How soon can you take your newborn out in public?

[Chelle2289]

Hi there mumsnet

(Sorry for long post)

I'm a brand new mama, my baby girl is now 6 days old. We have had a rough time of it if I'm honest as we spent the first 4 days of her life in hospital, 5/6 days for myself including the days I was in labour. I had managed to get 10cm but baby's heart rate was dropping too much, so they took
Me for forceps but that didn't work and I ended up with a pretty hard going c section, and ended up on antibiotics, iron tablets, and blood thinning injections.

I'm breast feeding and she is cluster feeding constantly so have had a couple long nights, but yesterday was by far the best day we've had and I'm feeling like myself again.
But I have also been suffering baby blues and I don't want to make that worse, he seems wanting to see the outside world. I can't go far without baby though due to her constant will to feed. (Not been able to express enough milk yet for her to feed from a bottle).

Right now for My question sorry,
I really feel like I need to get out of the house even if it is just for an hour or so as all I've seen for days is the hospital and my house but I'm scared to take her incase she gets poorly. Would this be the worst idea ?

She'll be fine

Congratulations by the way

Bit of fresh air will do you both the world of good, enjoy!

I had a similar length of time on hospital and a c-section too. Our first trip was the day after we got home, just to the end of the road to register her with the gp but we stopped off in a beer garden for one drink on the way back. Made me feel human again to do something that wasn't centred around the baby.

Your baby needs to get out too so they can get some vitamin d. Forgot to say congratulations in my last post. Enjoy your dd.

Wow thank you everyone for your quick responses. This has cheered me right up!

I don't want to over do it as I've got a lot of healing to do but just a look out is what I feel i need.

Congratulations start with a gentle walk around the block if you're up to it.

Sounds like it'd be exactly what you need, go for it. For the first time I'd feed and change her just before you go to make it as simple as possible. You'll soon get the hang of breastfeeding out and about though. Good luck!

First trip was the shops on the way home from hospital

We'd spent 8 days in hospital for my recovery from a quite eventful birth and I was pretty happy to be out and about.

Be careful if you have had a C section. I did too much on day 7 and was v sore. Babies seem to sleep well in fresh air. Start with 10-15 mins and build it up. When you are properly healed you can use a sling/baby carrier as well. I took mine out on the school run not one after he was home, carrying him in an Ergobaby.

Congratulations! We took our dd for a stroll round a local NT place on day 3 or 4 I think. Slept like a log the whole time, including while we had coffevand cake! Did us all the world of good to get out of the house and some fresh air. I hope things settle for you very soon.

The baby will be absolutely fine. Just be very careful of yourself-don't overdo it. Is there somewhere you can stroll to and sit for a bit before you stroll back? Park? Cafe? Pub?

I was desperate to get out as soon as I left tthe ge hospital! You've just got to listen to your body and stop as soon as it's uncomfortable. Maybe ask a neighbour or friend to go with you the first time.

London-born DS came home from hospital on the overground the day he was born.

Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby girl.

A trip out will do the both of you the world of good. In fact many years ago it was the tradition that you took your baby out as soon as you could after getting home from hospital and along the way people would stop to put a silver coin in the pram from good luck. It was a lovely custom.

I can remember setting off from home with my gran and my mum standing at the gate giving a right royal send off only for two of the wheels to roll of my carrycot into the road a few mixtures later. I was stood there holding up the carrycot whilst a man who'd been driving down the road stopped his car to retrieve the wheels and put them back on for me properly. It was a good laugh and I still remember it vividly almost 39 years later.

Go for it, just don't overdo it as you've had big surgery.

We took ours out to a local farmers market the day after we go her home from hospital. She was prem, so this was three weeks before her due date and she was still really tiny.

I went out on day 6 after a section and it was great. Felt human again and loved showing DD off. Enjoy and congratulations!

Take it easy physically but now is a perfect age to go out for coffee or for lunch. I can't do it so easily now Ds is nearly six months. He managed to knock a coffee over in the coffee shop week parenting fail - turns out he can reach further than I thought!!

DS came shopping before we arrived home. (Hadn't anticipated I'd end up formula feeding so had to pop into mother care for bottles etc )

Not including visits to family; about 9 days to do some food shopping. Wed also been in hospital for a week (baby had chest infection). It was fine, just take it easy.

Go for a stroll around the block or lunch maybe? Just don't overdo it because of the surgery. Congrats on your new baby

Congratulations!

I was in hospital for a week with dd1 and it was January, appalling weather, so she was probably 10 days' old before we took her out. I had a traumatic birth with painful hips due to being in stirrups and needed physiotherapy so could not walk far.

It's important to get out for vitamin d and for psychological wellbeing!

It's lovely weather - if you can't walk far maybe just walk to a shop.
It will make you feel more human

I'm a huge advocate for fresh air for babies as makes them sleep so much better.

I had a similar situation to you but no c section, time in hospital and then struggled at home as I had no sleep whilst in hospital. Go out when you feel ready. We just walked around the block to begin with as I was so nervous taking a newborn out. They are tougher than you think and you will both benefit from some fresh air and a change of scenery. I remember being sat in a restaurant for a birthday meal when Dd was 3 weeks and she just slept through the meal and although I looked like I'd been dragged through a hedge it was lovely to be out. Omce you've been a few places you start to feel a bit better and wonder why it seemed a big deal! Enjoy those first few months

We went for lunch at a cafe at 24 hours old!
Baby will be absolutely fine, just make sure you don't overdo it.

I've got a 7 day old dd3 who has been out on day 4 to pick her sister up from school. Planning another short walk somewhere today (I tore badly so walking is hard!)

She'll be fine op, just take it easy

DD was a week old when took her for a walk. DS went to a juice and biscuit morning at DDs preschool at 4 days old and was doing school runs everyday