how soon before you leave the house with a new baby..

[MamaFern]

im hoping baby will come today or tomorow.. i know i cant plan on it, but thats what im wishing.. anyways.. saturday is our local waldorf school fair.. and something i always go to.i really dont want to miss it especially since elwynn is finally old enuff to enjoy it! the gnome village and cookie house and craft market are sooo magical. i dont know how i will feel on sat. if ive just had a baby, but is it crazy to take a baby out when they are just sooOO little.. normally there is nowhere i'd think of going with a newborn excpet maybe a walk outside.. i guess its just bad timing... i'd have baby in the sling and everything and probably not stay long.. just curious what the other new mommas are feeling..

[*Amy*]

I've been wondering about that too. There is a monthly potluck in my village which I always love going to, and the next one is on December 10th. Of course everyone will want to meet the baby and I'm sure I will want to show her off, but my gut is telling me right now that I'm not going to feel like she's ready at that point. I'm kind of freaked about germs, especially since there are always as many kids as adults at the potlucks, and this is the time of year when everything is going around.

As for your situation, could someone else maybe take Elwynn to the fair, and then at least he won't miss it even if you don't feel up to going?

By the way, you kind of freaked me out with your topic title; I was like, did she have her baby in the last 2 hours?!?!

[oetien]

First time I went out with Fifi was when she was 15 days old. She was fine (she was sleeping the whole time). Now she's 24 days old and she's only been out 3 times for less than a couple of hours each time.

[katebleu]

i had dd last november 8th. dd, dp and i went out for coffee when dd was 3 days old, and she went to her first LLL meeting with me at 4 days old. there were no adverse effects. but i get really bad cabin fever. do what feels right.

[brandybehr]

I don't stay in.

With Sydney I was out of the hospital when she was 36 hours old and we went shopping.

Addison was 8 hours when we went home and we stopped at the grocery store.

Kiera was about 20 hours when we went out.

Julius was 27 hours (born Sunday morning) when I drove the kids to school and preschool.

If you are up for it then go for it!

[flyingspaghettimama]

I don't know, it's a good question - I stayed in for a month with my first, a preemie, due to a very bad flu season and the preemie docs said to do so. I went out to the mall with her in a sling when she was a month old (NB adjusted) and some Eritrean women I was chatting with while BF gave me the hardest time about it! They said I should be at home in bed while my mother tended to me for at least two months. It wasn't healthy for mother or baby to be out! Oh, it would be nice to live in Eritrea, perhaps.

This time, I hope everything is well enough to where we can go out, with baby in sling and away from germies. My childbirth class leader recommended staying in bed for five days though after birth! Hmm, why do I somehow think that's not going to happen.

[cjbeach]

All 3 kids were about 10 days old-ish.
I'm just not comfortable with other people touching/holding my babies when they're THAT little. I'm ok going out as long as they're warm but not ok with close contact to others' germies.

[Awaken]

I've never stayed in, either. I think it just depends on if you feel like you can do it physically, and if nursing is going ok and you feel you will be able to feed her while out without too much stress.

With my first we were taking walks around the neighborhood and visiting neighbors the next day, and with this one we would be doing the same but it's too cold! We took him to the ped's at 3 days old and grocery shopping at 4 days old. I just put him in the maya wrap and covered him up to avoid germs, and make sure we are diligent about hand washing whenever we get home from being out.

[Dagonet]

My midwives have always said that the majority of your postpartum healing occurs in the first two weeks and to stay off your feet as much as possible for that time to help your pelvic floor heal well (you'll be thankful later! ). I've always cherished my "babymoon" time and avoided too much stimulation (for myself and baby) for three weeks postpartum. I totally appreciate that cabin fever can be a problem though but you never get those first precious weeks again and baby is already adjusting to so much stimulation.....the trick to pulling off a peaceful babymoon is to not get dressed, then noone expects you to do too much !

[kel]

I agree that it's what feels right to you - I took Gretel out for the first time at 5 days for a midwife appt. and ran into the grocery for a chai with her. At about 8 days I started driving my daughter into kindergarten again every day. My midwife told me that they really prefer moms to stay in bed the first three days and keep baby home the first 3-5 days, but again, I think you should do what feels right.

[flapjack]

I think it depends on the weather, from the baby's pov: if it's really really cold, even with a sling I wouldn't risk it. For you, otoh, I think it might be too much too soon (I was up and moving around and "back to normal" day 2 after having Isaac- and fairly heavy blood loss- day 3 I was fainting and falling over.) Don't rush it, even if you have got an older child.
Of course, you could go to the fair having nice, regular contractions- enough to tell you baby's on the way, not enough to hurt or make you feel embarrassed- come home, give him his tea and put him into bed, and then push out that baby Have the best of both worlds, and a really magical day!

[MelW]

I like Helen's suggestion the most...it would make for a lovely birth story (just get home before you push the baby out!). I took Neela for a short walk outside at three days old- and then occasional short walks after that. At two weeks we went to a LLL meeting, and we've been out in public pretty regularly since then. I keep her close in the sling, so strangers can't get too close with germs- but it sure is cold season right now. I think it all depends on your comfort, and your postpartum healing, too.

[Kavita]

We took Ella to the ped at 1 day, and stopped at the grocery store on the way back. After that, I went to the lactation consultatant on day 4, and then we've made a few little trips here and there--went out to eat a couple of times, went to the ped a few times, etc. I do have to say though that I think I'm okay now, but some of that running around in the first few days probably didn't help my perineum any--I think the little tear I had hasn't exactly come back together like it was before. I don't think it's too bad though. Yesterday I went to a bookstore/coffeehouse about 1/2 mile from my house (I drove!) and got a decaf mocha and sat outside. (It's still warm here during the days.) Although we're still getting the breastfeeding thing down I have basically nursed her in public and hoped for the best. I get cabin fever too. I am okay with short trips just to get out of the house every couple of days as long as I'm not too tired, and to places where there is nobody to get too close to her. I've kept her either in my arms or briefly at the grocery store, in the carseat asleep on the grocery cart. I've avoided taking her into my workplaces, where I know people will want to hold her. It's cold and flu season and that's just too much of germs and stimulation for my taste.

Yes, I am sure that like the PP's Eritrean ladies, my Indian MIL would be disapproving of all this activity and think I should stay in bed/in the house for a while--then again, if I were in India I'd have family taking care of me, helping with the baby, etc. But hey, I'm NOT, and DH and I are pretty much stuck on our own with a few hours of doula help per week. I feel a little guilty because I've always sort of frowned on people being out and about with really tiny/young babies--and now I'm one of them!! Just another little gap between my ideals and reality!!

[MelW]

Originally Posted by Kavita

Just another little gap between my ideals and reality!!

Oh motherhood! I've found many of this little gaps (and the occasional huge one). Glad I'm not alone

[MrsMoe]

When Hannah was 5 days, we went to the mall to get winter jackets and a pair of snow boots for Emma. Then we went and got a few more baby supplies. We were gone about 3/4 hours and everything went fine.

[BensMom]

I'm trying not to get sad reading all of your stories of being out and about within a week of giving birth. I am at 6 days postpartum and can't even get into my bed without pulling something and crying out in pain. I am limited to sitting on the couch, the dining room chairs or the recliner. I miss laying down...much less going out and about.

Well tomorrow we have Elly's ped visit. Our first big family outing.

I suspect cabin fever will kick in with a vengeance some time next week.

[offpill]

Bensmom: Hope you feel better soon.

I was out with my son when he was a 1.5 days because that's when I left the hospital but I think I went out shortly after that as well. With my dd, she was 2 days old.

This time, I plan on getting out as soon as I can. I hate beign trapped indoors, but that pelvic floor thing... hmmm... maybe I will spend lots of time with my feet up as well.

I have also been lucky enough to not tear (had a very, very small nick with my first - caused by a doctor who decided I would tear so wanted to help direct it , which I try to be happy about. Afterall, this was 13 years ago and he probably thought of it as the most minimal intervention he was comfortable with considering I had a persistant posterior birth and usually they give whopping episiotomies for that) or bleed heavily so have had minimal recovery times.

I say it depends on babes, moms health, where you are going, for how long and how comfortable you are with people wanting to maul your child. I always wore her in a sling covered up so that she was inaccessible.

[MamaFern]

oh well, its unlikely ill have baby before sat. morning now anyways.. she will be safe inside and i can go have fun!

[DreamsInDigital]

Well, at least there's an upside to you still being pregnant, huh Fern?

[MrsMoe]

Originally Posted by BensMom

I'm trying not to get sad reading all of your stories of being out and about within a week of giving birth. I am at 6 days postpartum and can't even get into my bed without pulling something and crying out in pain. I am limited to sitting on the couch, the dining room chairs or the recliner. I miss laying down...much less going out and about.

Well tomorrow we have Elly's ped visit. Our first big family outing.

I suspect cabin fever will kick in with a vengeance some time next week.

I was in terrible shape the first few days, even the day I went out I winced in pain a bit from time to time, but at least the horrid agonzing part was over for me. I can totally empathize.

Are you worried? I'm a bit owrried for you... Is it normal to be in agonzing pain a week after having the baby? Is it because of really bad tears or hemroids? Are you OK honey? Please see a Dr. if your pain persists, OK?