Preemie Allowed to Be Taken for Walk in Stroller?

I am the mother of two preemies. If they were strong enough to leave the hospital and come home, then they are strong enough for a walk around the block. It might actually help them and certanly you too. With the weather being so nice, it would be a shame to waste it. My daughters were born 11 weeks and 5 weeks early, it is a nerve wracking experince, but they are stronger than you realize. My daughters are now 5 and 2 and you would never know they were preemies.

I would get a wrap. Then, you have baby close to you, and the added benefit of people not being able to put their hands all over baby. I like the gypsy momma wrap. Hotslings are good too, as are babyhawks (these aren't wraps, just good carriers :)).

C.,
I did not have a preemie but from having family members and friends who did I would have to say "No. It's not a good idea." Preemies are so susceptible to all sorts of viruses and infections. Just being out in that weather is not even good for them... I know it also depends on how preemie your child was/is. I know my cousin wouldn't let family over or take her child out for quite a while... plus this is cold season and that is so harmful to babies under two, just imagine what it could do to a preemies still developing system. YIKES!

I hope this helps.
T.

C.: As nice as it is outside for a walk I would not chance taking out your baby yet. There are people with the flu and even though you may not be in contact the air could possibly have these germs. Be patient and let your baby have a chance to have an immune system to fight diseases.

I had two preemies and my doctor told me walks would be good for them. The fresh air is great for their young lungs and it's good for you to get out of the house. She did caution that other walkers may want to see the babies but as long as they don't get too close and they aren't children this isn't a problem.

YES! I am a mom to four preemies. Early morning sunshine does wonders to help with their bilirubin count and prevent a lapse back into jaundice. Also, if a neighbor approaches, you have all that fresh air to dispel germs instead of an enclosed environment. You only need to have their faces exposed and make sure they are dressed for the weather. Mine enjoyed their walk time immensely!

My oldest spent a month in the NICU before coming home and was not supposed to be in "public" for 3 months. My pediatrician told me that I could take him for a walk in the stroller, but make sure you have some sort of barrier (screen, blanket, etc...). I also chose to walk where the odds of running into people were small. You just have to be assertive to keep people from getting close, but getting outside would probably be good for you! I know how it is being stuck in the house! (of course- weather permitting also) You may want to ask your pediatrician to be sure.

Hi C.,
I am one of the Neonatologists in the valley. It is OK to take the baby out in the stroller. Just make sure, little kids don't come running up to kiss the baby!!
The greatest risk during winter is for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) that can cause significant acute lung disease, especially if your premie required a ventilator in the hospital.
Hope that helps. Dr.Carballo

Hi! I am a mother of 5, with my youngests being 23 month old boy and girl twins. They were born a month early, but not really considered preemie, although they were only 4lbs when they came home. Our Pediatrician strongly recommended we not bring them into the public for 8 weeks, because of the RSV season (mine were born in March). Even though I was going a bit stir crazy, I stayed away from crowds and followed her instructions. We did however walk, a lot! So enjoy this time with your precious little baby. Walk and take it all in!Bundle him up, keep drafts off of him, feed him well and love him. You can't go wrong with that! M.

By all means please go for a walk, it will be good for both of you. You can go stir crazy being cooped up in the house all day long! Just as others have suggested, don't let people near, keep warm, and a sling may be best :)

Enjoy your exercise!

I have triplets who were born 10 weeks premature. My doctor told us to stay away from public places (malls, grocery stores, wal-mart, etc.) but it was okay to take them for walks around the block. They didn't leave the house for the first year except to go to the doctor or for walks. We started out slow with just short walks lasting 10 minutes or so and by the end of their first year, we would take hour long walks. That was my sanity saver for not being able to leave the house. Good luck!

I am the mom of a 30 weeker and we had the same advice given to us. Yes, please listen to them! There are so many people sick right now, you do not want your baby to catch anything! It seems simple to just run somewhere but you never know who is going to be there or what is going to happen.... enjoy the walks !! : )
You should look into going March of Dimes group as a preemie mom.... We have a family teams committee that works to support the March of Dimes and all they do to support the NICU families.... feel free to ask for more info : )

Good Luck !! : )

My daugher was 7 weeks early and I found myself going stir crazy when we got her home. I did take her on walks every morning until I returned to work. I found it great for both of us. Most people we came across were very aware of the "Don't Touch" policy and I never had issues with anyone reaching in or wanting to hold her, unless I said it was ok. We both loved the fresh air and it introduced her to a new environment early on. I say, if you're comfortable, go for it! You're the mom and have the internal instinct if something isn't right. Enjoy your time with your new one!!

i am not a preemie mama but i hear the best thing for preemies is to keep them close to your body. i would say, take that baby on a walk, fresh (not cold) air is good for them, not to mention a little vitamin D but put your little one in a sling next to your body instead of in a stroller where there is more potential for them to get cold but keep her/him close to you where they are near your warm body and beating heart.

Hi C.! You are "allowed" to do whatever you want, he is your baby. :) I had my twins at 28 weeks, and they spent 13 weeks in the NICU. I was so scared of everything the first week they were home (the week before Christmas last year, so imagine all my family wanting to have us come over). I stayed cooped up in the house with them for four months before I finally went stir crazy and had to get out. We went for an hour long walk that first time, and it felt so amazing. I also noticed that after we started taking regular walks around our neighborhood, my babies were sleeping better because they could breathe easier. From personal experience, I would say that it would be fine to take your new son for a walk. You can put him in the stroller or a sling, but just make sure that he is nice and warm (even with the nice weather that we've been having lately, it's still best to keep a light blanket over him). And if you do encounter neighbors or other people, just make sure that they know about the "look but don't touch" policy. I don't know why people think that it's okay to touch someone else's baby without permission anyways, that's just rude. And if someone can't keep their hands to themselves, then simply walk away. If they think that you are being mean by walking away, don't feel bad, just know that they were being rude first.

Your maternal instincts will tell you what is right and what is wrong for your and your baby. If you get outside and don't feel right, then head back in. If you are out for half an hour and feel that you want to stay out longer, then by all means, stay out longer. Your baby will tell you when he is ready to go in. Listen to him and listen to your heart, and you can't go wrong.

Feel free to contact me for anything else or just to talk to another adult (or preemie mom). ____@____.com

-A. Rae

I'm not a preemie mom, but I am a mom who had a baby in the height of flu, RSV, cold, and all sorts of other wonderful illnesses season. Walks were my sanity saver, otherwise I would have gone nuts being cooped up inside all the time. I would put my son into a sling for shorter walks, or bundle him up well and take him for longer walks in his stroller. I would definitely take your little guy for walks around your neighborhood - it's good for both of you! I imagine you both would benefit from the fresh air and exercise.

Unless you are getting specific advice to the contrary from your child's doctor, I would go ahead and walk if you feel like it. I got my preemie son out regularly and it was a good thing for both of us. It can be very hard to find a reasonable balance between protecting your child from possible dangers and everyone having a reasonable quality of life. I would lean on the advice of your child's doctor, who knows his or her medical history. Different preemies can have very different issues.

Hi C.. I am a mom of a preemie. My son was born 8 weeks early and spent just under a month in the NICU unit. We, like so many of your other responses, were told not to go out in public but walks would be lovely. My son was born in Sept. and out of the NICU late Oct. right in flu and cold season. We went on walks many of the days it was nice out. I bundled him up - sometimes we used the stroller and sometimes I wore a front carrier. I do remember that we started walking a couple weeks after he was home. But that was due to me getting use to being a mother not necessarily from worry about his going out. I did take the "look but don't touch approach" if we came onto neighbors who wanted to say hello to my little one. Hope that helps and if you want to talk to another preemie mom you can always email me ____@____.com. Thanks.

I'm certainly not a doctor. But, as a mother of three preemies, my advice is that the fresh air will do your preemie and you a world of good. It's not healthy to stay cooped up inside all day. You just don't want to expose your child to germs, so be leery of contact with passerby's, especially children.

Yes take your walks. The outside isn't going to hurt your baby. Just make sure you bundle the baby up really good, so he doesn't get cold.

My son was 7 weeks preemie and I know what you are going through being stuck at home. I would take my son on walks with me but I always kept him in his stroller the the car seat attached and I would make sure he was covered either by the sunblocker covers(can't remember what they are called) Or having a blanket cover them. Make sure to keep them warm and not let stangers look. Jusst let them know you have a preemie who is able to get sick easier but they can see a picture. Just keep the baby covered and you will be fine. Good luck my son is now 2 1/2 and rarely gets sick

i probably wouldn't. but at this point i would make sure he is getting a lot of skin to skin contact with you (kangaroo style). it would be great if you could hold him and not just put him in a stroller. www.thebabywearer.com forums have great information about wearing your baby. it helps so much with everything! i still wear my 13 month old A LOT and we are so close.

I carried my preemie in a sling almost everywhere I went for the first few years of his life. He was close to me and I could more closely monitor who/what he came in contact with. Even when you stay away from more "germy" areas, people are prone to stick their head in your stroller and touch your baby's hands...and then you're constantly monitoring that. You can buy a sling online, with many choices available...beautiful fabrics...and you and your baby will love it! (You can even nurse in it.) Hope this helps!