Guidelines for taking your new baby out of the house with you

Posted in New Moms
by Lorain County Moms

By Laura A. Jana MD, FAAP and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, HealthyChildren.org

The following is an excerpt from “Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality” (Second Edition):

All Dressed Up but Now Where to Go?

You’re certain to find a lot of advice regarding taking your newborn out of the house with you. In reality, there are really only a few basic principles in action here, with the rest tending to be a matter of opinion as opposed to expertise.

• - Less is more. You are going to be better off if you choose to go to places with fewer people around. Close contact with a lot of people tends to be one of the most predictable hazards when it comes to the spread of germs.
• An easy out. Our advice to you — consider starting small when you first leave home. A walk around the block is a great example of a doable first choice (weather and neighborhood permitting). Not only does it tend to be a relaxing way to get back on your feet gradually, but babies often like the soothing motion, you’re less likely to find yourself in close quarters fending off unwanted well-wishers, and it leaves you an easy out should you need to abort the mission and retreat back home for any reason — diaper blowout; fatigue (your own); or a hungry, crying, or otherwise unappreciative baby.
• Overwhelming success. Heading out of the house can be quite an adventure for a newborn. And depending on your newborn’s temperament and tolerance of stimulation in general, you may find yourself with a crankier-than-usual baby at the end of the day. For some newborns, even a quick trip to the grocery store can feel like a day spent at the amusement park. Any routine you may be working toward stands a chance of being thrown off kilter a bit by such stimulation. We by no means want to imply that heading out of the house is the wrong thing to do. Instead, we want you to set your expectations appropriately, test the waters, and plan your approach accordingly. It is entirely possible to end up with an overwhelmed baby but still feel the outing has been a success.
• Timing your travels. Have faith that what now seems like orchestrating a grand production will soon become a routine you fall into.

It’s About Time

You may increase your odds of being met with success when you head out by taking into account a few time-tested recommendations.

Just after a feeding. Given that we’ve spent many pages addressing how unpredictably and frequently newborns tend to eat, let us just say that planning your day around your newborn’s anticipated feeding schedule may not always go as planned. Nevertheless it’s worth a shot.

Off-hours. Go where the crowds aren’t, or at least to places at times when it’s not as crowded.

When you’re well rested. You’re probably now thinking this means we recommend no outings in the foreseeable future. To clarify, we don’t mean well rested in the pre-parenthood sense of the phrase, but rather in a relative sense. You’re bound to have good days/nights and bad ones. We simply suggest giving yourself time to catch up if you’ve just finished a bad one.

You’ve got coverage. Venture out when someone can cover for you at home or go along with you and lend a hand with logistics.

Pediatricians, moms and authors, Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP, and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, offer a wealth of “parent-tested, pediatrician-approved” advice in “Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality,” Second Edition (American Academy of Pediatrics, September 2010). Available on the American Academy of Pediatrics official website for parents, HealthyChildren.org at www.healthychildren.org/heading-home. Also available in bookstores nationwide.