to be shocked at a 4 day old baby out shopping...

[mrschop]

with his mother of course. But - four days after giving birth you should be resting, recovering, letting all your innards get back to where they should be. Surely not marching around a shopping centre?

And even if the mother is OK to be out and about, shouldn't newborns be given bit of time at home to adjust to being born? Mine didn't leave the house for a week, and then only a short walk up the road.

Am I really old fashioned in thinking that a week or two of rest, peace and quiet (and no germs from random strangers) is the normal thing to do with a new baby?

Never had so many responses so quickly! Think my point was more similar to Turnip's, rather than being too judgmental, but didn't want the OP to be too boring.

I didn't judge her (I overheard her saying the baby was 4 days old - and certainly wouldn't have lectured her or given her the dreaded tut!) . It was more the trend there seems to be of being up & about very quickly after giving birth, as opposed to the old way of lying in, and whether that is a good thing. Exactly the point Turnip made of whether that can contribute to PND, and whether it can have any adverse effects - unsettling the baby, longer/less effective healing process for the mum.

But I accept I'm comprehensively outnumbered!

my ds and myself were out when he was 2 days old spent long enough cooped up in hospital fresh air done us good

i felt well enough to go out so i did spent few days in after as bout of tiredness hit but fresh air was a relief

I went to a party (lunch time) with one of mine when he was only ONE AND A HALF DAYS OLD!

Do I win? Couldn't wait to show him to my friends!

With DS I wasn't up to walking very far at all 4 days post-birth so I didn't.

With DD I was in a lot better shape. Took her to a mums and toddlers group (in friend's house) at 3 days old.

I see your point MrsChop, but I would also argue that it could be very isolating for someone (especially if they were on their own) to be shut up for a couple of weeks. As much as some would struggle with having to carry on with normal life, some would struggle not to IYSWIM, or at least getting out and about.

IMO anyway.

Aha!! There you are!!

I took dd to mothercare at four days. We were still in patients at the hospital as she was still having tests but it did me the world of good as it was a bit of normality and got us away from the constant stream of doctors for a bit. And dd just slept most of it so I don't think she really noticed!

Btw, was in John Lewis baby section... didn't want to trigger the class warfare thing but it popped up anyway!!

Was making me dinner (priorities)... didn't expect so many responses so quickly but seems to have touched a nerve, even for AIBU

Friend had a home birth (morning) and in the afternoon was out with her dh and new baby in Mothercare. She wins!! (baby remained in car, I think in a p&t gap. )

only read the OP, but hahahahaha, I wish i could have had some rest after dd2 was born.

When she was 3 days old, i had to take dd1 to an audiology appt (had been months on the waiting list, so didn't fancy re-scheduling) - and this was post CS too.

At 4/5/6 days old, we had a paed appt, a dietician's appt, and then good old toddler group (just for a rest ) to go to.

And so life carried on.

Tbh, it was actually more restful to go to the things scheduled, as dd1 knew they were dueto happen (she's autistic) and would have been climbing the walls, and definitely not letting me rest if we'd just stayed at home.

YABU. Couldn't have stayed in the house any longer with hyper dd as well as baby!

I took DS out to the local shops at 5 days, wouldn't have fancied a shopping centre or the local high street (but then I'm not crazy about either at the best of times).

Surprising if it's a first baby, completely normal for subsequent children if mum doesn't have much help.

omg -oncepieceoflollilop -tell me someone else was in the car with said baby while mum went into shops.......

omg -oncepieceoflollilop -tell me someone else was in the car with said baby while mum went into shops.......

Gosh. I went to a work meeting two days after giving birth. I leaked a bit, but it was okay. I was running around the lake with her (she was in a pram so we didn't make a very good time) at three days, and shopping with her too. Why not if you feel like it?

People talk lots about PND but I reckon there's an equal and opposite reaction of postnatal euphoria. It's fun having babies!!

YABU. And why judge?

I know Turnip, my opinion is obviously influenced by the fact I couldn't leave the house after having my two and certainly made the most of laying about!

But - that babymoon period was such a lovely time, and the rest really set me up for when DH's paternity leave ended, I just wonder whether getting out and about so soon is really a good thing, in the long term. And the disapproval people have mentioned seems to come largely from the older generation, whereas nowadays it seems to be normal to have your baby and then get on with things - even leisure activities such as shopping (the woman I saw had her DH in tow, so this wasn't a trip for essentials, to answer some of the points made above - but there were other tiny babies out and about today that made me think about it).

YABU

My DD was born Saturday night, home Monday afternoon, ahopping for half an hour or so on Tuesday.

yabu

i took dd out every day straight away as i had to take ds to school

also we had to take her to get registered etc

i asked the midwife after having ds 1 when he could go out and she said whenever you want you need to take it easier than the baby

Quattro - I thought it was a criminal offence for an employer to allow a woman to work in the 14 days after she's given birth... anyone know if I have made that up? I'm sure that is still the case.

But that really is part of my point - there used to be widespread recognition that for a week or two after having a baby, you and the baby rested. But that presumption seems to have gone.