When did you first take your baby out in public?

[Anonymous]

We had a baby born a month early in October (a few years ago) and were told 8 weeks except for one or two people who I could have over if they had their vaccines and washed their hands. At 6 weeks I said f-it and went to a neighbor's Thanksgiving gathering. I didn't start a PACE group until my baby was almost three months and wish I'd started right away. I had a hard time with depression and think some of that was feeling so isolated. And, as another pointed out, it only works with a first kid.

[Anonymous]

I waited 4 weeks. I thought I was being paranoid bc a friend that had a baby a few days after me took her baby everywhere from the get go. That baby ended up catching a virus and ended up on a breathing machine and was sick for a long time after. Glad I waited and also glad her baby was ok in the end.

[Anonymous]

Have been taking DS on regular outdoor walks since he got home from the hospital. But he was about 8 weeks before we brought him to a restaurant. I was too tired to go out to eat in the beginning anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone. My pediatrician told us to wait until 6-8 weeks to bring her out to the mall. I was surprised. Isn't the rule of thumb 4 weeks?

I A cant believ how many Drs say this and it gets posted here. That is the strangest thing unless your baby has known health issues. I had a Jan baby and we started taking walks around neighborhood on day one. Baby is bundled into stroller or carrier, no is touching them and they aren't touching anything. We too, baby to Costco first wee, out to lunch twice and dinner. Good lord, staying stuck I. The house for two months is asking for PPD. Get a dr who,practices in this century

I agreed with you until my DS got RSV. That really was way worse than avoiding people for a few weeks.

Not the person who posted.

yes, but once you have more than one kid you have little germ factories living in your house and really no way to completely protect a new baby from all the germs out there. My nephew was hospitalized with foot and mouth at 5 weeks old thanks to his older brother despite my sister doing everything she could to try to prevent it. Obviously be smart abot taking baby in public and not letting people touch the baby, but in the end you can only do so much.

[Anonymous]

Baby 1 (July): 4 days-- National Cathedral. Too much walking for me, it turned out.
Baby 2 (January): 3 days-- lunch & a little shopping.
We always kept them in the sling or otherwise held close to us and no one touched them.

[Anonymous]

Took mine out at 2 weeks, as soon as I was cleared for lifting them after the c-section.

[Anonymous]

Do people think there is some kind of hardcore award they get for taking their newborns out and about so early? A restaurant on the way back from the hospital? I agree with the poster who said people might change their tune once they have a newborn with a cold.

[Anonymous]

3 days old - Air and Space Center. I had a vaginal birth and felt great. We didn't stay a very long time, but it was really nice to be out with our little family.

[Anonymous]

We listened to the ped and waited 6 weeks. I was pretty stir crazy and probably would've done things differently in hindsight. That said, my baby didn't get sick during the dead of winter, so there's that.

[Anonymous]

We also listened to our pediatrician and were out at two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do people think there is some kind of hardcore award they get for taking their newborns out and about so early? A restaurant on the way back from the hospital? I agree with the poster who said people might change their tune once they have a newborn with a cold.

Amen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people think there is some kind of hardcore award they get for taking their newborns out and about so early? A restaurant on the way back from the hospital? I agree with the poster who said people might change their tune once they have a newborn with a cold.

Amen!

Life goes on with baby. No need to be in a bubble so long as you use common sense. And once you have subsequent kids, you can't just become a hermit, but gotta get back into the flow and not skip a beat.

Signed,
a PP who went out with baby post hospital discharge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do people think there is some kind of hardcore award they get for taking their newborns out and about so early? A restaurant on the way back from the hospital? I agree with the poster who said people might change their tune once they have a newborn with a cold.

Yes, it's the "Staying Active for My Own Mental Health Award." Jesus, SPADFY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do people think there is some kind of hardcore award they get for taking their newborns out and about so early? A restaurant on the way back from the hospital? I agree with the poster who said people might change their tune once they have a newborn with a cold.

Amen!

Life goes on with baby. No need to be in a bubble so long as you use common sense. And once you have subsequent kids, you can't just become a hermit, but gotta get back into the flow and not skip a beat.

Signed,
a PP who went out with baby post hospital discharge.

...and common sense would dictate that you don't take your 2 day old newborn to a restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do people think there is some kind of hardcore award they get for taking their newborns out and about so early? A restaurant on the way back from the hospital? I agree with the poster who said people might change their tune once they have a newborn with a cold.

so what do you do in terms of allowing sibling around infants? Lock older child up for 6-8 weeks? because all the newborns I know who have been sick and hospitalized caught whatever they had from their siblings.