My pedi is pretty adamant about newborns not going out until they get their shots at 8 weeks. I am taking 8 off work, but realistically I can't stay in the house for 6 more weeks, ESP since DH lives and works 80 miles away during the week and travels on business often--so I am alone a lot.
I would never forgive myself if he got sick...but I have to get out. What did/would you do?
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
We took her out REALLY early. Like the same week we were home from the hospital.
However, I think there are boundaries for taking them out. For example, we kept her in her carrier, typically under a blanket, washed our hands a lot, didn't let others get in her face or hold her, etc.
pomelo / 5178 posts
We took both of our kids out immediately. We were just cautious about keeping them in the carseat or baby carrier, making sure people don't touch them, sanitizing our hands a lot, etc...
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
I think we took her out (other than the pedi office) for the first time around 3-4 weeks. We just made sure no one touched her and kept her in her carseat.
coconut / 8305 posts
We went to my moms for dinner the day we were discharged and went to our Young Adults church service when DD was 2 weeks. We then returned to regular church service when she was 4 weeks and have gone sporadically since (she's now 5 mths). She doesn't go to the nursery and stays with me (usually wearing her) so it's never really been an issue. We also go grocery shopping about once a week... seriously I do most all of our household errands so not leaving the house is really not an option.
We eat healthy and I ebf so I feel she's adequately protected against the normal day to day germies.
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
Daily! My clinic said to take LO out every day in fresh air but not crowded public places. We went to a restaurant for dinner at 4pm (no one else in the place!), we took walks in the neighborhood. We did not go to the mall or museums.
eggplant / 11287 posts
We went to BRU when she was 3 days old, and then went to church when she was 5 days old. We just kept her in her carrier and usually had a blanket over it. Once I started feeling back to my old self around 2 or 3 weeks post partum, I took her every where with me.....we went out almost every day!
cantaloupe / 6751 posts
Other than the Dr's office, we didn't take LO out until she was 4 weeks old. My mom wouldn't let us.
clementine / 961 posts
I don't remember when I first took DS to a public place but he was born on a Monday and we went to my Grandmother's house for Thanksgiving dinner that Thursday. I EBF for the first 4 weeks and he never had any issues. I know I took him in public early on I just don't remember when. When LO arrives in a few weeks I will most likely take him/her out around 2 weeks old. I plan to wear LO in a Moby wrap when out to keep strangers away.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
I probably won't leave the house with the baby (except for the doctor's office) for the first 2-3 weeks. After that I would be willing to go a friends house or some other private location, but I wouldn't go somewhere public like church or the grocery store for 6 weeks which is the recommendation of our ped. If I weren't due during cold and flu season I would probably be more relaxed about it but baby is due Nov 25th.
squash / 13199 posts
Aside from doctor appointments we didnt take her out to public places at all until she was atleast 5 weeks. And even then it was for very brief periods, and mostly only in the car. I went to target with her because we desperately needed a fan and even though I wore here in the babybjorn carrier some stranger still came and grabbed her arm! Once she had her first round of shots we started gradually taking her into stores more often.
squash / 13764 posts
I think I'll go crazy if I stay inside for more than a few days! I'm planning on being as active as possible once LO gets here (assuming I feel up to it of course). Nothing crazy, but at least a walk around the neighborhood every day.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
I took her for a walk and some ice cream when she was 5 days old, to her newborn photos when she was 6 days old, and a baby shower when she was 8 days old. I didn't take her out of her car seat at the shower or when we were walking, but I needed to get out of the house and get some good ole fashioned viatmin D to help with those baby blues. It felt really good to leave the house. If you are BFing she is getting anitbodies from you, and remember there are people all over the world who don't ever vaccinate. We went out a bunch before she got her shots and she's just fine.
coconut / 8498 posts
As soon as my iron levels were back to normal and I could walk around we were out the door. Around two weeks? Would have been earlier if I hadn't been so woozy.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
We went out to lunch the day after we got home from the hospital...and took DS out pretty much every day of his life thereafter. Like @honeybee we just made sure to keep him in a carrier or stroller and didn't let him be around lots of little kids or big crowds. My ped basically said just to make sure that he wasn't around sick ppl, and of course we did make sure of that. My husband is a doctor, too, and I basically follow his lead on this stuff.
nectarine / 2039 posts
@lydg: You have to do what you feel comfortable with. Had my doctor said what yours did, I probably would follow doctor orders because I'm just obedient like that, but my doc said nothing.
We went for our first walk to someone's house at 4 days old. Starting around 1 week old I had him out and about a LOT. He was almost always in my wrap-sling.
My theory was that since he was getting my immunity to things through the breastmilk, then he was fine to go anywhere and see anyone that I would have gone and seen during pregnancy. He even had to go to the (yuck!) emergency ward of the hospital with me when I had a kidney stone attack. All this before the shots.
He is almost 5 months old now and has never even had a cold.
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
We went to places like the park and had picnics with my family, but went far away from other people. We also went to friend's and family's houses, like to lunch with my grandma once a week because it was too hard for her to get out of her house.
The one place we went that we didn't want to go to was my sister's wedding. It was a small wedding, 25 people, at a restaurant, but we still weren't comfortable with it. But I didn't want to miss her wedding! We kept LO as far away from people as possible.
pomegranate / 3890 posts
we took him out at 5 days old to BRU to get some supplies. we were pretty laid back with him going places, but i was admaent about him not going to place with TONS of ppl like walmart. lol.
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