Age of Infant on Metro?

[Anonymous]

I am an expectant mom making plans for my baby's arrival and wonder what thoughts are on the appropriate/safe first age to take an infant on the metro. I will need to return to a commute downtown (with the baby) when the infant is very young and do not have a car available to make the trip. I understand some pediatricians says it is fine to just go ahead to expose them to germs and others say no way for an extended period. Has anyone faced this issue and/or started taking their infant on the metro at a certain age?

[Anonymous]

I didn't take my infant on public transportation but I did take her to playgrounds, the grocery store, etc. My doctor said that since I was breastfeeding, DD had my immunity (although it's not a perfect transfer of immunity, it's pretty good). I just took care to keep people from touching her too much or sneezing/coughing on her. You can use a piece of fabric to cover up the car seat to keep the sneezes out.

Complete strangers would give me grief for taking her out so young, but I had my doctor's OK and she was just fine.

[Anonymous]

We were on the metro from week 6 or 7 without any problems.

[Anonymous]

They say to wait for 6 weeks, but I would plan on taking a cab here and there (in rain, snow, etc)

[Anonymous]

We started on metro and bus at about 6 weeks also.

[Anonymous]

May also make a difference how you carry the baby - when the baby's very young, might be easiest to travel by metro with a baby carrier rather than a stroller - less public exposure, more protection from mom.

[Anonymous]

I've taken both my babies on metro when they were about 2 weeks old. I carried them in a bjorn, and was fastidious about sanitizing my hands.

[Anonymous]

Also depends when you're due -- much less risky if it's not flu season (Nov - March). Agree that using the Bjorn will help keep people from touching the baby. Regardless, after 2 months you should be OK.

[Anonymous]

You can start taking the baby to the metro anytime after 6 weeks. However don't expect people to give you a seat or give you any lea way because you have a little one on your hand. We took the metro with our little one when she was about 5 months old. We took the stroller with us so she can be contained. As luck would have it, she refused to stay in the stroller and we had to hold her in our arms in the train. She was all wriggly and my husband was struggling to hold on to a rail and hold her at the same time. When I didn't see anyone give him a seat, I asked few people sitting if they can give up their seat so my husband can sit down with a wriggly baby. The first woman, railed at us about having kids and not knowing how to travel with them. And the second dad reluctantly gave us a seat. All the while mumbling under his breath to his daughter how he never travelled with her on the metro when she was a baby.

[Anonymous]

Do use a Bjorn with the baby facing in, or even better, a sling. Sanitize your hands, too, as a PP said.

[Anonymous]

my ped said to wait to take the bus, metro, or cab, all filthy, until after the 2 month shots. but then i asked how i was supposed to get to the office since the parking is terrible. the ped conceded the point and we have been taking the baby on public transportation since he was 2 wks without a problem. especially at the beginning, we made sure to travel off-peak times and make every effort to get a bench to ourselves.

[Anonymous]

We took our daughter on metro before 2 months (I think 4-5 weeks) but not at rush hour. I think she was 8 or 9 months before we took her at rush hour, it's just so crowded on the red line at commuting times, it makes it a huge hassle (and borderline impossible with a stroller).

Maybe you can go in/leave a little early or late to avoid the crush??

[Anonymous]

Took my son by metro pretty often starting around 6 weeks (this was in the spring.) I carried him in the sling, sat in a corner, and tried not to touch anything. I felt he was most protected this way. Most other passengers didn't even realize I was holding a baby! Since then, we've had him on the metro in the bjorn, the stroller, the backpack, you name it. I've even nursed on the metro!

[Anonymous]

If you're using a stroller with an infant seat, it's very easy to drape a blanket over the stroller and exposure to germs should be minimal. I can't imagine it would be worse than a grocery store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can start taking the baby to the metro anytime after 6 weeks. However don't expect people to give you a seat or give you any lea way because you have a little one on your hand. We took the metro with our little one when she was about 5 months old. We took the stroller with us so she can be contained. As luck would have it, she refused to stay in the stroller and we had to hold her in our arms in the train. She was all wriggly and my husband was struggling to hold on to a rail and hold her at the same time. When I didn't see anyone give him a seat, I asked few people sitting if they can give up their seat so my husband can sit down with a wriggly baby. The first woman, railed at us about having kids and not knowing how to travel with them. And the second dad reluctantly gave us a seat. All the while mumbling under his breath to his daughter how he never travelled with her on the metro when she was a baby.

Wow. This is unbelievable. I'm so sorry about your experience.