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Behaviour/development

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Original poster

Midwife says baby NOT allowed out for 10 days

67 replies

theITgirl · 22/09/2010 10:43

Posting on behalf of a friend who is due at end-Oct

This is what the midwife has said to her, and she asked me about last night. BTW this is when she gets home from hospital.

I said I was going out before 10 days with both of mine (both C-Sections) and I thought this was nonsense. Nobody is planning on climbing Mt Everest just a gentle potter to the corner shop to buy a paper.

But my babies were born in April & May so it was a bit warmer. We agreed that friend might not want to go out, I had just not heard of it not being allowed.

I wanted to double-check on here that I was not giving stupid advice.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

pongonperdy · 22/09/2010 17:30

When I had my two the midwife would just turn up unannounced each day for about the first ten days. My guess is they don't want you going out so as not to inconvenience them. Ie. You will always be in when they turn up.

seaturtle · 22/09/2010 17:37

I was desperate to go out for a walk as soon as I got home. DS was in neonatal for minor issues and came home when he was a week old. I took him to the park. It was May, during a hot summer. When he was ten days old I was judged by two rude women in M&S elevator who decided to berate me for daring to take a ten day old baby out of the house. They weren't elderly either, so it wasn't as if I could dismiss them as being old fashioned.

undercovamutha · 22/09/2010 17:47

It sounds like quite old-fashioned advice to me. My mum often comments that when she had my sister (born in December by emcs, 5 weeks prem), she stayed in hospital for over a week (not for any particular medical reason) and was told not to take DSis out for 6 weeks!

She couldn't believe it when I took DD and DS out within days of birth (although i didn't have a cs).

FanjolinaJolie · 22/09/2010 17:50

I was given this advice and followed it too. I did nothing for 10 days but stay home and feed feed feed and hoped the stitches from episiotomy and tear were healing nicely. Felt very hemmed in by the end of it but my smashed up fanjo healed perfectly after both births so I am grateful for that. Even my MIL said to me (she knew I had stitches) 'for the sake of your future sex life do nothing for 10 days'.

My lovely godmother is private midwife and lactation consultant and is always amazed when new mothers are not home when she calls on them within the first week/ten days or so. Her view is going out with the newborn with result in increased chance of infection in mother (eg in stitches/womb/mastitis) because of exposure to bugs/viruses before the mothers immune system is back up and running. She is modern in approach but does have this quite old fashioned attitude to going out.

mathanxiety · 22/09/2010 18:01

I really like the Chinese approach.

It's not a competition to see who can be back on her feet quickest. A little walking is really enough exercise for most in the first ten days ime. Having had to walk up two flights of stairs to get home to second floor apartments from the hosp after the first 3 DCs, and having passed huge and scary clots each time after getting indoors, I'm a fan of doing very little and having other people take care of themselves in the post natal period.

BikeRunSki · 22/09/2010 18:06

Pants.

DS and I were in hospital for a week when he was born, after an em CS. On day three I went for a walk round town in my PJs and Crocs(Ok, Ok, I was only meant to go to the car park, but was desperate). When we finally got home, I went for a 2 mile walk with DS in a sling, day 8. It was a warm September though.

Giddyup · 22/09/2010 22:35

Should I keep DS home from school for 10 days or let him walk alone & ask the teacher to let him leave alone?

gorionine · 23/09/2010 07:07

giddyup, as long as you do only give birth once every school year it should be ok, most school allow 10 days off just in case.

thumbwitch · 23/09/2010 07:12

Pah to that. DS was born in December (in the UK) and he came out with me when he was 6 days old, to a Christmas lunch party as it happens. Load of old cod, if you ask me.

Meglet · 23/09/2010 07:28

I've never been told this. DS was a winter em cs and I walked to the shops when he was a week old, couldn't push the pushchair though as it was painful. But putting one foot in front of another on a nice day was fine.

Did the same after my planned cs, out after a week but didn't push the buggy.

Mind you the rest of the time I was lolling about on the sofa, in pj's watching sky news non-stop.

FanjolinaJolie · 23/09/2010 08:47

Giddyup - have you to anyone to help you when your new baby comes, partner got Pat leave or any other family or friend support who could walk your DS to school?

Needs must, obviously as your DS needs to get to school somehow be it you or someone else. But if you could find someone to help out that would be one less thing you have to do esp if you are still in your jammies at 8.30!

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 23/09/2010 09:04

With hindsight I was up and about far too soon after my emcs with DS, my stiches got horribly infected and then I took weeks to heal and was in a lot of pain.

With this baby, I will be spending a lot of time in bed and on the sofa. DH can take the baby out for walks so that it gets fresh air and I will sleep.

duchesse · 23/09/2010 09:05

I think they're more worried about people's abdomen gaping open again as they struggle around too soon after major surgery in some kind of attempt at one-up-(wo)manship. They must get rather bored at the hospital seeing people coming back in for extra surgery because they refused to be sensible in the first few days after a C section. Best thing I did after this last birth was heed my surgeon's advice on the matter, and stayed based around my bed for the first 2 weeks after getting home. The baby and I had both had a really rough time, and I was on pain relief for the first two weeks. I felt fine (whether it was the pain relief or the adrenaline who knows) but in all the photos of that time I look like absolute shit.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 23/09/2010 09:08

I got into a lot of trouble by taking my DD out before she was 30 days old. It seems evil spirits want to inhabit them and DD was double inhabitable due to my refusal of holes in her ears. This was in Oman and the holes would let the spirits sail straight through. She is now 9.4 and I sometimes wonder whether it's too -late for the holes-- perfectly fine.

mummyofexitedprincesses · 23/09/2010 10:22

While I think not being allowed out for 10 days is extreme, I took the advice of staying at home and resting for the first week or so, it really helped to establish routine, breastfeeding and to help me recover from labour. It was nice to be at hone enjoying my baby, without feeling like I needed to get back on my feet.

With DD2 however, I was out again within hours, just to give my toddler a run around in the park.

Both babies were fine, I was more knackered the second time, but who wouldn't be?

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 23/09/2010 10:41

If they are genuinely worried about women being "sensible" in the first few days after a c-section, then having them in hospital looking after a newborn baby single-handed with virtually no help probably isn't a great start. I was far more knackered/overdoing it/generally run down in the hospital on my own with the Incredible Non-Sleeping Baby than I was when out and taking occasional gentle strolls with DH carrying the baby.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 23/09/2010 10:42

(and OP's friend isn't even having (or at least isn't planning) a c-section; she's going to a midwife-led unit)

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