Bringing Baby Out in Public

I think I stopped by work on the way home from the hospital with my second. Oh my first was passed around a funeral home the day I brought him home, dad's business if you were wondering. Third was up at school for carpool the day after he came home and the last we had a party to go to after I got out of the hospital since she had the nerve to be born two days before mother's day.

Get the idea I don't buy into the period of time they should be in isolation. I have very healthy kids too. :)

After leaving the hospital with my son, we stopped at wal-mart and then at the place I worked at back then to show him off. Let the world see his newborn beauty!!! :)

We were at Chipotle the day I got out of the hospital cause we were all too tired to deal with making food.

24 hours? I don't see why a baby has to be isolated. If you don't want people touching the baby (not that I've even had that issue), put baby in a sling or wrap. I'd have gone insane if i put an isolation on myself. I definitely wouldn't have 4 kids.

Think about it. People in your house go to the store or church or school etc even if you stay home with the baby. If you have other children they are going to school or daycare or playing outside or going to the store etc and bringing anything home. I'm sure your husband can't take 2 months off work and has to go into the office, being exposed to whatever is going around and bringing it home.
Use common sense. Don't play pass the baby. Keep everyone's hands clean that will be touching the baby. There is no reason to be a shut in!
We went to Disneyland for a few hours when my third born was 17 days old. I changed her in the stroller and not the changing tables, she was breastfed so I had nothing extra to take with or worry about water for mixing formula and had nothing to worry about keeping sterile. I kept her in the stroller or the sling. We didn't make a huge day of it, only 1 ride, a trip to Build-a-Bear so the boys could make their Big Brother bears and she could get her first one. We ate something and went home. We met up with some friends that were also there and sat and visited. At 6 weeks we took her to the San Diego Comic Book Convention. There was also a trip to Legoland before 6 weeks for a few hours for the boys to run off steam. The midwife knew of every one and said we were fine.
I did quick trips to the store when mine were only a day or two old. I just kept them in the sling or held them and didn't go alone so someone else could push the cart and put what we needed into the cart.

There'a absolutely nothing wrong with taking baby out. When you feel good enough to venture out yourself baby can too.
My husband took the baby outside to show off all the while I was laying around sleeping :)

We we to eat on the way home from the hospital, we still had our bracelets on. Nothing wrong with bringing a healthy baby out.

couple hours or so.
khairete
S.

I was stuck in the house on bed rest for half of my pregnancy. When we left the hospital, we went grocery shopping and made some other stops. I did NOT want to go right back to the house!! He was 3 days old. I never kept him inside or kept people away. (Unless they were sick.) He is 3 and has been mildly sick 1 time in his life.

when you feel ready to. For us, we took our daughter out when she was only 5 days old. For our son, he was 7 days old.

my baby went grocery shopping with me the day we got out of the hospital and my eldest went shopping with me the day after we got released from the hospital. My son is almost three and so far has only been sick (besides the occasional runny nose) once. my daughter is three months and has not been sick yet. Taking them out boosts their immune system.

When I had my first, well of course I was young and didnt know anybody better, nad belived all the things people said, so I waited about a week. But when #2 was born adn we left the hospital, we went straight to walmart.. i needed those pain pills

With both my kids I was out at Target the day after we got home from the hospital and both were just fine!

It depends on the health of the parents and how they feel.

When I was Santa in 2011, I had parents bring me 6 babies that were younger than 2 weeks old for photos with Santa. The youngest was 4.5 days.

So it depends on the parents. Besides you bring your baby home from the hospital at 48 hours or less, right? Our Blue Cross/ Blue Shield would only pay for 2 days in the hospital unless there was a real good medical reason.

Good luck to you and yours.

I brought my daughter with me to an outdoor music festival when she was three weeks old.

Our first we waited about 2 months, and then my wife couldn't stand it anymore.

Our second - I predict a week.

However, in larger cities there can be other risks where the Ped will caution against large public gatherings for 3-6 months (i.e. RSV).

We went out right away. My sister took her baby to sit on Santa's lap as soon as he got out of the hospital. It's whatever you're comfortable with.

Well, unless you have an underground tunnel from the hospital to your house...about 1-2 days old is the average, right? (I remember them telling us that at the hospital childbirth classes.)

No extreme cold, sun, wind, rain, etc. of course, but there is no real reason NOT to take your baby out of the house!

Oh man after reading the other responses I must be a awful parent! I took my baby to Disney World the first time at 6 1/2 weeks old...

I kept my babies away from big places like walmart, malls, fairs for the first 2 months, until they got their 1st shots. and I kept my visitors at a minimum too. You'd be surprised at how many people will want to hold your newborn even if THEY have a cold/cough. When my kids are sick, i don't visit other people's homes and get their kids sick too, too bad most of my friends/family don't do the same.

Back in the old days when I had my first child who was a preemie I was advised to not take him out around people with germs, etc. I did though as I have germs and so does my husband and family that came to see him, etc. We didn't just go out purposely to get exposed but he is a part of family and life at that point. Our other kids were out just the same and the only issue was if I felt like getting out. I'm not one who 'worked in the fields' hours after like stories I used to hear from my grandma. :-( People wash hands even more these days, cover coughs and all the things we hear to keep us healthy so I would take the baby out when I felt like going out and enjoy it. I did try to stay closer to home until I got the baby on a schedule for my sake.

We kept a very low profile for about two months or so, only venturing out for doctor's appts. I hemorrhaged a pint of blood while giving birth and was pretty weak for a while. My doctor didn't want me to drive and along w/ getting the hang of nursing and not sleeping, I was ok w/ relaxing at home. I'm sure you'll have answers all over the spectrum!

When I felt like going out & about, which amounted to about two to three weeks later (I had c-sections), I didn't get bothered by bringing my baby anywhere. After all, if I recall, at one week the baby has to have a blood test in the hospital (at least here in TX they do), and there is the checkup at the pedi's office at two weeks. Where is more nasty than a hospital and a doctor's office?

I took baby out when I felt like it. In all three cases it was less than a week.
I was never advised to be quarantined.
Also, at two weeks they all went to the DR for a well baby check up. The pediatrician's office? It doesn't get much more germy than that!
Not sure why NOT to take the baby out, unless s/he has an immunity issue (?)

Its a personal choice on what you feel comfortable with.

With our #4 we left the hospital and drove six hours to my uncles funeral. He was passed to/ touched by so many people that night. He has hardly ever been sick.

With #5 we left the hospital and went to my grandpa's birthday party for the afternoon/ night. There was about 30-40 people there that she was in contact with. She didn't get sick until she was 5 weeks old.. a week after her healthy check up at her peds with H1N1 flu. I think it was from the Dr office, so really no where is safe.

I don't remember how long it was with the other 3 before we went around groups of people.

Technically when she was 14 hours old and we left the hospital.

After that I had to take DD back to the hospital for a check up and the hearing test when she was 3 days old, so out we went, including a stopover at the local coffee shop.
in the first 4 weeks I never took her out for long periods (as I was still recovering myself) but we pretty much brought her with us where ever we went (supermarket, out for dinner, etc from the start).
I never allowed anyone to touch or hold her though and she didn't get her first fever (that was not related to vacc) until she entered daycare at 8 months.

There are many answers to this.
I suggest you ask your Pediatrician.

Some go by cultural traditions.
Some by personal preference.
Some by whether or not baby is vaccinated yet.
Some by how crazy bored they get being holed up at home or not, with baby, and just wanting to get out.

I don't think there is anything wrong with taking a newborn (less than 2 weeks old) out to the park or other natural place. I would NOT take a newborn out to a mall, a wedding, a birthday party, a restaurant, ect. If you need to get food that is what husband's are for. If you need to get out then go out yourself and leave the baby at home.

Six weeks... that's how long before they are allowed in day care... that's how long you're allowed for disability.

OKay when I had my first my mom told me to wait two months and that's what I did. I think that is an old school recommendation and I really don't know how valid it is. With my second I did the same thing. You don't want your child living in a bubble, but I don't think it's wise to bring them out too soon, maybe before 2 months though. I think if you have a child in the middle of winter you should def wait unless it's really needed. I didn't have a problem waiting 2 months, it's bonding time!

Depends. Outdoor places, right away. Stores and stuff, I know the recommendation used to be 2 months. Of course, if breastfeeding, baby will have more immunities so perhaps sooner. If you're bringing your newborn out in public, I'd suggest either a bug net for the carriage if you're doing a stroller, or keep the baby in a sling. People are less likely to touch that way. A baby out in the open in a stroller seems to tempt people.

My oldest I took to church when he was a week old. Anyone that touched him had to use hand sanitiser. My youngest I took him out the day after I got home for the hospital. Had to go to babies r us and buy a new pump cause the one that was given to me did not work and baby was not eating very good and I hurt. I also took him by my office so he was probably 4 days old.

I Didn't read the other answers. So sorry if I repeat. The recommended (or so my dr recommended) is 6 weeks. And I stuck to that with both of my boys. But that is not to say that people haven't taken babies out and they were just fine. I would do what you feel comfortable with. If you are going stir crazy or you have to go somewhere and taking the baby is your only option, then go for it. Just don't let anyone touch them.

I'd wait a few months. Let the kid develop his immunitites.

I brought my daughter out week 2, my son day 2, and on day 5 we took him to an indoor kid place so my daughter could play.

I took mine on a 6 hour road trip when they were about 5 weeks old. We were traveling to a family member's house for the holidays. We weren't really out in public except for the stops we had to make for feeding (them and us) and bathroom breaks. We did have to stop one person from touching them when the babies were in their carriers while the rest of us ate our meal.

Besides that trip, it was probably around 2-3 months when I took them out other than for walks. Since it was winter time, I was more inclined to keep them inside and more sheltered from cold/flu season.

That is up to you.

My daughter was born C-section and they kept me in the hospital for 4 days, she was also jaundice. When we got home I had to take her out the first 4 days to get blood work done and to the dr's office. Other than that we waited until she was two or three months and I would keep the visor over her when we were out. I don't know why strangers feel the need to touch anyone’s newborn. Who knows what they were touching before they met you.

I see people with their newborns at the Disney parks all the time. I would not risk exposing my newborn to all kinds of germs from the US and other countries. It's not worth the risk to me knowing that a newborn cannot easily fight off disease.