Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

i am due in Feb. if the weather permits, i will be taking ds out for walks. i will go nuts in the house all day.

i am not sure about public places for the first two weeks, but afterward most likely.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

With my first, I stayed in (visiting family only) until about 8 weeks.

However that wont be possible with this baby. My son has lots of different things going on that will force me to get out and get things done.

Im just grateful baby #2 is a summer baby, and wont be dragged out in bad weather.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

I won't wait that long. It will be cold in Feb when I'm due so I doubt I'll be going out that much as it is, but he'll have to make trips to the supermarket with me and things like that pretty early on.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Being due in Feb will keep me in longer that's for sure. I waited about 6 - 8 weeks with Jake. I might venture out a little more this time around but not much - especially since I already will have a toddler in daycare. But in general it's not worth risking a spinal tap and a stay in the NICU to me.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Well I will probably do the same thing I did with DD. My ped stressed over and over that if they get a fever under 12 weeks the standard of care is a spinal tap. He said I could take the baby out - just not to crowded public places (My DD is a late June baby - so not high flu season) - we went on long walks, walks in the park, to my parents community pool at 6-8 weeks - where we could sit in the shade away from everyone so no one was on top of her - he had me wait until 10-12 weeks before taking her on errands, or to restaurants. I plan to do the same with this DC who will be a late May/early June baby.

There is no reason to sit home - but for us I wouldn't take the baby somewhere crowded. This is a comfort question though and you will get a lot of comments on both sides of this issue. I know a lot of people who took their child to the store or parties the first week they were home - some were fine others got sick - you just never know.

A good rule no matter what you choose is - to remember if anyone wants to hold the baby to always wash your hands first and make sure they are healthy.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

We took DS out when he was 6 days old and now since he will be 2 1/2 when DD is born we will definately be taking her out.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Nope. I've never been one to worry about that stuff anyway, but I have two other kids to shuttle to and fro and it would be impossible to stay cloistered at home for six weeks.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

my dd was in the supermarket at one week old...she was born in March and it was over 70 degrees where we live

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

It will be Spring when I deliver so I plan on getting out for walks. Also, my other DD will be 2.5 years old so I don't see how I could possibly avoid going out.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

immediate family and friends will be welcomed to visit us within the first few weeks but we won't be bringing the baby anywhere until atleast 1 month. we may take a few walks though depending on the weather...


as for public places like restuarants and malls, i'd say atleast 8 wks.
i also don't plan on bringing the baby to family parties where there will be toddlers and grown kids for atleast 6 months. they carry way too many germs...

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Nope...not going to wait. I'll have my son by myself most of the time and nobody to watch him, so he'll go everywhere with me. I have no choice in the matter. Plus, I don't personally believe in those old wives tales of waiting for months anyway. With my medical experience, I personally believe that early exposure to "germs" actually gives them a stronger immune system. But, since I'm due in the middle of the winter, our trips will probably be limited to indoor time--and not many outdoor walks.

If I had the "luxury" of waiting a few weeks, I would probably wait till he was about 2 or 3 weeks old, just so we had enough time to get used to each other before I bring him out in public.....but, since I won't have that chance, he'll be everywhere with me.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

I'm Due in December, and honestly I know I'm going to go stir crazy, but I am extremely overly cautious bc of flu season and the weather...so with the weather permitting I will bundle her up and possibly take her for walks, but not to public places...I will go by what my pediatrician thinks and what me and DH are comfortable with, but we both tend to be a bit overly anal, which I'll fully admit

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

I had a C/S, so we were in the hosptial for 4days.

She was out in a store at 5days old

I was super over protective.. if you glanced in her direction I wanted to kill you! I couldn't even think straight about the errands I was out on (she came early, we had no monitor yet!)

Still, you get a lot of "How Tiny!! She can't be but a few days old" That's who DID see her. I kept her carseat cover (what we call the "BLASTSHIELD") lowered at all times so you couldnt see in. When ppl leaned over I blocked and gave them a look. It was about 2weeks before I got less anxious.

Took her to dinner with us at about 2weeks.

She's 12w now and I'm still a bit jumpy if another child or person leans over her seat. What can I say?

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Was never even told to keep him in by a doctor or the hospital.

He was out of the house at 5 days old b/c we were moving. We've had him in restaurants since 3 weeks old.

My BFF had her son in November last year and she took him out and about.

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

My mom had my sister out and she was a summer baby, at 2 weeks! Since she was out all day...she slept through the night! I guess it was all the fresh air!
Hoping that all goes well We will be due at the end of June/early July! So we will be taking our baby outside to the beach, the boat, anything outside at 2 weeks......

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

I"m going to play it by ear -
I can't see taking him/her to the mall or something - Unless it was an emergency and I had to go to the store and couldn't wait for DH to get home -

But 'out of the house' as in for a walk, or to my Mom's or whatever, I don't see why I wouldn't ...........

Re: Are you going to wait to take your baby out....

Grace was out really early on and I plan on taking this one out too. I am less worried about taking the baby outside than I am about my own family. My MIL has a lung condition that causes her to cough all the time. Of course, she believes she is never contagious since its a disorder. The problem is you can't tell when she is sick with a problem like bronchitis. Last time, she gave my DD RVS at two weeks old after coughing all over her. Nothing I did could stop her from doing it since she wasn't "contagious".
So long answer but I am more worried about her than an environment I can control more- like the outdoors

OH, but I live in Cali so the weather is around 60 in Feb. That's a factor too.

Message edited 11/13/2008 2:12:14 PM.