Whether you'll have a baby in tow this V-Day bc (a) it’s easier than getting a sitter or (b) you just don’t wanna leave your little one quite yet (both totally legit!), these are my tried-and-true tips for enjoying it as a party of three. And btw, these tips hold up for date night year-round, so keep them in your back pocket even if baby isn't due for a few more months.
Nurse, burp, change the diaper, (maybe nurse again :)) and put your wrap on before leaving the house. If you're walking to your date-night spot, you can lull baby to sleep in the wrap en route. If you're driving, having the wrap already on will make the car-seat-to-wrap transition easy as pie, and you'll be prepped for a good, looong nap through dinner.
The earlier you go to dinner (or ice cream!), the less susceptible your babe is to becoming overtired. Ideally, it'll align perfectly for a wrap nap, but if not and there is a bit of crying, you’ll feel less stressed when there's not a full house to witness the meltdown.
We always plan one main activity while we are out and one for at home. We'll maybe start with dinner at a restaurant without a server (which makes for an easy exit if that aforementioned meltdown happens) or a walk on the beach or around downtown. And then we know there's even more to look forward to when we get home—like a movie, dessert or board game (or maybe all three if your baby is a night owl).
Try to focus on your partner and the ways you’ve grown together over the last few months. (It can feel so good to point out each other's strengths and triumphs through it all.) It might be tempting—and easy—to default to talking about your cute third wheel the whole time, but it will be refreshing to mix up the topic a bit, too. Whatever happens, remember that although it may not be your most romantic V-Day, it will definitely be the most love-filled to date.
