How were you advised introducing your preemies to the "outside world?"

Brummy14

While we plan on pretty much keeping the girls on lockdown well through next flu season (get them to at least over one year adjusted -- and then likely again during the following flu season as they hit 2 years adj), what have your docs recommended in terms of gradual introduction into the "outside" environment? I figure it's better to gradually find ways to expose them to more and more, but not really sure how one accomplishes that, exactly.

We'd like to get them into daycare potentially the summer after their 2nd BDay (they would be 2.5 years adj by then) -- and don't want that to be their first real exposure experience -- because if it is, we'll all be in trouble!

We haven't yet had this conversation with our docs ourselves yet, but curious what your experiences have been.  

Pips09

We were told to avoid anywhere with crowds until after flu/RSV season. This was last year, though (her first winter). We got the all clear to do whatever we wanted around April, and haven't had any restrictions since. We just use common sense at this poin

Mrs. Alice

We never were told to do "lock down" but were pretty cautious the first winter and didn't take them out very much or expose them to other children.  In the Spring and Summer we started going out more and doing things like going to the park, shopping

sdtchica13

I agree with many of the PP's. To be honest, what you are proposing sounds like complete overkill and could actually be detrimental to your girls. Corri was born in March and came home in May and we were encouraged to take her out and about by early Ju

rednelson

Ditto PPs. Unless your MD is telling you otherwise, there is really no reason to keep them on lockdown past the end of cold/flu season, especially if you want to keep your sanity. My DS is a 29 weeker with BPD and came come on oxygen. We did lockdown when

thishappyhouse

We werent given any guidelines... probably because they already knew I was neurotic about it.  4  That said, last May my pedi encouraged me to slowly start getting out with my DD (7 months 3 adjusted) and just do lots of hand washing/sanitizi

Brummy14

Thanks guys - this is helpful. I guess I wasn't super clear -- in the sense that we'd be on "informal" lockdown through the summer, more as a consequence of our chaotic schedules with us both being back at work FT  -- since I'm going back to work