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January 2016 Moms
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Going out with baby

mbud926mbud926 member
edited February 2016 in January 2016 Moms
As a FTM, I'm much less crazy than I expected after my anxiety ridden pregnancy. However, when I told my pediatrician that I wanted to keep my son in a bubble she said that she somewhat agrees! She advised that we don't really go out (other than fresh air walks) until flu season ends...aka APRIL! My maternity leave is up end of March and I feel like I'm missing great moments by being cooped up in the house. I've taken him on the occasional Target and lunch trips but nothing past that. I have a big family function mid March (before he gets his vaccines) but have mommy guilt about considering attending with him. Anyone else receive similar advice or are you all out & about with baby?
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Re: Going out with baby

  • mom2be2016mom2be2016 member
    I was given the same advice from my pediatrician the other day. My daughter will be 8 weeks on Monday and I'm so anxious to go out and about with her. Just like you we have had very limited trips out. We have gone to the grocery store one time and out to dinner once and of course trips to the pediatricians office. The pediatrician even advised to keep her away from kids and people with kids so considering most of our friends are teachers we told them not to come over until the winter/flu season is over. Counting down the days to warmer weather. Honestly by mid March I would think you would be ok with going to the family function. If it makes you feel better maybe just put your son in a moby wrap and wear him so other people aren't holding/touching him. 
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  • kgcnyckgcnyc member
    At our first pedi appt 2 days after leaving hospital we were told to take baby out everyday. At our 2 week appt we were told to go out to a restaurant and enjoy getting out. At this same appt I asked when we could travel by plane (because my entire fam is across the country in CA) and he said "tomorrow if you want", meaning anytime. 
    It sounds like you're getting out and about here and there. We don't do much more than what you mentioned (target/market/restaurant)
    although we did get babe baptized at 2 weeks while my mom was still in town and he was around about 15 friends and family the whole day and did fine. 

    I think it's a little unrealistic to stay inside until April, but I understand how it must be difficult to go against your pedi's recommendation. In all honesty I was surprised by what ours recommended but I'm going with it because it makes all of us a little happier. 

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  • hannahduff3hannahduff3 member
    I can't personally stay inside that long. I don't take him places where he's going to be touched constantly but target etc where he really just sits in his car seat/stroller the whole time. If I'm worried about people trying to touch him, I wear him in his carrier. Sitting in the house contributes to my depression but picking the wrong activity outside the house contributes to my anxiety so it's a fine line for me!
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  • carlyhammondcarlyhammond member
    I take VERY limited trips out. 
    But at some point you don't have a choice if you want to get things done. 
    If you want to keep your sanity you have to get out of the house. 
    Last Tuesday SO and I just drove around town paying bills and that made me feel so much better! 
    I have taken LO to the health department (I was terrified LO would leave with all sorts of diseases-- but we still haven't gotten sick) 
    i usually leave him in his car seat covered with his car seat cover when in public - I feel like that protects him from all evil germs ;) 
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  • cali1710cali1710 member
    At her two week appointment my dr said becaus she is gaining weight well and was full term that there isnt any reason not to go out. We don't go crazy by any means. To the grocery store, I went to the mall today but just to a few stores (shes one month now). We go for walks when the weather is nice (live in canada but the winter has been pretty good so far). I don't take her out to functions yet, but we go visit my parents a few days a week just to get out. But I think its ok for them to go out within reason. And she eats every 3 hours so when we go out it isnt for long. 
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  • jem8407jem8407 member
    Oh my goodness, @hannahduff3 I feel you about pre-baby and baby anxiety! I too am doing way better than I had thought. @carlyhammond I do the same thing when we take our daily outings; LO is left in the car seat and stroller with cover. When people/acquaintances want to see her I only lift part of it so they are not tempted to touch :) 
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  • SBH041815SBH041815 member
    My Moby wrap has been my lifesaver when it comes to getting out. We haven't gone much of anywhere but when we do I just put on the wrap before I even leave the house then slip baby into it when we get where we're going. That way I don't have to try and tie it somewhere awkward.
    I had to have a parent teacher conference with my oldest daughter's teacher and I put baby in her wrap and she slept through the whole thing. Some people came up to me to peek at her but no one tried to touch so it was all good!
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  • kaym6kaym6 member
    @cali1710 AGREED! I can't stand that I even have to worry about that. I went to the store and wore the baby in my boba and some woman said "is that a baby in there" and I said yes because obviously there is and her response "let me see" like no? Stop walking toward me and don't demand I "let you see" I don't even know you. GO AWAY 
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  • grkgdss00grkgdss00 member
    I take babe with my on all of my outings - Target, store, lunches, etc. Getting out and sun/air really is good for her in my opinion - and MINE. It helps her mood and she loves looking around. If she's fussy all I have to do is walk outside and it calms her. It's good to get out of the house, just keep all the hands off of her! 
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  • grkgdss00grkgdss00 member
    @cali1710 right? Who does that? I'd seriously consider punching a stranger that tried to touch my baby
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  • TRA0816TRA0816 member
    cali1710 said:
    It bothers me that we even have to worry about people trying to touch our babies when we go out. I would never go up to someone whether i know them or not and touch their baby. 
    At 4 weeks, we decided to take the baby to church. Everyone was respectful until the very end when some old man came by and kiss him before I could even blink. I have never met this man before and he was gone before I could even speak. It was so strange and maddening!
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  • l4rkl4rk member
    edited February 2016
    We have gone to a few places to run errands.  Today we will be going downtown to meet up with SO for lunch and then go to my office of about 60 people to introduce her to some coworkers. My plan is to keep her in the wrap and hopefully she sleeps through it all!

    ETA: baby girl is 3 weeks today.
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  • scornwell717scornwell717 member
    cali1710 said:
    It bothers me that we even have to worry about people trying to touch our babies when we go out. I would never go up to someone whether i know them or not and touch their baby. 
    YES and why is it that people LOVE to touch baby's hands?! Yeah great idea lets just touch the one thing that's always in their mouth...
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  • kmo8986kmo8986 member
    I have a two year old so staying home, and away is unrealistic.  We have been out and about since day 3 when we came home from the hospital.  We just got back from a 2 week long trip to NY (my grandmother got very ill and passed away) so we even went on a plane at 3 and 5 weeks.  I understand wanting to stay away from germs but if your baby is going to be in daycare you might want to consider a little bit of exposure, because daycare is a germ pool anyway. 
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  • cali1710cali1710 member
    kmo8986 said:
    I have a two year old so staying home, and away is unrealistic.  We have been out and about since day 3 when we came home from the hospital.  We just got back from a 2 week long trip to NY (my grandmother got very ill and passed away) so we even went on a plane at 3 and 5 weeks.  I understand wanting to stay away from germs but if your baby is going to be in daycare you might want to consider a little bit of exposure, because daycare is a germ pool anyway. 
    I'm very sorry to hear about your grandma! And I agree you need to expose them. Once in daycare its herm city 
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  • BarrettJ89BarrettJ89 member
    LO has horrible colic, so my anxiety has been more about her having an episode while we're out and me just not having enough hands to deal with her and my 14 month old at the same time... unfortunately, my only outings so far with both kids, I've had to have SO or my mom with me. I'm so sick of being inside. The other day my mom came and held the baby simply so I could take my son and stepdaughter outside since it was so warm! I'm not overly worried about germs, maybe I should be. She's going to catch a cold eventually, and it's miserable, but fresh air does wonders for mental health, and I can only stare at these 4 walls for so long... I do my best to allow people to see her, but I ask that they don't get too close and they are not to touch her. 
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  • alisongemalisongem member
    Ugh went to a wedding last weekend and there were two young kids there. Their mom told me not to bring the baby by her kids because they might be sick... So when their mom holds my baby the first thing she does is go to her sick kids and say "look at the baby! Do you want another baby in the house?" And she's letting them touch her face and stuff even though they kept telling one of them to keep his fingers out of his nose and mouth all day... Not okay!!!! Ugh and now my baby has a cold >:(
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  • cali1710cali1710 member
    edited February 2016
    @BarrettJ89 I agree fresh air is amazing for mental health. Going outside makes me feel so much better. We took LO for a long walk today and it was so refreshing 
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  • BarrettJ89BarrettJ89 member
    @cali1710 our weather here in Michigan has been so wacky, by now we're usually under a foot of snow with temperatures below 0 degrees F. So a random 60 degree day definitely justified us getting out. Even if it is chilly, I have bundled the kids to go hit a drive thru somewhere for coffee. Just getting some sunlight and fresh air... I have to or I go completely nuts. Plus, it's good practice for me to eventually get up the guts to go out in public with both kiddos by myself. 
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  • cali1710cali1710 member
    @BarrettJ89 I'm just across the border in Toronto. Our winter has been crazy weird! Only a day or two of bone chilling cold but other then That its been anywhere from -10 to +15 c. And we havent even had a big snow storm yet. Currently we have green grass, but Wednesday we are expected to get our first big dumping of 15-20cm. Long story short, we have been able to go for walks and get out which has been nice. If I were cooped up this long inside I would have gone mad and probably a bit depressed. 
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  • EbiejayEbiejay member
    I've been taking little man out either in the wrap or in his stroller with the cover all the way over, so people don't try and touch him. I want to get used to taking him out so I don't build up the anxiety. 
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  • Rach8672Rach8672 member
    edited February 2016
    LO is fine as long as her stroller is in motion or shes in the car. I took her to my 6 wk PP check up , she was great until the end. I had to stay in the exam room for a good 10 min to settle her down then walk her back to the car and then another freak out to buckle her into the car seat. Started to drive home and she's fine again... Thank goodness!!! Living downtown in a big city isn't always easy to  get around or pull over if she cries . So far she's been holding up well with grocery store trips , walks , short shopping trips / outtings.  
    I attempted my first outinng long enough where I had to feed and change her while out at the auto show. It went well ! I fed her based on time vs waiting for a fuss. I still get a little worried but am a lot more comfortable with outtings 
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