Would you take your 4 day old to target?

Happycouple · August 2011

To each their own, but I thought it was common knowledge NOT to take a baby out in public places after they are first born. My doc said 6-8 weeks minimum. I dont think we took DS anywhere but to relatives houses or for a walk until he was 5 or 6 weeks...i could be wrong,but dont exactly remember.

A good friend of mine just had her baby 4 days ago and texted me that her trip to target did NOT go well with the baby. That seems waaay early and Im surprised her doc didnt say anything to them. I was just kind of shocked.....maybe everyone is different and maybe if you have multiple children its unavoidable not to leave the house sometimes, but I just thought it was standard that you dont bring a newborn out in public places like that right away????

This is their first child btw

Carrie25 · August 2011

We took my DS out before he was a week old. My pedi didn't say anything about keeping him at home for 6-8 weeks. I always timed it so he'd be fed and sleeping and he was always in his carseat so no one would touch him. I had no problem with it. He didn't get sick either.

As a new mom too, I would've gone crazy had I not gone out of the house.

Happycouple · August 2011

Carrie25:

We took my DS out before he was a week old. My pedi didn't say anything about keeping him at home for 6-8 weeks. I always timed it so he'd be fed and sleeping and he was always in his carseat so no one would touch him. I had no problem with it. He didn't get sick either.

As a new mom too, I would've gone crazy had I not gone out of the house.

Maybe my doc was overly overly cautious and its way more common than i thought!!

AlissaCell701 · August 2011

With Jake I followed those instructions and by week 6 I was losing my mind..I was so bored being at home all day long.

Not sure how pratical this will be with baby #2 and having to take Jake to all his activities and such...but to each there own I guess

naflmj · August 2011

DS was born in the winter and we took him out within the first week. Our pedi didn't say anything though the one who did our birthing class said 3 months...I felt that that was a bit much. We needed to get a 2nd pack n play and I couldn't lift it and DH didn't trust himself to get the right one. That being said, we didn't go out a ton or anything but if we needed to get something done, we did it.

sasa625 · August 2011

Our pedi said 2 weeks, so we didn't take DD out until then. We did go to Target before that, but DH just waited in the car with DD (I was in a ton of pain and I didn't want to drive)

We did keep her in her carseat, covered, so no one got too close, and we kept the trips pretty short. But we definitely needed to get out of the house by then!

KYRN · August 2011

Carrie25:
We took my DS out before he was a week old. My pedi didn't say anything about keeping him at home for 6-8 weeks. I always timed it so he'd be fed and sleeping and he was always in his carseat so no one would touch him. I had no problem with it. He didn't get sick either.
As a new mom too, I would've gone crazy had I not gone out of the house.

This, we went on the way home from a pedi visit, I think about 1 week and it was me and DH.

dana316 · August 2011

I wouldn't...but my 28 day old was in the hospital and had a spinal tap, IV, catheter, etc because of a fever. (it ended up being a kidney infection)

I am petrified of illness in newborns...it scares me to death.

I didn't take Caro anywhere for 6 weeks other than the pedi...but she was born in the middle of the swine flu epidemic.

emmyloustu · August 2011

We took Eliza to target for a quick necessities trip on the way home from her first pedi appt- she was just a few days old. I also took her to an appt with an LC within the first week. I think we went out to dinner when she was 2w old. Our pedi never gave us rules & she was a winter baby. I kept her carseat covered or I wore her. I imagine we will b out & about pretty quickly with number 2 as well!

muppet.fan · August 2011

Carrie25:
We took my DS out before he was a week old. My pedi didn't say anything about keeping him at home for 6-8 weeks. I always timed it so he'd be fed and sleeping and he was always in his carseat so no one would touch him. I had no problem with it. He didn't get sick either.
As a new mom too, I would've gone crazy had I not gone out of the house.

Ditto this. We were definitely at Target the first week, but we were also going to the pedi and/or hospital every other day for jaundice/weight checks and figured a pedi waiting room was definitely more germy than Target!

I think this is one of those areas where pediatricians really vary.

GuitaristsGirl · August 2011

Our pedi gave us no restrictions at all and, in fact, kind of looked at me like I was crazy when I asked! I'm sure we had DS at Target within a week or 2, and we had DD at church for Easter within about the same time. No one ever tried to touch them, fwiw - not even the little old church ladies

oooCarrieB · August 2011

I think I read something that said - unless your hospital/clinic and your house are connected by an underground tunnel, you will have to take your newborn out.

My mom and I took LO to BRU when she was like 5 days old and it was fine. She was healthy and the weather was fine and we kept her in her carseat. No one touched her.

LVBlvd · August 2011

Paige went to Target, BRU, the pedi for a weight/bili check, then Red Robin when she was 4 days old.

My pedi didn't give me any restrictions on this.

With my twins (I have a new pedi), we went to the mall when they were 1.5 weeks old.

Everyone survived : )

WillisReincarnated · August 2011

Yes, i would and think that I did. C was born in April, so it wasn't RSV season. We needed supplies and had to get out.

I probably had him at the local outdoor wine bar before he was 8 weeks old. How is that for shameful ?

WhiteysWifey · August 2011

We had to stop at the store on the way home from the hospital...DD was 2 days old. It wasn't a pleasure trip, just we needed some things, that we couldn't get in our home town (45 minutes from hospital and stores).

We own our own store and DD and I were over there frequently, but she was always strapped to my body and no one came near us, because we were in the back.

mrsolsenk12 · August 2011

After 7 weeks of bedrest, i couldn't stand my own house. Hayden was 3 days old when discharged. The next day, we were at Fazoli's and Best Buy. Heck at 10 days i took him to the school i had taught at for their last day since i wasn't returning the next year. He was born in may so maybe that had something to do with it. However at 3 weeks old, dh brought home a summer cold and hayden got sick so being home isn't always safe either.

iluvadam · August 2011

Yes I would. And yes, I did. It is crazy to think that anyone could be expected to stay in their house for 5-6 weeks to protect a newborn from germs. If you wanted to, that is one thing, but for someone to instruct you to do that is ridiculous. Besides, you could easily go to Target with baby in a stroller protected from all the germs. Not like in the pedi office where nasty stuff is flying around all over the place.

Happycouple · August 2011

emmyloustu:
We took Eliza to target for a quick necessities trip on the way home from her first pedi appt- she was just a few days old. I also took her to an appt with an LC within the first week. I think we went out to dinner when she was 2w old. Our pedi never gave us rules & she was a winter baby. I kept her carseat covered or I wore her. I imagine we will b out & about pretty quickly with number 2 as well!

we also went to the LC a few times in the first 2 weeks as well

Happycouple · August 2011

WillisReincarnated:

Yes, i would and think that I did. C was born in April, so it wasn't RSV season. We needed supplies and had to get out.

I probably had him at the local outdoor wine bar before he was 8 weeks old. How is that for shameful ?

Well, for wine, its never shameful!

Happycouple · August 2011

It sounds like my doc was super and overly cautious then. I know it was hard not to take him out that first month. it sounds like the norm is to venture out a little earlier....Im wondering how long Im gonna last in the house when this one comes along? It will be the start of flu season...

schmoodle · August 2011

With Toodle I don't think we took him to Target until about 2 weeks old, but with Boodle we went to Target when she was exactly 4 days old. We needed stuff and DH wasn't comfortable finding the pump parts, etc., that I needed. Our doc said it was fine and actually recommended we take her out as long as we didn't let anyone touch her (which I wouldn't ever do anyways). She stayed covered with a blanket in her carseat the entire time.

lmc5004 · August 2011

I took my 4 day old to target on the way home from the hospital because we had to get preemie formula since he werent expecting to need it. And a prescription for him. My Dr never said not to take him out.

Christakim · August 2011

I took Ella out on day 3, just made sure people didn't touch/get near her. With the twins, it was a bit different and we waited a while, but they were preemies.

laura1 · August 2011

I didn't take DS out until he was about 2 weeks old, and it was to target, then panera for lunch. He was born in Feb, but he stayed in his carseat, covered up by his car seat cover and sunshade.

DD was at Touch a Truck day when she was 6 days old (DS LOVES trucks, and neither DH nor I wanted to miss seeing his reaction). She stayed covered up in her car seat and snap and go stroller. We only stayed for about 30-45 min. Then she went to DS's little gym class when she was 8 days old - We had to take DS, so DH went in with him and I stayed outside with DD and watched her. She was fine, too!

dundasgirl · August 2011

We went to Wal-mart to get cheap nursing bras the day after we got out of the hospital! My boobs grew like 15 billion sizes when my milk came in, and I was in PAIN! My DH was at work..and my shy MIL would never buy me a bra...so we packed up Reed and headed to Wal-mart. As we were walking through the doors I actually said to him, "Mommy hasn't been in a Wal-mart in almost 5 years...but Reed, I think we will be coming here often. Get used to it!" I hated shopping there, and still don't like it...but how can you not go there when they have the best prices on diapers? LOL

I took Penny to the park at the elementary school across the street from us the day after we got home with her. Reed was 13 months old and waking up at 6 to start the day...I didn't know what to do. I was home alone with a new new baby, and a young toddler, and exhausted. I put her in the Moby and away we went.

There is no way I would have been able to stay home that long.

Ali212 · August 2011

I don't think it's common to not take a new baby out until 6-8 weeks. When my 1st daughter was born, I explicitly asked her pedi if it was okay if I had her out and he kind of looked at my like I was crazy and said yes, of course (just don't take her to crowded places or let a ton of people touch her). It sounds like your doctor is quite conservative and while it's not wrong, I don't think it's the norm at all. Within the first week, we had her at a Target & Whole Foods in addition to various walks around NYC. But I honestly would have gone crazy not taking her out and just staying inside for 8 weeks. By 8 weeks, I had flown on a 12 hour flight overseas with her (so, I may be the other extreme

!).

nikinikinine · August 2011

Carrie25:
We took my DS out before he was a week old. My pedi didn't say anything about keeping him at home for 6-8 weeks. I always timed it so he'd be fed and sleeping and he was always in his carseat so no one would touch him. I had no problem with it. He didn't get sick either.
As a new mom too, I would've gone crazy had I not gone out of the house.

This. We took the twins to the mall when they were 9 days old, in January, in Upstate NY. I bundled them up, fed them before we left and we walked the mall for an hour. I needed to get out of the house, they did fine. I was thankful to be out of my living room. No one ever told us we were remanded to the house for any length of time.

To this day my kids (knock on wood) have never been sick. We've taken them out a ton since bringing them home without issues.

Yellow_Daisy · August 2011

We weren't given any restrictions by the pedi and took LO to the store, BRU, Target and probably a lot of other places in the first 2 weeks. When he was 3 weeks old we went to Lake Tahoe with my entire family including my 5 nieces and nephews. DS is 6 weeks today and we go out at least 3-4 days a week to run errands, have lunch with friends, coffee playgroups, etc.

MyShellyBelly · August 2011

I'm kinda paranoid, so our LO's didn't go out until their first vaccinations were given.

crystalgirl · August 2011

emmyloustu:
We took Eliza to target for a quick necessities trip on the way home from her first pedi appt- she was just a few days old. I also took her to an appt with an LC within the first week. I think we went out to dinner when she was 2w old. Our pedi never gave us rules & she was a winter baby. I kept her carseat covered or I wore her. I imagine we will b out & about pretty quickly with number 2 as well!

Basically this (for DS2). We were more conservative with DS1 (though he was a summer baby), but with DS2, we were stir-crazy and had to get out. We kept him fully covered at all times, but we went out quite a bit. I think the first time we took DS1 out was ~2 weeks, but DS2 was out within a few days of birth. Our state discharges within 24 hours of birth (for a complication-free vaginal delivery), but there is a mandatory appointment ~3 days post-discharge. We went out to lunch afterward!

desabean · August 2011

I would have been in the looney bin if I couldn't take her out in public for 6-8 weeks. Granted, it is much easier to do with a summer baby. I may have waited had she been born during flu season, but I would have gone crazy. We took her to the mall at 5 days and the grocery store at a week. I tried to get out of the house with her everyday for a bit. Plus, two of my best friends had babies within 8 weeks of me so we met up often for lunch with the babies. Heck we went on vacation for two weeks with 22 of my cousins in the same house when she was 7 weeks old.

DrVWife · August 2011

M spent her first week in NICU due to being born at 34 weeks...it was a required NICU stay until 35 weeks. We had her out the day we brought her home. I see nothing wrong with it...to each their own. I will say that I made sure nobody touched her unless they used hand sanitizer (which I keep in my diaper bag) first for the first 2 months of her life.

Sarafuss · August 2011

We stopped by Target on the way home from the hospital (he was 3 days old). We had to pick a few things up and he stayed in his carseat and no one was even near him. I think you should use your best judgment with a newborn (don't take them to public places where people will be too close or holding LO) but there is no reason you have to stay confined to your house for 6-8 weeks.

JillRock96 · August 2011

I would have lost my mind if I had waited 6 to 8 weeks! With Ava, it was flu season, so we waited a few weeks, and we were more cautious about keeping the trips short, keeping her covered, etc. With the twins (born in May), we were out when they were a week old because Ava was going stir crazy in the house. Our pedi never gave any precautions because none of them were born premature.

Mrs.McJeep · August 2011

We didn't take the boys anywhere but to doc appointments for the first 3 or 4 weeks they were home. Granted they were preemies, and when Luke was still in NICU there were a few days we had to take John to hospital with us...I was terrified the whole time he was there, getting exposed to germs.

I hated taking the boys anywhere, and definitely will be avoiding public places when the new baby comes. I had some lady stick her finger in Luke's mouth when he was about 6 months old to look at his teeth...I was so shocked I couldn't react quickly enough. I'm amazed that people, especially older people think it's totally acceptable to touch babies.

superned · August 2011

DD was in the NICU for a week due to suspected pneumonia. She got a week's worth of IV antibiotics. At discharge, the NICU doctors told us there were no restrictions, just to be sensible and don't pass her around to a bunch of strangers or anyone who is sick.

We went to the library on her second day home and had to go to various other appointments that first week.

The key for me (well, for DH since I had a separated pelvis and couldn't carry her) was to wear DD in a Moby. She was totally protected from any random stranger trying to touch her, but we were able to get out of the house and feel somewhat normal for short periods!

skoorbnibor · August 2011

Yeah, I took my 5 day old to Target, on our way home from the hospital. Then I took him again when he was 7 days old, to get things for his bris.

A lot depends on the health of the child, of course, and the pedi, but mine had no issues at all. A newborn is going to be all snuggled into either a car seat or a moby/carrier etc, so it isnt like anyone is going to touch them. I am sure there are some pedis who recommend it, but really, I see no issue with it

If I had a baby in the middle of winter, perhaps I would think differently, but for now, I do not side eye your friend and would do it again with my own kid.

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