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 ?

You'll be fine to go out anytime, enjoy the fresh air. I have always found breastfeeding in public easier than expressing but obviously you'll find what's best for you.

With my first DC I found that going out of the house once a day was the key to some sort of sanity, even though it sometimes felt like a huge undertaking.
With my second, after a much easier birth we went out on a little family outing when she was two weeks old. I didn't even walk very far with her but I had two old ladies looking aghast at the very idea I was out of the house with a two week old baby (it was a lovely warm spring day)

As long as you feel up to it i'd go for it 😊 Baby will probably sleep the whole time lol. We used to go out quite a bit when my son was a baby as he would just sleep in his car seat while we had a meal then have a bottle lol. Much more difficult now he's 4 and has an 18 month old brother 😂 He was in hospital for 5.5 weeks after he was born so i couldnt wait to go out with him and be like a normal family! Congratulations 😊

Go for it! DD was in for 9 days and I took her out the first day we were back (there was no food in the house!). She slept the whole time but it was lovely.

Congratulations on your baby and on getting home finally - that must feel wonderful!

I stopped on the way back from the hospital 2 hours after giving birth to do a Tesco shop.

I did a weekly shop at Tesco when my DD was less than 24 hours old.
OH didn't have any time off work.

Congratulations on your new baby! Birth is a bit of a shock to most of us, and it sounds like you had a traumatic time. If you feel like you need it in the months ahead, you can request a birth debrief from the hospital so they go through your labour notes with you (in the cold light of day as it were) and explain exactly what happened and when and why. It can help I think.

I absolutely PROMISE that this baby business gets much, much better. To answer your question, you can definitely take newborns out and about from birth. Baby will love feeling a little fresh air and (light) sunshine. Just make sure she's dressed ok for the temperature (blankets better than layers as you can remove them more easily) and remember even babies need sunscreen if they have direct sun on them. Take it easy and have a lovely trip out with your beautiful new baby.

DS went to the supermarket at slightly under a day old. He drew quite a crowd.

I'm not saying this is necessarily a good idea, but given that he survived the hordes of doting grannies, it's a fond memory.

I have twins and I was out after a few days. I would have went potty in house. Be careful with heat but enjoy the weather for walks before it gets cold again. You will soon suss out best places for drinks and changing areas and I found really good children's groups.

I took DS to a wedding at 6 days, he had been out and about in his pram beforehand too (may have been so excited to be pushing a pram that I went out walking for no reason). It'll be fine.

Yes get out there The baby will be fine. But do be careful of yourself. I had a c-section and couldn't wait to get out of hospital. But found I was very slow at walking and did get tired more easily. Maybe a short walk to a cafe or something for your first trip. Take your partner or a friend with you and see how you feel getting the pram up and down kerbs etc and if you feel any discomfort get your companion to do it.

Congratulations and enjoy!

We did 'big shop' and lunch at the pub on day 2. It was DC number two though, such a different experience second time round!

my baby was born in December ... and I took him out the day after he was born .... realised when I got to the local shop I hadn't put his hat on him .... at which point I was convinced social services would come and take him away .... and so I walked very quickly up the hill towards home ... and then realised I wasn't going to make it at the pace and was praying a friend would be coming up the road and rescue me (they didn't) and we got there eventually .... despite the lack of hat on a snowy day he survived .... as did I and it helped me feel more normal (once social services didn't turn up!!). Guess my message is go out and enjoy a walk in the sunshine ... just don't go too far and don't worry too much!

DC3 came on the school run to collect the other 2 at 10 hours old.

It's a few years ago now, but I remember the sheer exhilaration of pushing that pram out of the front door when my baby was 2 weeks old. I'd waited far too long, is had an infection so I was useless for the first few days, but after that I felt a bit scared. I has no idea what to do with a baby indoors never mind outdoors! But one sunny day I just went for it. I walked to the park and sat there in the sunshine with an ice cream and it was the moment I felt human again.

(With baby no 2 we went to the cafe when he was 3 days old lol )

All of my babies were out and about with me within a day of being born! I love taking them out when they're tiny and breastfeeding meant I could just feed them anywhere. My youngest has just turned 6 weeks and she's been everywhere with me - including the hairdressers at two weeks!
Don't feel you have to be housebound, babies are so portable while they're tiny

Within 24 hours of my section me and baby were in Tesco doing the weekly shop, she will be fine! Congratulations!

I walked home from hospital 24 hours after my second and we stopped in waitrose on the way home :-) Day three saw me in Tesco with tiny Flo (upto all of 6lbs by then!) With Tilda, I walked to church the following day, although I did need picking up to get home! :-)

Going against the grain here but it took me a week maybe more to get out with DS and DP and 3 weeks to go out on my own with him. Not all of us get a flying start, it took me a while to deal with the aftermath of EMCS and baby blues, in fact I still am at 5 almost 6 weeks although nearly there now thankfully. Don't pressure yourself to get out if you don't feel ready yet. But yeah if you do want to then go for it!

Congratulations! Baby will be absolutely fine and the fresh air will do you both good mentally and physically. I took my DD1 out the day after we got home for a quick walk (hobble!) around the block and built on it from there going a little further every day. DD2 was a much more straightforward birth and I did the school run with her from day 2 onwards.
Just take it at your own pace and time it for immediately after a feed so you have the maximum window of time.
Is there a local breastfeeding or Mums group you can go to? Maybe walk there, stay for a cuppa and a chat (and a feed if needed) then walk home again when you are rested?