Afraid to take LO out
Hi all,
I never intro'ed here but my son Malcolm was born on April 8 at 34 & 4. He spent 9 days in the NICU and has been doing mostly really well at home.
Our pedi was adamant about not having him around people until he was one month adjusted which was just this past Sunday so we've spent 10 weeks home alone with no visitors and no trips out in public except for the pedi and LC. Now that the ban has been lifted, my parents are coming tomorrow for a weekend visit and my IL's are coming in a few weeks. I'm insisting that anyone who stays here gets the TDAP vaccine and I'm ok with that but I think I've developed a phobia about taking him out in public.
Setting aside the fact that I'm still figuring out his routines and have no idea how a trip out would effect his sleeping and eating, I'm pretty paranoid about having him around strangers. I know it's irrational but I guess that what phobias are.
Anyone else experience this? How'd you get over it?
Thanks!
Kim
Re: Afraid to take LO out
Fellow germophobe, here.
We started allowing visitors regularly in late April, but we still have everyone scrub into the house when they get here, leave shoes at the front door, etc. We'll likely keep this up through this upcoming flu season (especially since they won't qualify for Synagis this next go-around).
We haven't really taken the girls "out" -- more because it's a super logistical challenge, between their still-erratic eating/sleeping schedule in tandem with my pumping schedule. Never mind the process and sheer amount of stuff we need to go anywhere. That, and they melt down at the drop of a hat, so preference to be at home to manage that for now.
But, were it not a logistical nightmare, like PPs mentioned, we were given then RSV "stop sign" hangers, and I would baby carry anywhere I went. I would basically go crazy on any strangers who got too close.
I've been ready to do this more than once during our trips to the neo in the hospital.
And, yes, hand sanitizer. Tons. We have it everywhere -- work, purse, multiple locations throughout our home.
A fellow preemie mom said that, now, coughs sound like gunshots. Amen.
I'm told it will get better.
Thank you all so much for the good advice and reassurance that I'm not alone. I am indeed VERY grateful that it's not RSV season. I don't think we'd ever leave the house again if it were. As it is, I think I'm keeping the had sanitizer companies in business. I'm especially intrigued by the Stop signs you all mentioned. A perfect way to make the nosy Nancies at least pause long enough for me to explain. I do plan to use our sling/carrier as much as possible both for protection and because I can't imagine how anyone fits groceries into their carts if the car seat is taking up the whole basket. Those things are huge!
Thanks too for the reassurance that the anxiety itself will pass. The logistics, the germs, all of it are becoming overwhelming and I know that the longer I wait, the worse it will get. Time to rip that band aid off!
I also totally love the line "coughs sound like gunshots". That's the perfect way to describe how I feel anytime we're waiting at the pedi. They usually try to usher me back to the exam room to wait ASAP but there's always someone before that who makes me nervous and who makes me imagine I'm sharing a waiting area with the ebola virus.
Thanks again all - no one understands what it's like except for people who've been there too!
DD was born at 35 weeks in Dec. I didn't take her out until she got her 2 month shots. My FIL passed away a few days after she got those shots and we had to drive 11 hours to go to the funeral. LO was around dozens of people and it made me nervous, but after that experience helped me relax a bit. She wasn't in the NICU though.