exercise 6 weeks after the birth... Interesting, you're already "cleared" for exercise.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:25AM:
      I know, I thought it would be later! I usually hear 6 to 8 weeks as being "cleared."
      Reply
  • Teresa December 27, 2017 · 11:30PM:
    If you start exercising this early definitely take it slow, building up to your previous efforts. Listen to your body and rest if needed. You might not like to hear this but our inside decorations came down the 26th and outdoor today. I actually love how clean my house feels After the decorations are taken down.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:25AM:
      I do like how clean/uncluttered the house looks without Christmas stuff... but I do miss the merry lights on the tree!
      Reply
  • Lindsey December 28, 2017 · 6:44AM:
    I have a 6 month old and just this past month I finally feel like I've hit my stride with exercise. My doctor also cleared me at 6 weeks and I got really excited, but had so many setbacks because I believe it was just too soon. My advice is to take it slow and keep expectations realistic. Around the 5 month mark I felt more like myself. It takes time, that is for sure. Does your baby cluster feed? My little one breastfed nonstop the first several months. This may be why she was fussier while you were away. I didn't hit 2 hour stretches between feedings until around 4 months.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:26AM:
      She does cluster feed - usually in the evenings, so you're probably right! I ended up feeding her right when we got home, so it didn't end up being too spaced out though since she had the bottle while we were gone!
      Reply
  • Sara December 28, 2017 · 8:49AM:
    I would be mindful of proper positioning for baby wearing - try to attend a baby wearing meet up so that you can work with a baby wearing educator! One of the big things to remember is that the baby's head should be kissable, meaning that she shouldn't be quite so low on your body, both for per proper positioning and for your back health and safety. Happy baby wearing!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:20AM:
      That's good to know! Interestingly my other wraps hurt my back more than this shirt does... I definitely want to find a babywearing meet up though. Sounds fun!!
      Reply
  • julie December 28, 2017 · 9:23AM:
    we always leave the tree up until new years day, but this year i was ready the day after Christmas! baby toy clutter + christmas decorations everywhere is driving me batty! i remember one of the first times i went out without my son i went to the supermarket...i bumped into my MIL and she said "oh! you must be so sad and missing the baby!" uh lady...i'm right down the street and he's with his dad :/ i felt so free to be there, honestly.
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:27AM:
      Right?! I mean, I love her, but I also love getting out and being free every once in awhile, too. And that's okay!
      Reply
  • Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
    December 28, 2017 · 9:26AM:
    I'm surprised that doctors clear their patients for exercise and then give them no guidance on what they should/shouldn't do... That just seems like a recipe for injury for moms who don't have the body awareness that you do! That's great that you guys were able to go on a double date. I am sure it would have been hard to really focus and get to know your brother's girlfriend with a baby to tend to! It's great that your parents live so close and are willing to help. You definitely should not feel guilty or apologetic for getting out on your own without baby as that's healthy for you and it will help that Riese will learn to be soothed by others besides you! As far as workout programs, have you heard of Momma Strong? Other moms have recommended it and it's something I plan to check out after the baby is born. It's $2/month so very inexpensive! http://www.mommastrong.com/
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 10:27AM:
      I haven't heard of that! I'll check it out - thank you!
      Reply
  • Kelsey Miller
    December 28, 2017 · 10:48AM:
    As for your Christmas decorations, don't forget about the 12 days of Christmas! They start on Christmas Day! Technically, you can leave your tree up until January 5th! Mine is too pretty this year to take down any earlier! I have mine on my covered porch and it's way too COLD to be out there so soon! :-)
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 11:19AM:
      True!! :)
      Reply
  • Amy December 28, 2017 · 11:41AM:
    I went back to exercise right at 6 weeks...surprisingly, yoga was the LEAST comfortable of anything! I was so surprised...but it was just a lot of pressure in the wrong places post C-Section and with breast feeding ;) I stuck mainly to lower impact cardio and lighter weights for a couple months...I highly recommend Jessica Smith TV on youtube for lower impact but very effective workouts!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 28, 2017 · 11:58AM:
      Awesome, I'll check her out! Interesting about the yoga, but that makes sense... I'm going to give it a shot soon and see how it feels for me because I miss the calming/meditative benefits more than anything!
      Reply
  • Liz
    December 28, 2017 · 2:00PM:
    So crazy how little info and support is out there for new moms regarding exercise postpartum. 4 weeks after a c section sounds insane to just jump back into running and high intensity stuff. That would have been too much for me after i had my son and i didnt have a c section! Good thing u listen to your body! Keep doing that, start slow and you’ll figure out when you are up for more intense workouts.
    Reply
  • Susie December 28, 2017 · 5:51PM:
    It sounds like you guys had a wonderful Christmas! Postpartum fitness is so tricky - I wish I had more Information after my son was born last year too! I will say that I'm glad I had my doctor check me for ab separation (I guess it isn't a standard thing at the 6 week check) because I had minor diastasis recti (I think one inch) which made me think twice about doing yoga or anything that engaged my core. It might be smart to check your abs yourself before starting to exercise! Good luck! :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 29, 2017 · 10:55AM:
      Oh wow, that's awesome your doc checked for that! Mine didn't even mention it - I'm going to go to a PT to have it assessed... will be helpful to know how seriously I need to modify moves!
      Reply
  • Susan December 28, 2017 · 6:22PM:
    I wonder if your doctor understood the level of exercise you were doing before pregnancy. It does seem strange that you would be cleared for that much intensity at four weeks. Reading all the comments, it's so interesting to me how much knowledge there is now about the physical effects of pregnancy on the body. Terms like ab separation, pelvic floor physical therapy, and c-section scar massage are all things I've never heard of! I know you'll be smart and listen to your body as you work on your full recovery. Oh, and it's really cool that you understand that to be the best parent, you need some alone time and some adult time. A friend of mine is a mother of six. She and her husband take a one-week ski vacation together every year, just the two of them. She says it reminds them every year why they fell in love!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 29, 2017 · 10:57AM:
      Aw, I love that your friend does that! So important to be able to have some me time - and couple time without kids, too! And yeah, my doctor threw in "don't go crazy" in terms of the exercise, but what does that even mean?! I hope that in the future doctors will be better about giving guidance so people don't injure themselves!
      Reply
  • Michelle Kornfeld December 29, 2017 · 9:10AM:
    We leave our tree up until Little Christmas which is January 6th. It comes down January 7th.
    Reply
  • TrackBuddy January 2, 2018 · 12:45PM:
    I am fortunate to have a lot of great doctors...but I would say with few exceptions they tend to give the worst exercise "advice"!! Makes sense when you think about it, though, since it's not their area of expertise (at all) and sadly I would guess that the majority of their patients are not super active (I'm making this generalization since I think the majority of adults these days are not super active). So "all clear" is probably fine for the general population, but is obviously not fine for someone whose normal activity / fitness level is much higher. I know a c-section is much more intensive than the two (!) umbilical hernia surgeries I have had (gifts from both pregnancies lol) but I actually got GOOD advice from my surgeon re: resuming core exercise and running, so please do ping me if I can be of any help in sharing that. :-)
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 2, 2018 · 5:00PM:
      Yeah you're right... it does make sense! I just wish they would say something like "be sure to consult a PT before jumping back into exercise" or something though you know? I'd love to hear more about the guidance your surgeon gave you!
      Reply
      • TrackBuddy January 2, 2018 · 5:24PM:
        Yes for sure! My surgeon was very firm, absolutely ZERO core exercises until at least 10 weeks post-surgery. No planks, no squats, nothing. I asked about everything but there were no loopholes lol. (And come to think of it - it might even have been 12 weeks - but definitely nothing before 10 weeks). Running he actually OK'ed earlier, starting at 8 weeks post-surgery. But he strongly recommended starting back slowly and listening to my body as I got back into it. Ended up being very good advice, I followed it to the letter and fortunately was able to ramp back into exercise without harming my recovery or injuring myself. Good luck as you slowly ease back into it - can't wait to see you out there!!
        Reply
  • Jo January 3, 2018 · 8:17AM:
    Hello. I have a 5 week old that I am exclusively breast feeding. I am going stir crazy at home, and I have got to figure out how to leave the house for longer than 2 hours at a time. Sounds like you are starting to figure out what works for you! I have a quick question about how you use the Haakaa. Do you empty it and wash it after every use? Or can you just keep using it during multiple feedings letting the milk build up before storing it?
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 4, 2018 · 8:42AM:
      I empty the milk out (into a breastmilk storage bag), put the milk in the bag in the fridge, and then rinse the Haakaa out after every use. I usually use it for the first two feedings of the day, so after the second feed I empty the new milk into the same storage bag from that morning and then freeze it! Does that make sense? It would be hard to re-use the Haakaa without emptying it because it doesn't hold a ton - plus, the milk will be sloshing around when you try to put it back on, etc. I think it would spill!
      Reply
  • Brigid January 3, 2018 · 11:04PM:
    We definitely still have our tree up! Probably take it down this weekend though. I really think that’s crazy the doctor cleared you at 4 weeks! Yours smart to wait a bit longer. I don’t know why they can’t send women to physical therapy after having a c-section. They do that for most surgeries, but not after have a baby?!?! Crazy. Have you tried the Lillebaby carrier? I like love the 360 carrier!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 4, 2018 · 8:44AM:
      Right?! I know it's not their job to be PTs, but they should at least say to go see one! And no, I haven't tried Lillebaby - will look into it!
      Reply
      • Brogid January 4, 2018 · 2:27PM:
        I like that the Lillebaby doesn’t require an infant insert and it adjusts for their little hips as they grow, also had a good back support!
        Reply
- next post
previous post -

about Anne

anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
Learn more

fannetastic reads

Top Posts
01

My Top 9 Most Popular Recipes + Posts

02

Why I Don’t Recommend Whole30

03

What Causes Sugar Cravings (+ How to Stop Them!)

04

How I Make Money As a Blogger

05

Blog Recipes We Make Again and Again

06

What to Eat Before and After a Long Run

07

What to Eat During Long Runs

08

7 Common Nutrition Myths

09

How to Love Veggies

connect with Anne

Email me
anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

follow anne:

join the list

Sign up for my e-newsletter and I'll send you a meal plan packed with a week's worth of healthy meals, snacks and a shopping list. Happy eating!

back to top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recent Posts
  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ

© copyright fannetastic food - exclusive member of mediavine