Early Days with Baby

I took walks everyday with my son. You can't stay cooped up in the house and you need to be out and about so you don't go crazy. I used a sling or stroller and when anyone (rarely) tried to get too close I just told them he had the sniffles and they always backed off without me asking. hope this helped.

I agree with those that say get a new pediatrician. WHAT? A spinal tap?? My son was three weeks early and his first pediatrician (who was way too old fashioned for me) told me to stay in for 2 weeks! That was nothing but two months? Have you discussed other things with this pediatrician such as breastfeeding and immunizations? Is he a good listener?

If you are dead set on following this guys advice how about emroidery? You could embroider a sling or something. Also crocheting or knitting would be fun!

I have never heard that advice. I gave birth to all my kids at home and went out in the first week or two. I was breastfeeding which helps protect a baby from illness. I never worried about it, kept my baby tucked safely in a sling and went about my business. I would not be able to stay home for 4-6 weeks. If it were me I would shop around for pediatricians and see if there is one you like better as that seems like odd advice to me. None of my pediatricians have ever said anything about a spinal tap that seems scary.
W. Jones
Breastfeeding Educator
http://www.mosaicbaby.com

I have to agree with your pediatrician. I think that people who take a new baby out are just asking for them to get sick. My little girl was born during rsv season and after seeing my best friends babies (twins) on an IV and oxygen strapped to a bed, I don't think it is worth the risk.

So, some suggestions: Take a walk - if they are bundled up, I put a blanket over the stroller, then and it's not to cold this is a great way to get out and exercise without having them exposed to germs. Also have your husband watch the baby so you can get out: shopping, getting ice cream, going to lunch with a friend, etc... Invite a friend over (just ask if she is sick so you don't stress =). Just remember that the time will pass, you just have to get through it, and it will be a lot easier if you have a healthy baby. That is just my opinion so I hope I don't offend anyone. =)

Walk, walk, walk girl! The fresh air will work wonders for both of you. The weather should be fine for it even for another month or two. I walked my little ones in light drizzles as well. Bundle up baby, slide the top over her/him and no worries. I had my third baby 5 months ago and I NEVER kept the babies inside. The last two flew out of me so I felt good and took baby out and shopping when they were 5 days old, seriously. I know flu season is coming up, but you can strap baby in a front carrier. I would suggest washing up with the liquid hand sanitizer right after leaving the store. Last winter I wiped the shopping carts down with disinfecting wipes and when we got in the car, I would make everyone wash up with the handsoap. I don't know if it worked but none of us in our house got sick the entire flu season. I would go crazy stuck in the house! But do what you feel is best for your baby though! Walk, walk, walk girl.

wow, I use to be a claims adjudicator myself, but what I did, is mostly at times, you can take the baby out for a drive. You are not in public, and washing your hands is always helpful. I know that during flu season is when the doctors really scare you into staying home for the first few weeks of baby's life. However it is okay to still go out from time to time.

I pretty much stayed home for the first two weeks and then after that I was careful with where I took my kids. It is hard to just stay home when you also have a toddler who is a busy body, so a lot of time, I just would take on a drive just to get out of the house. That always helped a lot. Even just to get coffee I would go and do it...that helped me a lot.

congratulations on your babies!

I received similar advice but that was due to my son was born 6 weeks early. When he was released from the hospital, we were advised on limiting or preferrably no public ventures for 4-6 weeks. Although, spinal tap was never mentioned. RSV, but not a spinal tap. Well, bottom-line, you're the mom and you do what is best for your little one and ofcourse, you.

Blessings to you and your family.

Hi C.,

I know what you are feeling. I had to keep my baby pretty much indoors for the first 2 1/2 months since she was born in the middle of RSV season! Things that helped keep me sane were taking drives, going to visit grandma and grandpa, inviting over a friend/family member or neighbor for a girls lunch at my house. Having a family member watch the newborn so I could get out by myself was always a nice little break - even if it was to go grocery shopping! Anyway, those are some of the things I did. Hope it helps and have fun with your little one!

Hi, C.. I completely understand. Four years ago I was house bound with a preschooler and new born as well. I don't know if this will work for you but what I did was have someone pick up some yarn, a set of crocheting hooks, and a pattern with really good illustartions. I spent nap time learning how to crochet. It kept my mind and fingers busy. Also it forced me to learn how to relax as I had to keep the same tension on my yarn at all times or the project wouldn't come out right. I started out with simple projects like hats, scarves, potholders. You can also find tons of how-to's online as well as cute easy projects for baby or pre-schooler.

I chose crochet because I'd always wanted to learn but could never find anybody to sit down long enough to teach me. If this doesn't work for you, chose a project or activity you always wanted to do or learn. I only had a few minutes of quiet spread out over the day and I took the longest spread of quiet time to work on my projects. You're never to old to learn something fun and new. I never stopped crocheting. And now am crocheting sweaters and skirts for me. I am always finding new and interesting ways to apply a new crochet project. My boys love it because I can now make their favorite Pokemon characters and new toys with left over yarn without spending $40 or more on a specific toy. If you have girls your choice of projects are endless. You can make everything from hats to purses to summer dresses or a new outfit for that special doll.

Hope everything works out for you.
A. M

I'm another that would find another ped! Sounds like a whack job to me LOL

My dd was out with me (in 30 below weather no less) at less than 2 weeks. She was also a breastfed baby, so I didn't worry too much about the immunity issues. Heck, she didn't get her first sniffle until she was 8 months old.

I wouldn't let strangers stuff the face into your babies... but that is about the only limitation I'd go with.

Im not a dr or anything. But both of my kids were born one month early. My dr did not tell me anything like that. To be honest my now very healthy almost 4 year old boy went with me when he was a weekold to go shopping with all the day after thanksgiving sales. We were out at 3am. I think if you have your baby dressed in clothes that are going to protect him or her you will be fine. Your older child needs to get out as well as you do. Go to mcdonalds and get some coffee and let your toddler play and you read a book and the baby can sleep in the carrier. Place a light weight blanket over the carrier if it makes you feel better... Hope this helps.

I heard the same thing when my almost four month old daughter was born. There was no way that I could stay at home. She was even on a boat at a week old. She is a very healthy baby. I personally think that when you take your newborn out in public it makes it so that they and their immune system are used to your everyday surroundings. One of my old friends kept her son in for the first six weeks she went nowhere. And the first time she took him anywhere he got sick and that is no joke.

First off.... what dr does the baby see? I have never heard of that. all my kids the dr said its good for them to go out after they are like 3 days old. even when my son had RSV i was still told to take him out. the sun is wonderful for them the vitamin d or something. all research i have read shows from birth they should be outside bundled up of course atleast an hour a day. I have done that to all 3 of mine. I asked the dr when my son was born if i can still go on walks and he was so happy that i did.

Hi C.,
Honestly, I would change pediatricians. I have 4 boys the younges of which is 7 weeks and have never been told to stay home. There is no reason to stay home if there is not an epidemic of some horrible airborn disease in your area. Take your baby out and get some fresh air, get yourself out of the house before you go crazy. We went to the fair when my new one was 10 days old.

Brightest Blessings,
E. N

My baby is 12 weeks old and we were out and about with her constantly right away. We even took her to a wedding when she was a week and a half old. We basically kept the baby close to us (in a bjorn or sling carrier) to make it so people didn't become tempted to touch her. We also always have hand sanitizer in purse/diaper bag to make sure our hands are clean while we are out. If nothing else, you should at least be enjoying a lovely fall walk! Good luck!

Our md recomended this as well but our little one just hated to stay inside. We took him outside often and we did let him around others, just no one who had any flu or cold symptoms. He is very hardy and I think this is becuase of all of his exposure to others. Breast feeding is also supossed to help with prevention of illness.

I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD AND A 6 MONTH OLD AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO GET USED TO GERMS AND NOT BE ABLE TO GET SICK AS FAST THEN YOU NEED TO TAKE THEM OUT AND LET THEM GET EXPOSED SO THERE LITTLE BODYS CAN GOT USED TO FIGHTING THE SICKNESSES OFF THE WAY IT IS SUPOSED TO I TOOK MY SON CAMPING AT LIKE A COUPLE MONTHS OLD AND THE SAME WITH MY DAUGHTER AND THEY ARE BOTH FINE.... IF YOU SHELTER THEM THERE LITTLE BODYS WILL NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY ARE OUT AND CATCH SOMETHING AND A LITTLE COLD CAN TURN IN TO A BIG PROBLEM...

I think you can go in public as early as you feel like doing so. A few simple precautions with a new baby should be fine for their health. For example, don't go to overcrowded places where you have to touch too many object other's have touched. You can keep the baby in their carseat or carrier and keep them covered up, don't uncover the baby too often and don't let people touch the baby/. If they ask to see it (they will!!) politely say "sorry she's sleeping" or whatever. If you are with someone else, you don't have to touch anything. You just get to walk around holding your precious baby close and let your spouse or friend open doors, pick up shopping items, etc. In this way, you can get out of the house and the baby will not be coming into direct contact with too many germs. I'm really quite surprized by the doctor's advice. It sounds like something doctors told women decade's ago. If you are adament about not going into 'public' then you can still get out of the house by visiting family or going to a park or something. Good luck and congratulations!

My boyfriend and I had no choice but to take my son out when he was still very youg. I think that you need to keep the baby bundled up. Also keep a light blanket over the carseat carrier or stroller. I'm sure that would be just fine!

After three weeks I was going stir crazy, too! I took my daughter out on walks and to an outdoor mall (against everyone's advice). She's nine months now and has never been sick yet. Just bundle up your little one and cover the carrier with a light blanket to keep admiring strangers from touching your newborn's hands and face. Also, see if a family member could watch your kids for even an hour while you run a quick errand.

Perhaps there is someone in your life that can come over for a few hours to releave you! This would be a good idea. I am a mother of three and took my children everywhere when they were infants. I understand the doc's concern, but also believe that it is good to build up their immune systems right from the start. Unless, of course there are other concerning factors. Try to get out, I know how it feels to be in lock down. Good luck and hope you get a breather soon. And Congratulations on the baby.

I know I am late in responding, but I just had to say that I was thinking about this the other day, and when my son was born on July 1st, 1990 (my oldest) we lived in Memphis, and for the 4th of July, he was 3 days old, we took him downtown to the park by the Mississippi river with thousands of other people to sit on a blanket and watch the fireworks- my mom has 5 kids, and no one ever told me I had to keep a newborn indoors- outdoors is just so much healthier! Indoors seems to be so much worse for germs, etc- especially if your filters aren't brand new, etc- open some windows for sure! Go for a walk! Get some sunshine, fresh air, and vitamin D on you and that baby!! Just go sit in a park if nothing else!

Get another doctors' opinion.

With both of my kids my doctors said that for the first few months they carried my antibodies so were less at risk of catching illnesses.

My 2nd child was a preemie and the only advice I got was not to put her in daycare because of the risk of RSV.

I took both of my kids shopping with me, to restaurants, etc. within days of bringing them home.

I'm with Wendi. That sounds insane and crazy inducing. Especially with a three year old. I would want a pediatrician who's less paranoid.

If you want to sort of follow his advice, long walks, visits to the museum, things where there aren't big crowds or people close to your baby. Even the library or other places where there are people but where you're not generally in super close proximity.

i am a mom of a 2 year old boy and he was premature, i took him out all the time. u just have to be careful and think of where ur setting the baby down and what things you are touching i carried a purel hand cleaner it came with a keychain and i just attached it to the diaper bag
but dont be afraid to leave your house get out there and show that baby off!

I know I spent the first few weeks recovering...but after that, I spent alot of time on my laptop, on a mommy forum and playing bejeweled...it's very addicting! :)

I live in Hawaii so my daughter was out of the house at 2 days old. Just don't go to place that are overly crowded, do you grocery shopping after the first feeding that coincides with stores opening,your baby will sleep on the ride over HOPEFULLY !!But stay closeto home and you might have to feed before you leave the store but thats not a big deal...

C.,
I am due with baby #2 in November and I don't know how long I would be able to stay in the house...I love going, going, going. I agree with the rest of the advice. Plus, children who are protected from getting sick just get more colds when they enter school.
Keep the baby covered and wash your hands often. The baby has your antibodies from the womb and breastfeeding. Go out and do some shopping!
D.

You are now 7 weeks post-post, hehe, and 10 weeks post-partum. How'd it go? How did you handle your doc's advice? I am in agreement that the advice was extreme, but what concerned me most is the scare tactic of spinal tap which was added on. You never mentioned whether there was a medical condition which may have made this admonition reasonable, so it seems that your doc may be more law-suit averse than clinically sound in his/her judgment....

i took my baby out to the store (wal-mart with thousands of people) and to families houses and to the park for a stroll. he never got sick, he is now 3 months old and very healthy and i take him everywhere. i breastfeed him and i know that helps him stay healthy and strong and fits colds real good, if i fed him formula i wouldnt have taken him out so it just depends on how healthy your baby is now and go off of that.

I think thats a little to cautous. I brought my son out when He was 1 day old. to meet my co-workers and get a few things done. I was fine for the first couple of hours but real weak going out like that. But my son was fine. I did the same thing with my daughter. She was about 2 weeks old when I brought her to the grocery store the first time. And think about this one. If it's not safe to bring them out then why do doctors make us bring them places in there first 2 months?!? Being cuped up in the house can't be good either. You(mommy) might get sick. If your gonna stay inside. make sure the air filters on your unit is clean. and there is no dust anywhere in your home and I mean by using a spray not one of those stupid dusters that just throw it in the air. And catch up on sleep because Your not gonna get any at all if you don't now. When I only had one child it was easy to catch up on sleep. I'd just sleep when she did. but now that you have 2 they will be sleeping at differant times and it's gonna make it harder on you. And your 3 year old is stepping into that age where naps are not needed anymore so you might want to catch up on that snooze while you still can.

C.,
what do you did when you have to take your baby to see the doctor 2 weeks after your new born, born?
I took my baby to New York when he was only 2 1/2 weeks old, in an aeroplane, in a very cold weather, I check with my pediatrician about it an his answer was the baby has to be where you are u going to be and trust me he is a healthy child and the same thing happen with my daughter (8 years old)

i have a 2 yr old and a 5 month old. the only advise my doctor gave me was to keep away from large crowds, and that was only with the newest baby. (she was alittle early, but had no problems due to it) with our 2 year old, we went straight to walmart after getting out of the hospital because i needed some things and i had been indoors for days. my kids have generally been a tad healthier than other kids we know and i think its because we have allowed them the chance to build up their immune systems. i have a niece that always gets sick. i think due to the fact that her mother has done everything she can to sheild her from anything that can make her sick. her toys even get disinfected everynight even if she is the only one who has touched them. the down side to my sister in law and i being so different in our ideas is that if her daughter gets sick soon after having seen us, she assumes its because one of my kids made her sick (which i have proved to her that it wasnt us on several occassions, but thats beside the point). anyway my point is that i think its better to expose them then not, within reason. i think the children will be healthier for it later. but please just do what you think is right for your baby. if you feel that you should stay in, then stay in. but if you want to get out of the house and want to take baby with you, then do so. im sure baby will be glad for the fresh air and change of senery. as far as passing the time if you stay in, find something new to do, get some books, try some games you can play by yourself, (i am addicted to sims2 on pc). you will do fine im sure and you'll look back and probably think it was not so tough after all. :)

Hi, I would very seriously look into getting a new physician that doesn't use the worst case senario to scare you into staying at home for 2 months. Spinal Taps are used to diagnose Mennengitis, they are not routine for an ill baby. My son in fact had a high fever right after he turned 2 months old, and he was admitted to the hospital where they ran a battery of tests, not including a spinal tap. The tests came back clean, and they sent us home cause he just had a cold. Had the tests indicated something worse, they would have done the spinal tap, but I was told that it is very rare that it is not just a simple cold, which is why they don't routinely give the spinal tap test. I would take precautions that your infant is warm and I would avoid going out into large crowds, so no Saturday Market type situations, because you do want to minimize the risk of a respiratory illness. There is no reason for a healthy baby and mom not to be out and about as soon as you feel up to it. I would definitely get a second medical opinion, because that just doesn't sound right.

C., you already have a three year old who obviously made it through the first weeks of life. What did you do with the first child? Did you stay in the house for 8 weeks?
I took both of my kids out when they were only a week old. They are both very healthy kids. And if you keep your baby bundled up away from the world, how can they develop any immunities to their environments. I think you should just use common sense when going out. Of course you will watch the environment you are in and won't knowingly expose your baby to someone with a contagious illness.
I honestly would question the pediatrician who said this. I never had either of my doctors (obgyn or pediatrician) tell me that I shouldn't take my babies out in the first 4-8 weeks. They just said to be careful and use my brain.
So, take a walk. It will definitely help. If you have a mall close by, go there and walk around. Get out in the world. Besides, if you have to take the baby to daycare when you go back to work, they need some acclamation to the world or they will get sick just from being around all those other kids.

WOW! C.!
I bet you are ready to talk to any adult that passes by...I also think your pediatrician is being over cautious. I had c-sections with both of my children and I did stay home for the first 2 weeks. Sleeping, organizing, breast feeding...my husband wanted us to stay home longer but, I was going nuts! We kept our babies covered with a blanket and out of crowds. We did not let people touch or hold the babies for a few weeks to keep away as many germs as possible. I went back to work at my preschool when my daughter was 4 weeks and my son was 6 weeks. They are now 5years and 3 years. They haven't been ill a day yet! Wash your hands that's the most important! PPD is such a real thing go out! You need to take care of you too!
Get out and see the sun-H.

I personally think that's a little extreme... cautious, but extreme. By all means I'm not saying go against your doctor, but think about it, infants get sick from germs. You can take your baby out in public, but don't let people hold him/her, don't let them touch his/her hands or face, and don't let them get all up in the baby's face either. My husband and I took our newborn out SEVERAL times, not because we weren't aware of the risks, but because staying in the house that long was unrealistic for us (he was only home for 2 weeks R&R and I was in the hospital for 5 of those days... c-sec). We didn't take him to overcrowded places, we kept him in a blanket and never took him out of the carseat carrier unless REALLY necessary, and we always washed our hands before touching him (or purelled ourselves). My advice is to just be careful. There's certainly nothing wrong with putting the baby in a stroller and going for a walk. It gets you out the house, gives you moderate post pardom exercise, and it gets fresh air up your baby's nose. Good luck! But if you DO stay in the house that long, MORE POWER TO YA! and also, if I were you, I would just relax and sleep as much as you can because once you both are mobile, there's no stopping!

If you think your baby is healthy then go out. At 4 days old I took my daughter out. She never got sick. You are the mom and you know if it is too cold. My doctor said the same thing but I need to keep going so I just went out.

I know that your question was for suggestions of activities but I also wonder about the advice.

According to the Merck Manual of Medical Information a spinal tap is used to diagnose the following illnesses: an infection of the brain or spinal cord such as meningitis or Lyme disease, a spinal cord tumor, an acute peripheral nerve disorder such as polyneuropathy or Guillain-Barre'syndrom, multiple schlerosis, an infection of the meninges or cancer, a brain hemorrhage. Your baby cannot get any of these conditions as the result of being out in public. Doing a spinal tap is very rare.

I've also read from many sources and been told by a pediatrician that it is quite possible that one reason we, including babies, get sick so often is that we protect ourselves from exposure to the causes of illness to the point that we do not develop an immunity to the organisms. An example is that when we travel from the United States to Mexico we will often get sick from drinking the water while people who live there do not become ill.

I think it's common sense to stay out of crowds especially during flu season but a trip to the store, the movies, the library, the park, or to take a walk will not endanger a baby. Unless your baby has a compromised immune system due to having been born prematurely or already having an illness.

In fact there is a theory that a newborn is less likely to become ill because they still have anti-bodies from their mother in their system. Breastfeeding continues the presence of the mother's anti-bodies to some extent.

And so, if I were you, I'd relax and do whatever makes life comfortable for all of you. Getting out and having fun is as necessary as food, water, and sleep.

I have taken both of my children out within the first week. as long as they are kept warm. in fact inside air can be more harmful than fresh air. I recomend a short little stroll to see how baby does, it will help you to relax and feel more confident about future outings.