Q&A: going outside with a newborn

Jennifer writes:

"I'm due any day now, and my pediatrician, whom I think is quite sensible about most things, recommends that I don't take the baby outside at all for six weeks because of the high level of pollutants and allergens in my area.  My husband has seasonal allergies, so it's something I'm aware of.  This summer hasn't been a bad summer at all. No code red days, and Hubby hasn't resorted to his allergy meds nearly as often as usual.  Six weeks seems like a long time to keep a baby with a normal immune system indoors.  It seems like a very, very long time to keep me indoors.   Can this be one of those situations where I take the pediatrician's advice under advisement, and then do what feels best to me?"

Do you live in Mexico City*? If not, there's no reason to assume that your baby is going to have abnormal problems with weather conditions or pollutants. If your area is having alarm days, obviously follow the recommendations to stay inside during peak hours, but going out in the early morning and in the evening should be fine. I'm assuming you'll be paying attention to the baby while you're out and not just sending your monkey butler out to walk the child, so if the baby starts to have any problems you can go inside again right away.

All the warnings against going out I've heard have been based on not taking your child to enclosed areas with a bunch of people with their accompanying bunch of germs. If you're breastfeeding you don't have to worry so much, because your milk passes on immunities to the baby (whose own immune system isn't really in full force for a few weeks). The best way to manage this exposure is to stick to places where there aren't as many people or they're all spread out, and not tight or crowded groupings. So huge mega-grocery store or short walks around the block--yes. Crowded subways or dorm parties--no.

You can also keep your baby more protected by carrying the baby in a body carrier (sling, pouch, wrap, etc.) close to you. People seem to be less inclined to walk up to and try to touch a baby carried close to a parent than one in a stroller. Also, you can block anyone with your hands if the baby is right there. And they're not exposed to the world, but snuggled right up in your airspace.

I think you should plan on being inside for at least a few days, if not a couple of weeks, just to give yourself a chance to rest and reenergize. (In many cultures, new mothers and newborns stay inside and everyone else brings them everything they need for 40 days. So from a resting-up and bonding standpoint staying inside makes a lot of sense, assuming there are plenty of other adults there to take care of you and keep you company. But that's a huuuuge assumption.) But then you're not going to be going out on any all-day hiking trips that soon anyway, so just do what your energy level dictates. As long as the baby's with you and you're watching his or her cues, you'll be fine.

*Don't any of you chilangos get mad at me for talking smack about El Districto. You know it's super-polluted. When I lived there in '95 we used to joke that they should just chop off the last two places of the ozone index, like they did with the peso a few years previous to that. As far as I'm concerned, the pollution and traffic are the city's only flaws. Lindo y querido.

Comments

[Kate]

My goodness, those instructions would make me go mad. Personally I think it is excessive, particularly if you are nursing, unless your baby has other health issues or is very much a preemie. From the time my daughter (my first) was about a week old we'd take walks in the morning and evening. It was the best way to deal with her fussy periods (and many, many newborns like to be outside--it calms them and they will fall asleep immediately).

My son came along 22 months later, and he was outdoors right away because I was NOT going to spend the spring and summer trapped inside with a toddler and a newborn! I took care to keep him shaded as much as possible.

A sling is a good idea to keep roaming hands away (offers the most maneuverability too). My daughter was in a sling probably 90% of the time at that age; my son exclusively because we only have a single stroller and my daughter was in it.

[Katie]

I second that. Once our son was home from the hospital it was another 3 days before we were out (I think), but we definitely went out and it was a releif to all involved. I think he was about two weeks old. There's only so long you can be in your house without going a little nutsy.

[SarcastiCarrie]

This advice seems a little excessive. I open the windows to my house frequently, so the air outside is the air inside. Staying inside would have no benefit in that regard (and a lot fo negatives on the isolation front).

[cagey]

My doctor was adament that we take our baby outside with the obvious admonition to not let strangers poke and pry. She did say wait 3 week for restaurants, but grocery stores and Target were okay until then (in agreement with your "close quarters" comment). So, my son had his first trip to Target at the age of 6 days. As my doctor pointed out, wouldn't I be bringing him to HER office anyway for his visits?

I think a new mother being holed up in her house with a new baby for weeks on end is a recipe for a Emotional Disaster. I try not to be too opinionated when commenting here, but seriously - getting outside in the fresh air amongst people is crucial to mental health, in my opinion. And when it is cold? Pile on the blankets! It's all good.

Last fall, right after my son was born there were some days where picking up milk at the grocery store was all that stood between me and a padded cell. ;-)

[Kate]

My ped said mom and baby should go outside for a walk twice a day everyday. (This proved logistically difficult in the very beginning, but we did make it out at least once a day.) I feel sure that he was just saying that because it's his personal opinion that getting outside helps ward off post-partum blues. I don't think there's really a health issue for the baby esp. if you follow Moxie's sensible suggestions. So, bottom line, do what you want.

[duchess]

My son was born on in January, and the day we left the hospital, it was freezing rain and horrendously cold. Everyone told us we should stay indoors until "warm weather" came. In our part of the world, that's April!

Anyway, we left the house for a doctor's appointment three days later. And then again three days after that (the ped was worried about jaundice). It didn't hurt the baby any.

We used to go on 10 minute long walks occassionally on sunny days during the winter. Otherwise I would have gone mad, being cooped up. Don't overdo the walks/outings. My legs were rubbery for almost a month - that it was hard to do much walking.

[Vanessa]

My daughter was born in January too, and we got the warning to keep her away from crowds and not to take her for a walk outside unless it was close to 50 degrees out. I think her first real outing to a store was when she was five weeks old. We didn't go for a walk outside for another month because of the temperatures. However, I got to go to law school for a couple of hours a day during this time, so it didn't bother me as much as if I'd been stuck inside with her all that time.

[Katie]

I agree it is excessive. Think about what happens when you are cooped up indoors too long? It can make me crazy. I know with my second child walks at night and the change of scenery with a walk around the house or block during the day did wonders for his mood and ours. My baby blues were much better when I sat outside for a while or at a window with the sun shining in. My SIL is dealing with a fussy baby the same as my son and I just was able to convince her to try getting out and it made a huge difference.
As the weather gets cooler (50 today in Ohio) using a sling or carrier can keep the baby warm (zip a large coat over yourself and baby) and get the benefit of fresh air.
Trust your instincts. I think we sometimes tend to listen to "expects" more than trusting our own abilities and listening for clues from our children.

[Christine]

Um, I may be being stupid here, but the air inside the house is far more polluted than outside (presuming, apparently, you don't live in Mexico City?). Especially if your house has good insulation, the air inside doesn't turn over frequently and there are tons of allergens and pollution from cooking, cleaning, furniture, dust, etc. Outside air has this nice dilutional effect.

At least that's what we learned in our environmental epi class (I remember it clearly because it started me on a frenzy of wanting everything BADBADBAD out of my house until I realized that would include the oven. And the walls. And the furniture, including the wine rack. And that was not going to happen).

[Pamela]

Good tips, Moxie. One thing I learned from being out in public with a newborn: people cannot, and I mean CAN NOT resist cute baby hands. It's best to swaddle the baby with their arms wrapped in the blanket to prevent people from using their filthy mits to spread germs to your lovely newborn.

Also, on an unrelated but important note, we learned so much about soothing our baby from the Happiest Baby on the Block video. It made all the difference for us and is available at most libraries. The video seems more helpful that the book because you can SEE the techniques.

[Charisse]

Yikes, yes!! I would have gone bonkers staying in for that long...and not incidentally, so would my (what does Penelope Leach call it? "wakeful" I think) newborn. If your wee new one isn't the sleepy type, get her out of the house! We went out at least once a day from day 4 on...on the advice of our pedi. Even if just round the block to get a coffee, it helped me and it gave her something else to look at. Once my husband went back to work at 2 weeks, it was even more essential.

[Shandra]

I took my August baby out and completely second the advice about using a sling/carrier if you're at all comfortable with one yet because people are hugely weird about touching babies.

However, I did also want to say that I went out for (very short) walks without the baby... it felt weird and awful at first but my husband stayed with the baby and that set the tone from the start about the baby being fine with either of us (and gave my husband a chance to learn to soothe him without me hovering). We started when his weight had dipped really badly low and we were concerned that any cold/flu could be very serious... probably that was overkill but it was how we felt.

Those walks had a salubrious effect on me and if you are worried about the baby, it could be a good compromise.

[casey]

Dang, I must be a Very Bad Mom - my son was at his first restaurant at 3 days of age, first Target run at 5 days of age, and first airplane ride at 7 weeks! Shock! And he's yet to get a cold!

[SprengBlingBling]

My pedi said we could not take our Feb. full-termer our for a month. Not even to grandmas! He said his office, where we were takem straight to an exam room, or our house only.

I did end up taking him for walks when the temp went over 40, bundling him up in the stroller. But his first outing was not until he was a month old and we went to dinner.

My mom was horrified I was taking him out before six weeks. But she's one of those old-school moms who gets pissed when she sees little babies (like obviously newborns) at Target.

I thought it was unnecessary. I will take the next one out sooner.

[Kate]

I think it's funny how many babies had their debuts at Target! (I saw a three week old snuggled in a Moby wrap there a few weeks ago, and OH! so cute!)

[luolin]

My sister-in-law's solution to stir-craziness and fussiness and maybe everything else (I wasn't there so I don't know the details, but my brother works 24-hour shifts, so she either had all his help for a couple of days in a row or none at all for a day) was "fresh air!" So they took a lot of walks and jogs, and she did a half-marathon when my niece was five months old ;-)

[Heather]

My ped had this same advice about not taking the baby out for the first 8 weeks. I nodded when he said it, and cheerfully ignored him.
Actually, I find I do that more this second time around. It is a different ped, so it may be that I just am less in sync with him.

The other thing they insist upon is vitamins for breastfed babies. My now 4-month-old often has gas. As a littler one, she ALWAYS had gas, and the vitamins just served to make her constipated. Now, when my 4-year-old was a baby, vitamins were started around a year when I was tapering off of nursing/formula in favor of cow's milk. So I've cheerfully ignored that as well. Her tummy is much happier.

[Jennifer]

Thank you Moxie for taking this question, and to all of the commentors. The only outside time I was planning was gentle walks with a swaddled baby in a sling, and possible a weekend at a place where my meals are all made and cleaned up for me, and I can spend the day sitting on a rocking chair enjoying lovely Fall weather. It sure doesn't sound dangerous to me.

[Tina]

I have to agree with everyone else. My ped. said (at the 2 week check-up) not to take our first son out b/c of germs. At that point the child had already been to the store, the DMV, church, etc. When I told him that he told me to sit in the back with "the older people, they're less sick."!?! The next year a friend of mine had her first child in Oct. and he made a HUGE deal about keeping him indoors to keep the child from getting sick. (Maybe because it was the beginning of cold/flu season?) That child didn't leave the house for the first 3 months, except for Dr. visits or to see family. Once they started taking him out my friend was very overwhelmed, I think because she wasn't used to dealing with him in the world. It sure is easier to learn how with that first one when they are small and sleeping (IMO).

[anna]

I had my first one out at 3 days...had her on a Friday was at church on Sunday. No I didn't let anyone touch her but me and my mom but I needed the social interatction! I was also at the gym 5 days later....okay I was 18 and that never happened again.
Fast forward 8 years...For my second I had a nice long 3 day hospital stay and then had company the evening I came home...we then all went out to eat. We were living in Korea at the time where they don't take their babies out for 100 days! So I was profusly reprimanded by some of the older ladies at the restaurant but I kept him in the carseat with a blanket and the cover on him. (This was Novemmber so it was cold out)
Needless to say both kids were very healthy. The second moreso because I breastfed for over a year but I think in some cases exposing them to some germs at an early age is healthy. It's buidling their immune system. No I don't let hacking, coughing, sneezing people touch my babies when they're newborn but having people breath on them isn't going to kill them and the fresh air is good for both you and your baby.
I'm due with my 3rd in Jan and am already mentaling preparing for my walking routine since it will be cooler then with my other kids but I'm sure this one will be out of the house within a couple of days my 3 year old will make sure of that.

[Beth]

My old school mother-in-law thought she was giving me a pearl of wisdom because she had one baby over 30 years ago when she told me I shouldn't take my baby outside for a few weeks. Absolutely ridiculous! Do what you feel comfortable doing and be sensible about not letting strangers touch your baby's hands. I sincerely hope that I am not acting like a washed out know-it-all when my daughter has a baby.

[cas]

Follow your doc's advice, if you think you should.

Me? I had to get out of the house before 6 wks. The mental health issue was more important than the germ issue.

I went to an infant/crawler playgroup in my neighborhood. Sat in a more isolated chair, holding the baby, and talked and listened.

God, I needed that so much. Crazy mommy=bad for baby, I say. So, there is health suggestions and then there is your mental health...you weigh your options and make your decision.

[Joe]

"your monkey butler"? What!

[c557jem.com]

Dear New Moms,
Yes, mental heath is a big issue. Heaven knows, you need to get out of the house, away from the stress, and back to "normalcy." BUT, in the immediate moment, what if your newborn gets sick and cannot be treated with antibiotics?

What if 'meeting your needs' causes suffering and illness on behalf of your helpless newborn infant?

What if your actions cause your helpless baby to suffer needlessly?

What if maybe, JUST MAYBE, your mothers and grandmothers and aunts actually know know something that is VALUABLE and VITAL to you as a parent?

Maybe it's all about that LITTLE BABY and not about you anymore?? Does anybody think about the consequences of their actions and take responsibility anymore?

The time you spend indoors away from other people is insignificiant compared to the protection you give your baby. Have any of you thought of that at all??

Several weeks in isolation compared to future years of co-mingling with others seems trivial vs. the risk of infection, illness, and secondary infection that can be attributed to early exposure to strangers.

WHAT IS IN YOUR HEAD that you would think that early exposure to strangers and their germs would be a GOOD THING FOR YOUR BABY?

As for you and your need to socialize, yes, it would be good, but is it really all about you right now when a newborn baby is involed?? NO, I don't think so -- and neither should you.

GrandmaC

[Preved]

Is it so important? http://11111111djgl.com related 222222 [url=http://33333333333ztrl.com]333333[/url] Thanks everyone for the appreciation!

[baby carriers]

Traveling with your little ones is a problem that can be overcome with the proper planning.

[air yeezy]

No matter how gluttonous devouring all the time, we need to breathe at this time, and strive to win our reputation, the sickle of time can not hurt us. - William Shakespeare

[Bev Breslow]

After looking at a number of the blog posts on your blog, I seriously appreciate your technique of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Take a look at my website too and tell me your opinion.

[Melvin Hignight]

Everything is very open with a clear description of the issues. It was truly informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Many thanks for sharing!

[Evia Allor]

Great article. I will be dealing with some of these issues as well..

[Chery Irie]

Howdy! This post couldn’t be written any better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I most certainly will send this information to him. Fairly certain he'll have a very good read. Thank you for sharing!