How soon did you go out with newborn?

[marylennox]

Not taking them outside, but like, to go do something social.

My H thinks it would be good for me to get out of the house (I'm sure it would) but I feel like I won't even be able to enjoy myself because I'd just be dealing with trying to nurse, or fussiness, and I'm just not completely comfortable with it yet, the thought kind of stresses me out. I don't know.

[Deleted]

A few weeks after my first. A few days after 2&3.

[AllieHound]

Very quickly. I know we went out to dinner with friends a few days after we got home from the hospital. I couldn't stand to be stuck in the house (in retrospect, I think that was some slight PPA) and Max was a very easy newborn.

[nsl]

I don't think I really enjoyed taking either of my boys out of the house until they were 6-8 weeks old, but before that I forced myself to do it as often as possible from about 2 weeks old because I really did feel a lot better and more like myself after those excursions.

[hopecounts]

I followed the Pediatrician's advice and stayed away from social gatherings/groups for 6 weeks. Her reasoning was that fevers before 6 weeks require an automatic spinal tap which sucks so avoiding where people would want to hold her would reduce the odds of illness.
I did Target outings and the like starting at 3ish weeks.

[Yankees21]

We went to a small party when he was 5 days old. We didn't get any advice to stay home, so we didn't.

[mom2twoboys]

We took both our boys out to dinner when they were a couple days old. They were in their car seat the whole time so no one touched them. It was nice at that age because they mostly sleep.

[thebreakfastclub]

Errands were right away. When DS was 3 weeks, I took him to a big birthday party. We did formula feed, so that is much easier. But the only way to get confident taking the baby out is to just keep doing it.

[cville]

I can't remember after L, though I know my husband and I went out to the mall directly after her one month newborn appointment. It was cold as hell and we were booooooored. They had a nursing room.

With O I think he was 12 days old when I met a friend for lunch (many old ladies were charmed by him). I'd taken him on walks and to a coffee shop to chill out starting at maybe 4 days old? Whenever I could walk that far. Once I got caught there in a rainstorm and had to nurse him in an armless chair right next to a hot guy working at the coffee shop on his mac. Oh well, handsome rugged entrepreneur, you should've worked from home if you didn't want to see my nipples that day.

[adhdfashion]

I tend to be to tired to go anywhere for a couple weeks. But the party seems to come to me. In the way of visitors.

[devonpow]

I was out with DS1 at a week. With DS2 we were out and about at. 3 days old - I had to take him to all his older brother's activities! My pedi said it was fine to go out ASAP, but it wasn't flu season and neither were preemies/had any health issues.

I'm also the type that needs to be out and about for my mental health. Others love staying in and nesting, and that's cool too. The first 3 months is just survival.

[ginger]

I made it 2 weeks. We went to dinner.

ETA: Running errands sounds familiar too.

[vanillacourage]

Don't remember with #1. We had #2 out at restaurants when he was about a week old (remember having a day date w/DH while he was still on 2-wk paternity leave).

[CajunShrimp]

With #1, I had a big work event that he and H came to at 6 days old. He slept through the whole thing, and I made sure no one touched him. I think we started taking him out to eat at about 2 weeks. At 4 weeks, we started Mama & Me classes.

With #2, we took him out to eat at about 3 weeks because we were in the middle of the shows storms in Boston this year and no one wanted to leave the house. But we started taking him out to social events shortly after that. With an older brother in preschool, he was just as likely to get sick at home from something K brought home as he would being out and about.

[JayhawkGirl]

If you can get out to family or a close friend's house, it is good to get out. We did that at about a week and a half with DS, and at a week with DD.

I didn't take them to large gatherings, target etc until 3-4 mos. but I have babies during peak flu season.

[katfco]

With Abby, we were on lockdown for seven months because of the RSV risk, but with Caleb, we went to church less than week after he was born.

[cville]

Also, with newborns, about 97% of the time when you take them out they either zone out, sleep, or look around silently. Miranda was right, they're the equivalent of a large purse at that stage. With both of them I'd take them out and about on purpose when they were fussy.


Le sigh, I miss it. Ha.

[missmaddie]

Pretty quickly. A few days for errands, and a luncheon at work less than 2 weeks? With DD this time about the same. She was at DS's soccer game at a week because DH was working.

I actually find people are not that likely to want to hold and touch when they're that little because they're so small and "scary".

Also, I agree with taking them out to decrease their fussiness. More work to keep happy at home than the magic of the car/stroller/shopping cart.

[shell403b]

Jul 3, 2015 17:21:23 GMT -5 mom2twoboys said:

We took both our boys out to dinner when they were a couple days old. They were in their car seat the whole time so no one touched them. It was nice at that age because they mostly sleep.

We did as well. Same experience. (We went to Bonefish Grill w/ my mom who came to help us.)

[Queen Mamadala]

Weeks to months. I'm a homebody by nature, and I had all of my kids during the fall or winter when it was cold. I went to a Christmas get-together with dd1 when she was two weeks old. I/we didn't have anywhere to go or visit with my others, nor did I want to. I like to hibernate during that time. I certainly wasn't ready to go out for at least a few weeks after LO. I had a rough recovery with her.

[liverandonions]

I think she was 10 days old and we did get home until she was 2 days old. She was a rockstar in her car seat and I didn't let people hold or touch her.

[themysteriouswife]

We are headed out now. He's a little over two weeks. I'm regretting it already. He's cried the entire car ride.

[laurack]

3-4 days maybe? to a diner for brunch.Target at maybe a week. Playground maybe a week with #2

It's tough because of the nursing but if I left right after feeding there was a good chance of avoiding nip. I hate nip in the beginning when it's still so painful and awkward

[SKP82]

We went out to dinner at a restaurant with an open air patio around 4/6 weeks. Other than that, we waited until she had her vaccinations because of what hopecounts mentioned above. Fever before vaccines = automatic spinal tap.

[FastHands]

DS was a hot. mess. as a newborn. I tried a few times the first 2 weeks, but it was just awful. He was so unhappy any time he was awake, and if I took him out, he wouldn't sleep. At about 4 weeks, things got better, but it was still a crapshoot. I know this is unusual, but this age (10 months) is SO MUCH EASIER/BETTER than the newborn stage. So I think it depends on the kid in terms of what going out with baby will be like.

In terms of being concerned about baby's safety, I kept him in the carrier and away from strange ppl and surfaces until his 4 month vaccines.

[Shreddingbetty]

Day of discharge for errands. First social event was a BBQ at 5 days old. It was a going away party. At 11 days first plane ride and 13 days high school graduation for half sissy. DD was born the end of May

[meganew]

Viv went to the farmers market and then to lunch at 5 or 6 days old. Then she attended Ollie's 3rd birthday party at just under 2 weeks. In my experience it's so much easier to do things with them as newborns. Now (10 months) she just wants to get down, crawl around, eat dirt and requires much more of my attention- mommy's trying to eat dinner and gossip with friends, Viv! God! ; )

[meganew]

Jul 3, 2015 19:19:46 GMT -5 FastHands said:

DS was a hot. mess. as a newborn. I tried a few times the first 2 weeks, but it was just awful. He was so unhappy any time he was awake, and if I took him out, he wouldn't sleep. At about 4 weeks, things got better, but it was still a crapshoot. I know this is unusual, but this age (10 months) is SO MUCH EASIER/BETTER than the newborn stage. So I think it depends on the kid in terms of what going out with baby will be like.

In terms of being concerned about baby's safety, I kept him in the carrier and away from strange ppl and surfaces until his 4 month vaccines.

Lol. This is the exact opposite of what I just posted!

OP- you just have to try and see how it works! Maybe your kid will be chill, maybe not. Just always have an exit strategy and you'll be fine! : )

[FastHands]

Jul 3, 2015 19:21:13 GMT -5 meganew said:

Viv went to the farmers market and then to lunch at 5 or 6 days old. Then she attended Ollie's 3rd birthday party at just under 2 weeks. In my experience it's so much easier to do things with them as newborns. Now (10 months) she just wants to get down, crawl around, eat dirt and requires much more of my attention- mommy's trying to eat dinner and gossip with friends, Viv! God! ; )

Lol I love that we posted within 2 mins of each other with straight up opposite experiences. Kids are weird, man.

ETA: double jinx!

[TrudyCampbell]

DD1 it was about 5 weeks, but that was more due to my awful recovery. With DD2 she was out within a few days.