Newborn Out and About Survey

[Deleted]

I know every baby is different and answers will vary depending on season and health factors but please give me an idea of what your experience was.

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go?

go to a store with baby?

go to a public event like a street fair with baby?

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby?

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away?

stay overnight someplace else with baby?

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.

[ryry]

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment? Where did you go? Day 4 (so second day home). We went to Target and Panera.

go to a store with baby? Day 4.

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? Probably not until she was a little older, just because it was February when she was born and we didn't have many options. I would have taken her to one younger though, just in a carrier.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? Panera when she was 4 days old. We also went to brunch with the in-laws when she was 10 days or so

go on a road trip with baby? How far away? We drove an hour and a half to meet DH's Grandparents when she was 3 weeks, and we flew with her at 2 months (SC to Boston to stay at my dad's).

stay overnight someplace else with baby? 2 months (see above)

Are there any rules I should know about? Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what? I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed. I could not have stayed in the house. I felt fine, she was healthy, and I always brought her out in the Mei Tai carrier when she was little, so I wasn't concerned about her being touched/breathed on by other people. We went for walks every day starting when she was 5 or 6 days old.

[elcjet]

Everyone has a different opinion on this and different comfort levels given the baby's exposure to things they are not vaccinated against.

That being said, with #2 I schlepped her around *everywhere* within days of her being born.  I had a toddler, errands to run, and just couldn't stay cooped up in the house for too long.   I think we went to Target when she was 4 days old, out to eat at 6 days old, and she was in my Boba carrier at the zoo when she was 10 days old.  

[pamela]

DS was about 5 days old when we went nursing bra shopping in the Houston Galleria with my mom and he loved it, just stared up at the glass ceilings while we were wearing/carrying him. He went everywhere with me. He was born in January, although in South Texas so not terribly cold. His first road trip was the 2 hour drive home from the hospital. It was a breeze because he slept the whole time (nursed right before and right when we got home). He went out to eat with us in his carrier and typically slept the whole time for the first 3 months or so. No problems staying overnight anywhere, just brought the PnP or baby box (basically a collapsible box to keep them from rolling away during the night).

There are absolutely no rules either of you need to stay hidden away at home.

[bunch]

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? When dd was 3 days old? We went out once a day while dh was home.

go to a store with baby? After her 2 day appt we went to target

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? I don't remember, soon.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? I know we went out for dinner on h's birthday when dd would have been 2.5 weeks old. We might have gone sooner as well

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? We went to Asheville when dd was 2 mos old. It was 2 hrs away. We went to charleston a few weeks later which was a 4 hr drive.

stay overnight someplace else with baby? 2 mos in a hotel. It was kind of a nightmare when she cried during the night.

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed. I definitely didn't stay at home. We went out a lot more than my pedi recommended.

[jenjen]

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment? Where did you go? We went for his newborn pics at 10 days old.

go to a store with baby? Target at like 2 - 3 weeks maybe.

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? We only have 1 street fair and I don't go there regularly so he's never gone to one.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? 6 weeks or so. My mil would often watch him when we went to eat.

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? 8 months. 4 hours away.

stay overnight someplace else with baby? Same.

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what? Well it was 110 degrees when DS was born so we didn't do walks until he was about a 3 weeks or a month old. Even then it was super hot so I would do them at 6 am to get home before it got to be too warm. Also I had a c/s so I was limited in my activity. At 3 days you'll just be coming home from the hospital and I doubt you'll want to go on a walk around the neighborhood

[cjeanette]

I know every baby is different and answers will vary depending on season and health factors but please give me an idea of what your experience was.

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? DD to a family 4th of July event at 5 days. It was a small gathering. DS I can't recall where we went but he was about a week old and it wasn't somewhere with a lot of people.

go to a store with baby? -around a month with both

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? - 6 weeks with DD and 3 months with DS

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby?-6 weeks with DD. No clue with DS

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? -9 months for DS 3 hours away -DD was well over a year and it was 4 hours away

stay overnight someplace else with baby? see above

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.

What time of year are you having the baby? I don't think a walk around the block at 3 days will hurt if you are up for it. I think crowds are more what you want to avoid.

[Deleted]

I think we went out the second week to a small local restaurant. My baby is 7 weeks and the doctor said to be careful because of flu season. I don't let people near her and will cover her in places like the grocery. We went to the st pats parade and a party and I wasn't worried. I just don't pass her around to random people.

[Deleted]

Mar 26, 2013 9:28:16 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

I know every baby is different and answers will vary depending on season and health factors but please give me an idea of what your experience was.

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? target- day 8? We were in the hospital for 6 days, though

go to a store with baby? Day 8

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? We went to Disneyland to walk around on day 19. I spent 80% of the time in the nursing station.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? Don't remember

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? 2 hours at 2 months

stay overnight someplace else with baby? 5 months old- visiting my parents

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.
It's all about your comfort level and your baby.

[Deleted]

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment? Where did you go? When he was 6 days old, we went to church and then a going-away party for my boss.

go to a store with baby? I don't remember, but probably shortly after that.

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? Again, I don't remember... whenever one came up we wanted to go to. Around a month.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? Around a week

go on a road trip with baby? How far away? I know at 3.5 months, I went 7 hours away with my friend. I think I'd already taken him 3.5 hours to the farm to see my parents before that.

stay overnight someplace else with baby? Both those road trips = sleepovers.

Really, he was an easy newborn and very portable. It was May so no flu issues or anything - I just resumed my life as soon as my poor broken lady parts let me. He was a good breastfeeder so he was eating on the go very early on.

[Deleted]

Mar 26, 2013 9:42:07 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

What time of year are you having the baby? I don't think a walk around the block at 3 days will hurt if you are up for it. I think crowds are more what you want to avoid.

June, so hopefully it will be nice out.  DH works from home so after his two or three weeks are up I want to try to go somewhere not in the apartment at least once a day.

[kittycatlove]

I know every baby is different and answers will vary depending on season and health factors but please give me an idea of what your experience was.

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment? Where did you go? About 2 weeks, went to Target

go to a store with baby? 2 weeks

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? We went to a first communion and party for it when when he was a month old

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? 2 months

go on a road trip with baby? How far away? 3 months it was only and hour away

stay overnight someplace else with baby? 3 months

Are there any rules I should know about? Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what? I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.

I think it all depends on your comfort level. We were a probably more conservative than others, but it worked for us.

[biscoffcookies]

Um, is it bad that I don't remember the answers to most of these? 

I don't know for sure the first time we left the house with DD not for a doctor's appointment, but it was no later than when she was about 3 weeks old.  My in-laws were in town, so we went with them on a tour of the Capitol building and also walking around the grounds.  DD was a December baby, so it was chilly, but we just bundled her up in a bunting, hat, and blankets. 

It's possible that we didn't leave the house a whole lot during her first month or so, but that was less due to the "OMG she is a newborn!" and more because it was (1) cold outside and (2) the holiday season, so I was avoiding stores and the like anyway because I hate the pre-Christmas madhouse.

We had her at a restaurant no later than 6 weeks old, becuase we went out to eat with my sister when she was in town, but it might have been earlier.

We didn't stay overnight someplace new with baby until she was 2.5 months old and we took her to visit my in-laws.

Honestly, I think it is okay to take the baby outside or to the store or whatever as long as you are feeling up to it and dress them appropriately for the weather.  If you wear the baby or put a blanket over the carrier that will discourage people from touching the baby or getting too close, which minimize the risk of illness. 

[carolinagirl831]

My pediatrician has been pretty adamant about not taking her out in public until 4 weeks- I have tried to follow, but I get stir crazy, if intake her it I have her on a carrier or car seat with a blanket over it
She is 3 weeks and has been to several Drs apts, target, and we went to brunch over the weekend. At brunch I kept her in the car seat with the blanket over her
We have been on many walks around the neighborhood, I don't think that's a big deal

[everam01]

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? I took them for a walk around the block at a few weeks old. To be honest, I had trouble bringing both anywhere by myself for a looooong time, just out of fear. 

go to a store with baby? probably a few months old!

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? still haven't...

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? a month or two old, but only with DH too

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? at 2 months we drove 2 hours, took a 2 hour flight, then drove another 2 hours in a rented car for a wedding. I was a bridesmaid, and otherwise I wouldn't have done this! They did surprisingly well, though. 

stay overnight someplace else with baby? 2 months (see above)

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed. I didn't take them out for a long time, but it was mostly because I didn't have any help and I felt like I couldn't handle being outnumbered in public. 

[mellymel]

Left the house with the baby around 4 days old? Needed to go to Lowe's to get a new lawnmower because ours broke and our yard was looking embarassing. At 5 days old we drove to the photographer's studio for newborn photos.

Went to a street fair (art fair) at 2 weeks old. Stayed in the infant carrier snapped into the stroller.

Eat at a restaurant - maybe 3 - 4 weeks old?

Road trip - Well at just under 3 weeks old we flew 700 miles on his first plane trip. I would not normally have done this but my dad was critically ill in a hospital and we needed to be there. DH drove out to pick us up after a week or so and we drove 700 miles (12ish hours) back home at 4 weeks old. I rode in the backseat with him the entire time and we took breaks but DS slept most of the ride.

Stay overnight someplace else with baby - less than 3 weeks old - see above. It was at my parents' house.

Being due in the summertime, I think you could take walks around the neighborhood often and early. I just tried to keep him in the Ergo or infant carrier with the canopy covering him so people wouldn't get too close when he was so little. I couldn't believe how baby crazy people were. I was warned, but still shocked at how crazy it was!

[gibbinator]

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? When he was about a week old we went to a family dinner at ILs.

go to a store with baby? Don't remember

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? Canada day celebration about 4 weeks old. Eta; actually I took him to dhs school to meet his students during their family fun day. He would have been only 2 weeks

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? Sometime between 1-2 months

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? 600km at 3 months

stay overnight someplace else with baby? Camping Canada day at 4 weeks

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.

We really didn't worry much about our June baby. Everyone under the sun manhandled him, and we took him outside all the time. He was happiest outdoors. Your lady parts probably won't feel like doing too much walking for a couple weeks

[chickens987]

Mar 26, 2013 9:28:16 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

I know every baby is different and answers will vary depending on season and health factors but please give me an idea of what your experience was.

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? about 1 week PP we went to my parents' house - my dad was sick and couldn't go out. I also had a c-section so I couldn't do much for long. The next day we went to the mall.

go to a store with baby? 4 days old - we went to the pedi for a weight check and then to Target. the cashier was shocked that we were out with her

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? 2 weeks old - it's an event we've helped plan in years past so we wanted to go say hi to folks. we only stayed about 25 minutes.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? 8 days - we sat outside (it was too loud inside) and she slept the whole time.

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? at 2.5 months we went to my parents' beach house for Thanksgiving (3 hour drive each way)

stay overnight someplace else with baby? again, at 2.5 months

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed. Absolutely get out if you feel up to it. Dress baby appropriately, don't let people touch him or get too close, and do what you need to do. It helps if you can get yourself/stuff ready, then feed baby, change diaper, and leave the house - you get your longest window that way (2-3 hours between feedings) and he will likely fall asleep in the car.

[lmb5109]

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  6 days old Where did you go? Restaurant at 5pm, sat in an area where no one else was and she never came out of her car seat so no one touched her

go to a store with baby? maybe 5 weeks and only because we were already out, I won't take her with me on a normal trip

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? haven't yet, only because it's still cold here

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? 6 days old

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? 3 weeks old, about 75 miles to my parents house and stayed there for 2 nights. 

stay overnight someplace else with baby? see above

[Deleted]

Mar 26, 2013 10:14:59 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

stay overnight someplace else with baby? Camping Canada day at 4 weeks

You went camping at four weeks?  You're my hero.  What was that like?  I'd mostly be worried we'd wake the whole campsite up but we were thinking about renting an RV at one point this summer.

[dcrunnergirl52]

Mar 26, 2013 9:28:16 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

I know every baby is different and answers will vary depending on season and health factors but please give me an idea of what your experience was.

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go? We went out to lunch at about 3 days old a Pizzeria Uno and just sat outside on the patio. We also started walks around the block at about a week old.

go to a store with baby? The pedi asked us not go out in public (other than outdoor places) or have any guests except grandparents until 8 weeks and they had their 2-month shots, so at 2 months exactly, I took them to Target by myself. They were born in late August.

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? Not until the following spring, only b/c it didn't come up before that.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? Outside just a few days after they were born. Inside, when they were 2.5 months old.

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? Not until they were over a year, but we did fly when they were 8 months old.

stay overnight someplace else with baby? We went to my mom's in Boston when they were 8 months old, and we stayed there for 3 days. 

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old Yes, as long as it's not too hot, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed. I took them for walks every afternoon starting at just a few days old, and then really picked up after I got the all clear for exercise at 6-weeks post c/s.

[catbus]

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go?  E was two days old. Day after getting home from the hospital. We went on a walk around the neighborhood.

go to a store with baby? E was one day old. We stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home from the hospital.

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? About three weeks old. My neighborhood had a big Harvest Festival street fair the weekend before Halloween. E was in the Beco Gemini carrier, sleeping the whole time.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? I think E was a week or so old. I don't remember exactly. Again, he slept the whole time (in his carseat).

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away? We haven't needed to do this yet, but we will in another month. It will be about 600 miles away, to visit H's parents.

stay overnight someplace else with baby? Again, hasn't happened yet, but will happen in another month. So, almost seven months old.

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what? I found all the "rules" silly, since I had a vaginal birth with no real complications, and E was full-term and healthy. Don't let strangers touch the baby or breathe in his face, and make sure your family members and friends are vaccinated, symptom-free, and have clean hands. Those were my rules.

[pinkdutchtulips]

keep in mind, dd was born in the middle of july FAR FAR FAR away from the cold/flu season

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  she was 3 days old Where did you go? gas station, target, grocery store

go to a store with baby? 3 days old - we needed hair bows

go to a public event like a street fair with baby? she was a toddler before we tried that

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby? she was 10 days old we went to Outback Steakhouse, she slept the entire time (angel)

go on a road trip with baby?  define road trip - we went to my mom's house 90 mins away when she was almost 3 months old How far away? we went away for a weekend when she was just 2 years for a road trip SF to Ft. Bragg, CA

stay overnight someplace else with baby? she was just over a year when we went to DC for a week ...

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.

my rule of thumb is do what feels comfortable to you ! i would have gone INSANE staying inside for 2 weeks after she was born. i felt comfortable going out w/ her when she was 3 days old .. anyplace. 

[sjh722]

Mar 26, 2013 9:56:47 GMT -5 carolinagirl831 said:

My pediatrician has been pretty adamant about not taking her out in public until 4 weeks- I have tried to follow, but I get stir crazy, if intake her it I have her on a carrier or car seat with a blanket over it

Our pedi has also been pretty adamant about no crowds/avoiding public places until 3 weeks. She said they're still seeing enough bad cold and flu cases that it's not worth the risk to land a newborn back in the hospital. 

We are going a little stir crazy since I feel fine and it's cold outside - it's been nice enough to go out for walks a few times, but the weather has generally been crappy. We've gone to ILs, to friends' houses, and she came with me to book club last week, but we've avoided Target, restaurants, the grocery store, etc. so far. If it hadn't been such a bad flu season I'm sure we would have been out more sooner. I'm jealous of anyone having May and June babies when it's nice enough to get outside right away!

[mmmomof2]

With DD1 we went to lunch when she was 5 days old, but I was kind of a wreck and it wasn't very enjoyable. With DD2 we went to a park at like 3 days old because of DD1. We live in a mild climate though and I wore her in the ergo.

As long as the baby isn't getting touched or passed around or their immunity is compromised (preemies?) I don't think it matters too much. Sometimes the old biddies can't help themselves and touch the baby in the carseat. Blankets are your friend. You will be shocked at how forward they are!

[galaxy8227]

I didn't leave the house alone with DS until he was about a month old--I had a c-section and couldn't drive and had a visiting nurse everyday (had issue with fluid in my stitches). But DH and I took him to a town event when he was two weeks old, he just slept in the carriage. We took him to a restaurant when he was a week old (I work in one so it more to visit then really an evening out).

Once I could get out on my own we went out everyday. I hated to be inside when it was so nice out (DS was born in Sept). We often just walked around our neighborhood or the mall. DS loved the carriage (still does) so that helped us a lot. I would just cover up DS if people started to get too close, but I never had a problem brining him out

[sjh722]

Mar 26, 2013 10:50:08 GMT -5 mmmomof2 said:

As long as the baby isn't getting touched or passed around or their immunity is compromised (preemies?) I don't think it matters too much. Sometimes the old biddies can't help themselves and touch the baby in the carseat. Blankets are your friend. You will be shocked at how forward they are!

Seriously! We were at the hospital lab for blood work for her jaundice and an older lady who worked there had the blanket up and off the carseat and was touching her face. When she was 4 days old. I was annoyed, probably moreso than I would have been somewhere else - you work at a hospital, you have probably been in contact with a lot of sick people just today, LOL.

[gibbinator]

Mar 26, 2013 10:23:25 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

Mar 26, 2013 10:14:59 GMT -5 gibbinator said:

stay overnight someplace else with baby? Camping Canada day at 4 weeks

You went camping at four weeks?  You're my hero.  What was that like?  I'd mostly be worried we'd wake the whole campsite up but we were thinking about renting an RV at one point this summer.

It was at a family field so we weren't too worried about bothering people - there's always a couple newborns/babies/toddlers there every year. Anyway, he was really good. Constant breastfeeding when he fussed got us through the worst of it. Had some trouble getting him to go to sleep, (like 45mins of crying probably from being so overstimulated) but otherwise, it was a good time.

[Ashley&Scott]

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go?
5 days old, we ran to the store after his 5 day checkup

go to a store with baby? 
5 days old. My first solo outing with M was around 3 weeks after DH went back to work.

go to a public event like a street fair with baby?
We went to the farmers market when he was 6 months. We went on plenty of outings sooner but I think that was the first organized public event.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby?
5.5 weeks old, he slept in his car seat the whole time

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away?
5.5 weeks, it was an hour away

stay overnight someplace else with baby?
4.5 months

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.
We walked around when I was feeling up to it, probably around 10 days. We started with short distances & went up from there as I felt able. I think our first walk was like 4-5 houses down the street & back.  As far as rules just try to minimize the germs & practice good hygiene: wash your hands, don't let strangers touch the baby, etc.

[electricmayhem]

DS was in the hospital nursery until he was 17 days old due to feeding issues--he was 5w premature b/c I developed severe preeclampsia).  That said:

When did you....

leave the house with baby not for a doctor's appointment?  Where did you go?  I think the first time we went out was to run errands--I remember going to Target and Staples.  I want to say DS was about three weeks old?

go to a public event like a street fair with baby?  DS was about a month old; IL's were in town and we went to meet DH for lunch at our town's annual street fair.

eat at a restaurant or cafe with baby?  I think this was also during the IL visit, so ~4 weeks.

go on a road trip with baby?  How far away?  We took DS to pick up my sister and niece at the airport, which is about 1.5 hours from our house, at about 8 weeks.  We took him on a plane at 14 weeks.  

stay overnight someplace else with baby?  During our trip when he was 14 weeks--stayed with the IL's.

Are there any rules I should know about?  Can you just take a walk around the block at say, three days old, or is it pretty much stay inside for two weeks no matter what?  I really don't do well being cooped up so I'm trying to get a feel of what's allowed.

DS was born in the summer, and even though we did not go out much in the car initially, we went for a walk almost every day.  I really did try to get out a bit (in the car) as well during those first few weeks, but honestly, it was really hard on me.  DS was a crappy sleeper (and stayed that way until 8 months) and ate so frequently that it was 100x easier for me to just stay home with him during the day so he could eat / we could rest as needed.  I never seemed to be able to time our trips to the store exactly right, and after the second or third time of him breaking down into screaming hysterics because he was hungry, I realized I had to stop it and gave up the running around, at least for the first 6-8 weeks or so.  When DH would come home, we'd try to go for our walks as a family, and I'd save my going out for when my mom or IL's were around and didn't mind sitting with the baby for bit.