Moms of 2+: How did you balance newborn with toddler activities

GoBleu · August 2012

Hit 35 weeks today and am starting to hyperventilate about this fall.

DS will be about 27 months and does best when we get out of the house in the morning and return home for lunch.

Am I nuts to even consider handling a 2 week old and participating with DS at a class or at the park? Also did you worry about germs taking the newborn to your toddler activities? I feel like for DS our pedi basically told us to be hermits until DS was 8 weeks old but that doesn't seem realistic this time.

Thank you for your experience and insight.

kcisthebombdotcom · August 2012

I had a c-section, so it took about 4-5 weeks before I was physically ready to handle a toddler and a newborn in public by myself. Otherwise, I would say it's totally fine to do things 2 weeks PP. I would wear baby in a carrier the whole time so no one can touch.

ghcc · August 2012

My DD2 is a July baby, and I was worried about the same thing during fall. Those first few months, they sleep so much and are very transportable! Once I got the hang of feedings, and recovered from my csection, we were off and running. You will be fine!! Dd2 is still just crawling...this is when it's hard to take 2 out. : she wants to get out of the stroller but can't yet walk! Good luck!

jinnymb · August 2012

I can't remember the exact time we started going out again but I think it was under 1 month. I did a lot of baby wearing and if DS1 had a class, the baby slept in the car seat in the corner.

Just take it easy and don't put too many expectations on yourself until you get in your groove. I had to put DS1 in the stroller a lot and try to keep him entertained while breast feeding in public. That part was kind of tricky. I also found some fenced in parks and closed in indoor play places, so that helped.

I ended up not planning more than one activity a day, otherwise I was too overwhelmed.

For the first year, some days I was a hero and some days I looked like an a**hole.

ghcc · August 2012

Oh and I didn't worry about germs nearly as much as I did the first time around...plus we were outside a lot last fall. I just made sure other people's toddlers didn't touch the baby.

HarrietNJMommy · August 2012

I did music classes, storytime and "Mommy and Me Greek Class' with my older kids...........I just wore the younger one in a carrier.

Mc_Newlywed · August 2012

My son is 4 weeks and he's already been to Target, food shopping, various appointments, the park, ice cream place.... And today out to lunch Toys r Us.

I say go...get out. Just sanitize your hands before you pick up/touch the baby. And don't let anyone else hold him while you're out. And wash your hands as soon as you get home.

GoBleu · August 2012

You guys are awesome! Thank you for such supportive and resourceful responses! Many good ideas to think about like nursing in the car before we head in somewhere or having things to entertain DS in stroller if I need to NIP.

FusionLMT · August 2012

yep, it really isn't too hard. She takes cat-naps in the morning in the carrier or carseat while we go to the toddler activities, and then they both take a nice long nap in the afternoon. She has had a few little colds here and there, while my son didn't get sick until he was much older, but nothing too bad (and they were more likely caused by my son rather than some random kid).

Spin313 · August 2012

I wasn't a "hermit" with either kid. A few weeks after DD was born, we were back into our usual mom group activities and errands. I just wore DD in the Bjorn, or she slept in her car seat.

HarrietNJMommy · August 2012

KC_13:
I had a c-section, so it took about 4-5 weeks before I was physically ready to handle a toddler and a newborn in public by myself. Otherwise, I would say it's totally fine to do things 2 weeks PP. I would wear baby in a carrier the whole time so no one can touch.

I've had 3 c-sections and have been out at 2 weeks PP.............

NerdyMama2 · August 2012

We're signing DS up for a couple sports this fall, as well as signing up for mommy and me classes in the winter-spring.

Moms of 2+: How did you balance newborn with toddler activities

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