Newborns and taking baby out question

My pediatrician told me I can go for walks (of corse) and anywhere outside is fine....but stay away from crowds, indoor restuarants, malls, stores...etc for 8 weeks.


He said outdoor dining is fine.


What does everyone else do with their newborn and how old are they?

Message edited 7/10/2009 5:18:50 PM.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

Your pediatrician would kick me out of the office. I took my younger DD to a restaurant at 10 days old and to a Communion party at 12 days old. I'm pretty sure my older one was in BRU/restaurant before 3 weeks as well. I did exercise common sense however...no one was hovering around the carrier or anything.

I think it all depends on your comfort level.

ETA: They were both born in warmer months...Sept. and May.

Message edited 7/10/2009 5:20:34 PM.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I took my little one to HD and BRU on day 8. I was already feeling the cabin fever. I made sure no one even looked at my DS. I had the sunshade fully covering him.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I totally agree with the above poster. Excersise some common sense and caution.. but, don't be stuck in your house. I took mine out to eat but, I left her in the stroller with the sun shade pulled down and put him as far away from others as possible. He also went to parties (within reason) and did tons of stuff outside. He is 8 weeks now and he has been plenty of places. he goes to church, out to eat, to fireworks shows, camping etc....

Today we did the beach. ALthough he stayed in his shady stroller and slept the whole time. We go walking at the beach all the time too! I just never allow anyone to get too close and when I go places I will steer the stroller around the long way to avoid people.. Or I wear him in my sling and then he is so close to me that no one gets near him.

Have fun but, be safe.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

we were out shopping the day after all 3 of mine were born.

I kept them in their carseat, no one touched them. We also would go out to restaurants when they were first born.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I'm more anal, we listened to the Dr and didn't take her out shopping etc until the 6-8 weeks were up, she was born in December so taking her out for walks wasn't really an option, but if you do decide to go out to eat etc..I def agree and have seen MANY ppl take newborns out and have the sun shade over them so that no one goes up to them, bc believe me, as I've experienced ppl do, with good intention, but if you're not comfortable that'll keep them away

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

My second is 3 weeks and we have already been to the library, BRU, carvel, target and a restaurant.

Message edited 7/10/2009 5:31:45 PM.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

Posted by Moehick

My second is 3 weeks and we have already been to the library, BRU, carvel, target and a restaurant.

Message edited 7/10/2009 5:36:44 PM.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

DS is one month old and we have taken him to stores, restaurants, church, out for walks, etc.. My ped didn't restrict us so we take him lots of places. We do keep the shade down a lot.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I agree with a PP. Your ped would HATE HATE HATE Me as I had all 3 of mine out WAY before then.

# 1 was at the mall at 2 weeks
# 2 was grocery shopping with me at 5 days
# 3 was in a diner with us the day she came home from the hospital

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I waited til she was 8 weeks before I took her to public places. But, it was also winter and cold and flu season. I did take her into CVS during the day when it was empty at 6 weeks- it was a big outing for me that day!! My feelings are better safe than sorry. You can always go to a aprk and have a picnic lunch or something like that. I prefer this even now sicne it's easier to care for a fussy baby when you are on a blanket, instead of a restaurant.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I waited. But we were not STUCK in the house like people make it out to be.

We went outside all the time. Stroller walk, picnic with DH, etc...

Not going to stores and malls does NOT mean you cannot go outside.

IF you want to go to a store, AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS, this is up to you.

But remember that if your child has a 100.4 fever before DC is 8 weeks, the protocol is ER and spinal tap.

It's not ME who did this protocol. We were told by several PEDS, nurses at the hospital about this.

Some will tell you that nothing happened to their kid and that's great. But you do need to know about the risks.

Since DH was helping me, I saw no reason what so ever to go to the Mall so I would not go insane. I could just walk in my neighborhood and take fresh air and do some excercise.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I listened to the dr. We didn't go anywhere with her except neighborhood walks, and families houses, and the dr, until she was over 2 mths.

I would not play around, esp with Whooping cough going around and the Swine flu. But that's just me. I am a stickler for following the "rules". Only you can decide what you feel comfortable with.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

Message edited 7/10/2009 7:01:30 PM.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

We took DD to target around day 10 and applebees day 11. We just made sure we kept a blanket over the carrier and when a lady asked to see her, we just said she had finally just fallen asleep and the lights would wake her. and then Gianna kicked her little foot and moved the blanket.... DH walked away singing 'Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!'

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

Our ped said no public places until 6 weeks, so I waited the 6 weeks.
He said we could go out for walks, but it was January, so that wasn't happening, lol.
I was so tired anyway from lack of sleep I don't think I could have driven anywhere with them. We took them to my parents house a few times.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

Posted by Eireann

Your pediatrician would kick me out of the office. I took my younger DD to a restaurant at 10 days old and to a Communion party at 12 days old. I'm pretty sure my older one was in BRU/restaurant before 3 weeks as well. I did exercise common sense however...no one was hovering around the carrier or anything.

I think it all depends on your comfort level.

ETA: They were both born in warmer months...Sept. and May.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

DS is two weeks old and he's been out for walks around the block, naps on the back patio, to the doctor, to my mom's, to Waldbaum's and to BRU. All quick trips during non crowded hours. We EBF so I'm never out more than and hour or two.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

You have to do what you want to do. i took DD out very early too-to stores ,restaurants etc.... i never understand why it was ok for me to wait in my PED's office when she was 7 days old for her 1st checkup (with all of these sick little kids) but it was not ok for me to stroll through Target with her covered and much further away from people! but whatever.
if you feel trapped and need to go out then do it. i had the blues BAD and getting out for me felt victorious and made the days a lot easier.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I took her immediately and even more when she was 2 weeks bc I could drive at that point. She cried ALL THE TIME, and would sleep for hours at "noisy" places so I walked the mall constantly.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

emma has been more places than the average toddler... okay - that's a stretch - but as the weather is nice - we go places (when i'm not sleep deprived that is and it's safe for me to drive).

like the other ladies have said - NO ONE has ever hovered over her in a store or anything...

she's been to supermarkets, walmart supercenters, bru, bbb, LOADS of places...

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

I was out shopping with DS at 2 weeks. the walls were closing in. He is/was fine.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

Posted by Goobster

Posted by smdl

I waited. But we were not STUCK in the house like people make it out to be.

We went outside all the time. Stroller walk, picnic with DH, etc...

Not going to stores and malls does NOT mean you cannot go outside.

IF you want to go to a store, AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS, this is up to you.

But remember that if your child has a 100.4 fever before DC is 8 weeks, the protocol is ER and spinal tap.

It's not ME who did this protocol. We were told by several PEDS, nurses at the hospital about this.

Some will tell you that nothing happened to their kid and that's great. But you do need to know about the risks.

Since DH was helping me, I saw no reason what so ever to go to the Mall so I would not go insane. I could just walk in my neighborhood and take fresh air and do some excercise.

ITA, I could have written this.

The way I saw it was the risk was something that I would not take on. I could not bear if something happened to my baby b/c I could not wait a few weeks to eat out or go shopping. Those things will always be there and for me, that's what I went on.

Actually with the flu season and the Swine flu, my DD didn't enter a mall or crowded place for a LOT longer than 2 mths.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

DS is 7 wks today. I'm of the better safe than sorry mindset. I did start to get cabin fever, but I just waited for DH to come home and then I would go out shopping for a little while. We also went for a lot of walks around the neighborhood. Just this week we took him to the park and to the boardwalk at Jones Beach.

Re: Newborns and taking baby out question

You can take them out whenever you are comfortable - however - some people are more risk takers than others. The standard of care in the field is a spinal tap for any fever (regardless of the reason - a cold etc) 8 some peds say 12 weeks or younger. Some people are comfortable taking that chance others aren't. So it is about your comfort level.

For us - we waited until yesterday (DD is 7 weeks) to take her in her carriage with the cover up and a blanket so people couldn't see in to a store that wasn't too crowded. And we won't be taking her to any other stores until next week at the earliest - for US it isn't worth risking my newborn having to have a spinal tap - but some people are okay with that. We have however been taking her for walks and to my families community pool which has nice umbrella tables that are nicely spaced so that she can remain in complete shade and we don't have anyone closer than say 10 feet from her. We also took her on July 4th to my families country club for their bbq - but we had a table by the green in the corner so that no one was anywhere near here and she remained in her stroller with a sun cover so she wasn't near anyone.

Etd to add - that I don't know why people assume bc you don't go to crowded public places you are "stuck" in the house - I assure you that we have never been stuck we are outside as much as we want to be just not taking her into "riskier" places.

Message edited 7/12/2009 10:09:02 AM.