Keeping Baby Home

[Mystery]

When your baby was born, did you keep them home for a little while? How long until you started taking baby out to meet people and taking them to public places?

[Seattle_mom]

I think the "babymoon" should be observed. 4 weeks, mostly at home. In fact, I wouldn't even do well baby visits in that time if it could be helped.

My first ended up in the NICU after her (home)birth due to heart problems. When I brought her home after her repair, I kept her home for 4 weeks, I mean, I took her for walks and stuff, but I didn't take her to restaraunts or the zoo or crazy stuff like that. I did take her to the grocery store because we needed food, but I kept her in a sling to keep people from touching her.

My son contracted RSV, a respiratory virus, at 1 week old. He was hospitalized twice for it, the second time with a collapsed lung. RSV is really only dangerous to infants, like many diseases are. It's better to be safe than sorry.

[LoveMaGirl]

We stayed home too a lot for the first month. We walked to the park and went to see the great grandparents once in that time. I was just too tired honestly to go out much.

[VTGal]

I didn't do this. With my first, I went out when she was 3 days old and with my second, 1 week. I think it's good for newborns to get out a little, even in the beginning, to help build their immune system.

[babyontheway]

For me it's not necessarily keeping the baby home but it's keeping people from touching the baby when they are so little. It's just seems to be a natural thing that people want to touch babies.
Anyway, as previously mentioned keeping baby in a sling or asking people to wash/disenfect hands first is how I handle the situations that come up.

[Mystery]

How common is RSV? How much of a risk is it to a healthy, full term infant born at the start of the summer? I thought it was mostly a winter time risk.

[Tiredmommy]

I stayed home for a few weeks and then I took him to church, most persons stayed away though since they knew he was newborn. I officially came out about 6 weeks after.

[solomons]

keep the baby at home as long as you can. My son caught ring worm at six weeks old because I was not as carefull as I should have been with people who wanted to hold and touch him with their dirty hands. I didnt want to step on any toes by asking people to wash their hands. You can never imagine how embarrased I was at the doctors office.

[SML]

Respect the baby's need for quiet and rest after the birth, but staying home just to stay home for a period of time is dependent on each mom. Every mom knows best, but going for a walk and bringing baby out for a coffee, or even on an errand or two is healthy for both. Staying in isolation is unproductive and a change of scenery is good!

SML

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infant-toddler-health.blogspot.com

Thanks!!!!