How has your beer drinking changed with a newborn?

Twins aren't much work, but I'm saying this as a parent of twins the first go around, and a singleton for the 3rd baby. I don't know any better, but twins are the most amazing thing ever.

My kids trump any beer tasting/release/share/etc.

Alone time is fine, but drinking a beer during nap time on the weekends, makes it taste much better!

 

Congrats! i have a nine month old daughter. For me for the first week, I didn't even want to think about having a beer. I felt buzzed due to the lack of sleep and the overall state of things, but after a little while things settled back down.

 

My daughter is 13 months. Wait until they start crawling, then walking.

Your consumption will in fact change once your newborn hits 4 months old. Also, you won't want your drinking to get in the way of being involved in all the rapid progress thay start making around that time frame.

That, or you will have one pissed off wife...

 

Have a 3 week old now. I had been cellaring many Wife friendly beers in my basement (i.e. Pumpkin, spiced, sweet) waiting for her to enjoy. Last week she finally requested one of those. Did bring the newborn to a great Beer/BBQ/music festival recently and was happy to see other youngsters of varying aged being pushed/carried around. Unfortunately, used to love going to breweries to get that fresh stuff and talk with the taproom folks, haven't done that yet. Otherwise, not much has changed. I bring the baby to my local beer store and there favorite line is "I need to card her", whatever makes you laugh I guess.

 

Mine's not a newborn anymore(20 months) but not much changed at all. He's been to several breweries/brewpubs with myself and the wife and when I drink at home I just do it after he goes to bed for the night.

 

Still drink as much good beers at home but 100% limits the ability to go to beer centric restaurants, bars, breweries... Have to be more careful driving with a kid in the car!

 

Wait a minute. You "popped out the youngster" ??? C'mon we would have heard about this.

 

Beer is the only thing that helped me manage my newborn.

 

Agree with the consensus above for the most part. Have two kids, a four- and a two-year-old. Obviously don't go out as much, because they are in bed at 7PM, and, when you factor in $10/hour for a sitter, that round of drinks is actually costing $25ish bucks.

But we have actually visited waaaay more breweries since they've been born--many of the newer places are super kid/family friendly, and with concrete floors that most kids can't really eff up. Usually, there's a park/green space nearby, so they play before or after (pack snacks and iPads!).

My wife, who was my #1 drinking buddy before the kids, took a year to return to that status after the first kid, and she is just recently getting back (two years later) since the second--so her habits have evolved. Each time, she starts slowly with red wine and then migrates back over into beer.

Home brewing softens the blow of not going out as much, but still make my Saturday morning beer group once in a while. Trying desperately to renovate my downstairs bar, so I can have a drink or two as I keep them from destroying the rec room. Kids are the best, no one makes me happier (or more pissed off) than my kids. Beer for when they piss me off.

 

The biggest change was scheduling beer time and decreased consumption. As your newborn gets older you will realize life works easier with more structured schedules; nap, eat, sleep, running errands, etc. My "hobby" time is the same...I have 4 beer nights a week, both the kids(4 & 2) go down to bed between 7-8, I crack beer(s) on the patio or front porch and veg out with some tunes, my wife does the same with a book and glass of wine. We meet up for TV/games/kicking it at 9 and in bed by 1100. I work twelves so stay sober 3 nights. Beer haul and brewery visits are planned way in advance, occasionally walk down to a local draught spot a few afternoons a month. I try and do a trade once a month to get some new beers from across the country. I great a ton of joy sampling out of distro brews in the backyard.

 

Beer was never a very important part of my life until after our daughter was about 3 or 4 years old (she's 8 1/2 now). I enjoyed a good beer on occasion, I just never really thought about it. I agree w/ those above who say newborns are relatively easy, they're asleep most of the time and the parental sleep deprivation period usually ends pretty quickly as you get into your new routine. As kids get older things just get more complicated (and I imagine even more so if you have more than one child, but I wouldn't know personally). It's both challenging and wonderful as you help prepare these kids to become responsible, considerate, confident adults.

Anyway, for me I realized that enjoying a world-class beer at the end of a long day of work and parenting was a relatively inexpensive reward and a great way to decompress. I was a stay-at-home dad for a couple years (until she was about 2), but once I was back at work and earning money again I felt like beer was a world I could explore from the comfort of home. We still don't have a babysitter and no extended family anywhere near us, so I'm almost always either at home or at work, or out doing something with my family.

We know all the family-friendly places nearby where I can get a good beer with a meal, but I almost never go somewhere solely to drink—maybe once or twice a year to try something special, and then only if it works with my other priorities (and those of my wife and daughter). I don't feel like I'm missing out. I'd much rather miss tasting some beer than time with my family. They'll always make more beer, but this is the only family I've got.

 

Hopefully, for my wife's sake, I will find out in a week.

 

I go out much less than I used to, but I drink about the same.

 

I do things to avoid hangovers now that I have a son (add a pint of water every now and then, take a pass on that shot of bourbon at last call, et). Babies don't care if you're hungover. Changing a diaper with one eye open and a raging headache is no picnic.

 

When they were newborn through toddler my going out dropped off the face of the earth, and drinking at home was scaled back significantly as well just because of the whole not wanting to be as much as buzzed with little people around, you know, safety and all... As they got older and early school years there was about a year where I could hit a bar once a week on the way home for a quick pint or two while my wife would pick them up after school but then when they began sports, well, that was shot to hell also. So last four years or so have been mainly drinking at home on weekends with an occasional beer out with other parents during an out of town tournament. As much as I look forward to resuming golf and beer bars I do not look forward to the days where I no longer have hockey practices and games to go to. I'd trade drinking altogether for the time spent with kids if it really came down to it.

 

Sippy cups become #properglassware. Those bastards can't keep from spilling, even before they've had a few...

 

I've got an 18-month old right now and as someone else said, I found my cellar swell after my daughter was born. I've still been able to make it to tappings and beer events here and there, but having an understanding wife is key. She's been super cool with watching the kid when I really want to go to an event. Helps that she a big beer lover herself, so she's much more accommodating.

 

My new born from 24+ years ago texted me a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I still had any Surly Abrasive laying around. When I told him no, he accused my Mom of being single when I was born.

Enjoy the journey with your budding beer nerd.