Are me and my baby getting out enough?

[PriscillaQueenOfDessert]

How often should you try to get out into the fresh air with a 5 week old? We get out maybe 2/3 times a week at the minute coz I'm just so exhausted most of the time but I'm worried it's not enough. It doesn't help that the weather has been rubbish too!

There are absolutely no rules... lots of people like to get out lots because they find it isolating/lonely staying at home with the baby. But if you're happy enough then do exactly as you please.

Everyone’s different OP some people tend not to go out much even before having DC, so 2-3 times a week is totally normal, especially in this awful weather! My DH has been known to come home from work on Friday evening and not leave the house again til Monday morning.

I would aim to go out every day, personally, but then again, I don’t get much choice, due to the dog!

Congratulations on your little one

Honestly do what works best for you. When I had a small baby I had to get out at least once a day - but I live near town so it was very easy with lots of cafes etc I could stroll to for a coffee. If being in the house is making you feel isolated then id encourage you to get out more. But if you're content and just wondering what others do, I would continue as you are and not worry about it

Absolutely fine. Go out when you enjoy it and stay in when you'd rather stay in. All about your wellbeing at this point. Fresh air is lovely if you enjoy it, pointless if it is a pressure and makes you feel stress.

In this weather I am indoors much more often. Only out when I have to be.

Do what feels best for you. With my first I did one baby group a week, one walk a week and one errands outing and that was enough for me.

What makes you worried that it's not enough?

At this time of year its not easy. DS1 was born in March and it was bad snow and cold for about the first few weeks after he was born so I hardly took him out. It wasn't until the May when it warmed up more that I took him out more.

DS2 was born in May so the weather was better. And I was also in a routine with DS2 of getting him out most days. So it was easier to get out with him. Even then, I had a csection with him and DH was off for the first few weeks, so I spent most of that time resting!

There are no rules but I actually found it easier if I went out every day, just for a little walk.

The first few weeks, evenings were a bit of a nightmare as DD cried a lot just at the sort of time I wanted to eat my main meal of the day.

I switched things round and made sure I ate a decent lunch and then spent the evenings walking DD around the village in her pram.

This worked because DD was the sort of baby to stop crying if I took her out in the pram. If she hated the pram I would have tried other routines.

Daylight outside is important for eyesight development and fresh air is incredibly good for us too. You don’t have to do massive excursions but I’d try for a small walk each day (but not on days with Amber/red storm warnings!)

I was getting out daily when DD was that age. I had a c section so I wanted to build up strength, and tbh I would have been bored at home. Lots of indoor stuff to do around here, like museums and galleries, so the weather doesn't affect us too much. If you're just surrounded by fields it would be different.

@PriscillaQueenOfDessert

How often should you try to get out into the fresh air with a 5 week old? We get out maybe 2/3 times a week at the minute coz I'm just so exhausted most of the time but I'm worried it's not enough. It doesn't help that the weather has been rubbish too!

I was going out everyday. Not for long (birth injuries) and often just to the garden but I tried to make sure he had plenty of fresh air.

I had a June baby so we didn't go out everyday as it was too hot. We did sit at the back door to get fresh air tho. I would say around sept time I started going out more. Even now at 8 months we do t go out every day. Some days we just stay in playing with toys/being lazy😂

I have a four week old, and even once a week is a bloody mission. I am exhausted (she has reflux and won't sleep anywhere that is actually safe, so I need to be awake with her), and actually getting out the door takes hours! Too much hassle right now!

My baby cried a lot (reflux problems) and I found being indoors made the crying feel worse, it just sounds quieter when you're in the woods and it was calming for us both. So I went out every single day for a walk, for that reason... and I had a dog... and it broke the day up (because days seem endless when amusements last 10 minutes tops and a day is hours long...)
But if you're exhausted and the weather is awful... Just do what you can manage and don't worry about if its right in others point of view. Sure getting outside does make you feel better, so it's worth making the effort, but if that effort will bring you to your knees... Don't. It's all about balance and what you feel you can cope with. I couldn't have coped with a whole day indoors with a crying baby.

Honestly don’t worry, the baby really won’t care at this point. So do whatever feels best to you.