When did you start leaving the house?

[linz]

If I go to 38 weeks the babies will be 2 weeks old at Thanksgiving. MIL is hosting during the day and has asked numerous times if we're coming (she's annoying like that). I keep telling her it just depends. I'd like to go because H's grandparents will be there who live OOT and pry won't see the babies for awhile, but I also know that I have to just see how the day goes and how the babies are doing. Christmas I assume shouldn't be an issue to attend since we aren't going OOT this year.

I guess I'm wondering when you first went to things like family events or even out in public with the babies, rather then to just say your parents house.

[cayl]

Out in public was probably a couple of months, but mine were born in January and spent 9 days in the NICU so I was worried about people having colds. You'll quickly learn that twins (especially babies!) are quite a novelty in public, so keep that in mind. Family we saw constantly. They mostly came to our place but we went to theirs as well. But you can't commit to anything. Twins going early is very common. Yours could need NICU time. They could be perfectly healthy and come at 38 weeks and you could just be too exhausted to go. Just do what YOU want. If you want to go and let others hold the babies and relax a bit, go. If you would be too stressed out about people washing their hands and the babies being passed all over, don't go. But either way I would make the call close to Thanksgiving. If your babies are early also check with their doctor.

[persa]

I went out pretty early with my singleton but I was super vigilant about people washing their hands and didn't let them touch her hands or kiss on her face. Would be harder to watch 2, I would imagine.

I had no desire to go to the ER for a newborn fever and go through all that.

[fryjack2]

Two days after they came home from the NICU we started our long daily walks. But it was almost the end of May by that point and they stayed in the stroller with an Aden and Anais blanket covering whatever the canopy didn't.

At 2 months of being home we were hanging out with other people if it was outdoors. I was super paranoid and anal about hand washing/hand sanitizer.

Now, the boys eat dirt and their lunch in the playground 50% of the time. I don't even want to know what's on their hands since I forget to wash them half the time in the chaos of getting them to sit and their lunch ready

[persa]

oh, and just out in public but not to gatherings, we did at like a week old. Just kept her in her car seat and covered it with a muslin blanket and I didn't let people touch her. Also, probably different with twins.

[Narwhal]

Mine were born in December at 29 weeks, so they spent a lot of time in the NICU. When they went home at the end of February it was still cold season here, so we only let grandparents and great grandparents visit. And, only if they had their flu shot and tdap booster. Once it started to warm up we would go on walks but kept them covered. Their first big outing to meet family was on Father's Day, so June. Our Neo had recommended we keep them out of the public for 3 months after discharge and we pretty much kept to it. I'm from Utah though, so we have nasty winters and whooping cough was really going around last year.

Do what you feel comfortable with. I know my in laws thought (and probably still do) that I was being paranoid and over protective with keeping them in hiding and strict hand washing. But, of course, the first visit with my in laws and co (there are 23 grand kids) where I wasn't strict about hand washing before holding my boys, they got a nasty cold. So, back to being a strict mom it is! Haha.

I'm also probably going to keep them in a lot of the time this winter because the respiratory virus that is going around has me a little freaked out.

[breezy8407]

I was very paranoid the first couple months. Our doctors and nurses said no visitors until they were full term. They were born at 37 weeks.

We had a few visitors to the house but it was mostly family and I didn't hold back on making people wash their hands.

The first family gathering we went to was when they were about 2 months old for a graduation party in June. (it as at my parents house though) Fortunately for us they were born in spring and there is less going around late spring/early summer, but things like RSV are still a concern.

If it were me, I wouldn't go to Thanksgiving with 2 week olds. I am admittedly a germaphobe though.

[laurenh]

DD was only 4.5 lbs when she came home so we were very strict. The only people that were allowed to visit or hold her were grandparents and our siblings and they had to have gotten their flu shot and tdap. We waited until 8 weeks to introduce her to anyone else and only if no one had any type of sniffles going on.

People thought we were crazy but her doctors stressed how important it was to keep her healthy so we did what they said and it worked - she made it through the entire winter without even a runny nose.

This time around the babies will be born sometime in the month of December (I hope!) and we'll likely follow similar precautions since it'll be in the midst of winter sickness.

ETA: We didn't take her in public, except ped appts, until 8-10 weeks and always in a carrier so no one could reach in and touch her. We did do some walks around the block once she was about 2 weeks old.

[UnderProtest]

I see several separate issues here. 1. Your MIL pushing you for information for which you cannot plan. Your kids could be full term and healthy, but you could still be recovering. Or your kids could have issues and still need to be isolated. 2. Even if you and the kids are fine, taking care of two newborns and adjusting to your new home life is hard. At two weeks, there is no way I would have been able to get everyone dressed, fed and out of the house for a long dinner. I think I barely made it out of the house period. And definitely not into a situation where I might need to try to nurse. 3. Your MIL is pushing boundaries already. Better to nip that in the bud (well, have your husband do that) sooner than later.

At best, I would commit to having your husband's grandparents (and only them) over to your house for a short time during that weekend at a time of your choice. You will have the babies....they are the best excuse for anything.

Hugs and good luck.

[josieposy]

I'd tell MIL you'll let her know in November. Way too many variables.

Kids came at 29 weeks in December. They didn't come home until the end of January and then we basically hid out for a few months. People came over to see them but no big family deals until the spring. I was a major germaphobe that winter.

[marissa]

Mine came at 32 weeks, spent 3 weeks in the NICU. Their birthday was yesterday I took them to the store the day they came home. We went on a road trip that weekend to my parent's house 5 hours away. It's whatever you feel,comfortable doing.

[sjh722]

Not a mom of multiples but I saw this on the app. Play it by ear! Your pedi may have strong feelings about taking the babies around big groups of people - my daughter was full term, but when she was born in early March our pedi said, in no uncertain terms, to avoid large groups of people for 2-3 weeks because she did not want her to be hospitalized with RSV. This was based on what was going around at the time. It also may be an early flu season. You never know! And blaming it in the dr is an easy excuse.

Same goes for not knowing how you'll recover. I was fine to walk, carry the baby, do stuff around the house. Friends of mine weren't ready to get out for weeks.

I'd probably just say, "sorry, MIL, we'll have to wait and see how everyone's doing and what the doctor has to say." And repeat ad nauseum when she's a pest. :-)

[loken11]

My kids were born at 36.5 weeks and were born at the beginning of cold and flu season. My pediatrician was extra cautious and I was neurotic about them getting sick so I only took them on outdoor walks or to my moms for the first 4-5 months. Seems nuts now looking back!! Lol

[kershnic]

You really can't plan for this right now.

I could not have done a family event like Thanksgiving around their due date. Even beyond worries about prematurity and germs and all of that, leaving our everyday environment was a big project at that time. Figuring out how to care for, calm, and feed both babies at once for a long period of time not at home would have been really stressful for me/us. But if your babies are easy, you're not stressed by new situations, you have actually helpful family, etc. it might be possible.

Personally I would also be stressed about being at the beginning of cold/flu season.

And I had 34 weekers so they weren't crazy early, but early enough for some added concern.

[Deleted]

A few days maybe? But, the girls were born at 36w4d and had no NICU time. I just remember going to target but it may have been closer to 2 weeks because now I'm thinking back to the first week nursing and it was horrid lol.

Eta: I should say I would NOT have done thanksgiving. No way. Trying to get two babies to latch at home with my pillows and ability to cry freely was bad enough. Absolutely no way I would have attempted that somewhere else for a day.