Balancing newborn help with delta variant

[Anonymous]

I am expecting a baby in one month and nervous about the newborn’s exposure to COVID. I also am a FTM and worried about cutting back on help as my sanity also seems important! What compromises have other new parents made? Any advice? I am torn whether to allow grandparents to stay with us and help care for baby and whether or not it is okay to continue with our regular cleaning service. Everyone has been vaccinated but apparently even vaccinated individuals can transmit the virus. I have heard babies are most vulnerable to severe illness the first two months of life, is this correct?

[Anonymous]

If everyone has their shots and you are worried, just ask them to be extra cautious the week before the birth. So no dinner parties, indoor restaurants, or traveling.

For the cleaning crew just stay in a different room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If everyone has their shots and you are worried, just ask them to be extra cautious the week before the birth. So no dinner parties, indoor restaurants, or traveling.

For the cleaning crew just stay in a different room.

I’m sorry I meant to write “the week before they come.”

Everyone is different but even though I love my parents, I did not want anyone around the first two weeks. It was a blur of hormones, recovery pain and mastitis. The idea of hosting anyone except a lactation consultant would have been horrible.

[Anonymous]

When I had an infant, my mom stayed with me and was part of my family "bubble." That's what I would do again if I had a newborn.

[Anonymous]

If the grandparents are helpful, vaxxed, have a negative test before arrival and are generally responsible types then you can have them stay as part of your bubble.
Ask the cleaning service to wear masks while working and just stay in a separate room while they work.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny was our bubble! She saw no one but us (and lives alone - walks or drives to work) and we saw no one but her. This was pre-vaccine (baby was born in late September). Now all adults are fully vaccinated and we see friends outside only or masked when in grocery store or any place indoors. Everyone we know is vaccinated. Luckily our baby doesn’t like anyone except DH, nanny and me so the concept of anyone else holding her is vetoed by her!

[Anonymous]

Ask your doctor but I don't think babies get sick with covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am expecting a baby in one month and nervous about the newborn’s exposure to COVID. I also am a FTM and worried about cutting back on help as my sanity also seems important! What compromises have other new parents made? Any advice? I am torn whether to allow grandparents to stay with us and help care for baby and whether or not it is okay to continue with our regular cleaning service. Everyone has been vaccinated but apparently even vaccinated individuals can transmit the virus. I have heard babies are most vulnerable to severe illness the first two months of life, is this correct?

Even at “most vulnerable,” they aren’t extremely vulnerable. I allowed vaccinated grandparents to come (no flights, no indoor dining before they came). I would keep the cleaners and just don’t be in the same room as them and/or open the windows. Preventing infection can’t be the only goal or you will go crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am expecting a baby in one month and nervous about the newborn’s exposure to COVID. I also am a FTM and worried about cutting back on help as my sanity also seems important! What compromises have other new parents made? Any advice? I am torn whether to allow grandparents to stay with us and help care for baby and whether or not it is okay to continue with our regular cleaning service. Everyone has been vaccinated but apparently even vaccinated individuals can transmit the virus. I have heard babies are most vulnerable to severe illness the first two months of life, is this correct?

Even at “most vulnerable,” they aren’t extremely vulnerable. I allowed vaccinated grandparents to come (no flights, no indoor dining before they came). I would keep the cleaners and just don’t be in the same room as them and/or open the windows. Preventing infection can’t be the only goal or you will go crazy.

100% this.
This all assuming baby is healthy and full term.
Pay attention to your own mental and physical health, too, OP. Don’t let that all go just to preserve complete isolation.

[Anonymous]

My second is coming in the next week (induction scheduled). Yes, the first two months are the most dangerous age for covid in children. However, their absolute risk is still fairly low. In concert with our pediatrician (we also have an 18 month old), here’s where we landed:

-We have stopped going to all public, indoor, unmasked places for ourselves, starting about two weeks ago, and going until baby is 2 months old.
-We have stopped taking our son to any public indoor places (he’s too young for a mask) starting two weeks ago until the baby is 2 months old.
-We are limiting visitors to our nanny, the other baby in our nanny share, the parents of the other baby, our parents, our siblings, and their spouses, starting two weeks ago, until baby is 2 months old. It’s still a pretty wide net (17 people, plus our immediate soon to be family of four). But all are vaccinated except the two toddlers (and of course the new baby, though I was vaccinated while pregnant, so maybe she’ll have some protection).
-As we approach the two month mark, we’ll reevaluate based on current numbers/science at that point.

As a benchmark, we were very cautious until numbers were falling and vaccination was common in about April/May, then we loosened up a lot. This summer when numbers were low, we were fairly lax (indoor dining with our toddler, had a big party, etc) so we hope to get back to that, but only time will tell.

I would describe our approach as generally balanced, perhaps leaning a bit conservative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My second is coming in the next week (induction scheduled). Yes, the first two months are the most dangerous age for covid in children. However, their absolute risk is still fairly low. In concert with our pediatrician (we also have an 18 month old), here’s where we landed:

-We have stopped going to all public, indoor, unmasked places for ourselves, starting about two weeks ago, and going until baby is 2 months old.
-We have stopped taking our son to any public indoor places (he’s too young for a mask) starting two weeks ago until the baby is 2 months old.
-We are limiting visitors to our nanny, the other baby in our nanny share, the parents of the other baby, our parents, our siblings, and their spouses, starting two weeks ago, until baby is 2 months old. It’s still a pretty wide net (17 people, plus our immediate soon to be family of four). But all are vaccinated except the two toddlers (and of course the new baby, though I was vaccinated while pregnant, so maybe she’ll have some protection).
-As we approach the two month mark, we’ll reevaluate based on current numbers/science at that point.

As a benchmark, we were very cautious until numbers were falling and vaccination was common in about April/May, then we loosened up a lot. This summer when numbers were low, we were fairly lax (indoor dining with our toddler, had a big party, etc) so we hope to get back to that, but only time will tell.

I would describe our approach as generally balanced, perhaps leaning a bit conservative.

Oh, and we have monthly house cleaners. During this window, we will stay on a different floor when they are here, and request a return to masking for them.

[Anonymous]

OP here again… I like the suggestion of grandparents being part of our bubble prior to delivery, but it is not realistic for all of them (or my sanity). One set can drive here in a day and the others are flying in, so who knows what they will pick up at the airport. The ones that can drive cannot commit to a two week isolation/quarantine for various reasons (work, desire to maintain “normalcy”) and I do not trust that they would anyway based on their pre-vaccination behavior. My biggest concern is that vaccinated people could transmit the virus to the baby. Is that too rare for me to be concerned about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again… I like the suggestion of grandparents being part of our bubble prior to delivery, but it is not realistic for all of them (or my sanity). One set can drive here in a day and the others are flying in, so who knows what they will pick up at the airport. The ones that can drive cannot commit to a two week isolation/quarantine for various reasons (work, desire to maintain “normalcy”) and I do not trust that they would anyway based on their pre-vaccination behavior. My biggest concern is that vaccinated people could transmit the virus to the baby. Is that too rare for me to be concerned about?

This is something you need to discuss with your OB and/or pediatrician. I would really limit to the set of parents that will help you not just the ones that will hold the baby.

Since you are delivering in a month (sept) look to having cleaners in from oct-dec. Its still temperate enough to go out of the house outside for coffee and a walk for 2 hours or drive during nap time. Get meals delivered, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again… I like the suggestion of grandparents being part of our bubble prior to delivery, but it is not realistic for all of them (or my sanity). One set can drive here in a day and the others are flying in, so who knows what they will pick up at the airport. The ones that can drive cannot commit to a two week isolation/quarantine for various reasons (work, desire to maintain “normalcy”) and I do not trust that they would anyway based on their pre-vaccination behavior. My biggest concern is that vaccinated people could transmit the virus to the baby. Is that too rare for me to be concerned about?

I’m the soon-to-be second time parent who posted the long post above.

Yes, I think the rarity, plus the fact that chances are even if your baby got covid they would probably be fine, means that is a reasonable risk. I would let them come, and just limit the total numbers of people who see the baby in the first couple months.

[Anonymous]

We’re expecting our second in the next week, and we will not be having grandparents meet the new baby before two months. Both sets would have to fly, and we’re not comfortable with that during delta, even though they are all vaccinated. Our pediatrician also recommended that we quarantine as much as possible for the first two months, when COVID or other respiratory viruses are most likely to land baby in the hospital.

Honestly, it’s a relief. We thought we would want some help with our first baby, but hosting grandparents with a newborn was the worst part of the postpartum period. Holding the baby is the least helpful thing family can do when mom is still trying to establish breastfeeding, bond and heal. Even without COVID, no one should be in your house for more than an hour in the first month.

I wish my family were local enough for short visits outside, but I’m not risking my baby’s health or my sanity by hosting out of town visitors in the first 2 months.