What's too young?

[CharlesTD]

About 3 days old as soon as my DW was released from the hospital we were out with all the kids.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Mine were just a few days old when we took them out, too. Our pediatrician told us that as long as we were careful about strangers breathing on them or touching them, that they'd be fine, and they were. Neither one had a cold for quite some time, I can't remember how long.

But I wouldn't have taken them to a smoky restaurant, that's for sure. We still make sure we're seated faaaaarr away from the bar when we go out to eat, and they're 8 and 2. And I didn't drink a beer for months, but then, I was breastfeeding, so that's the biggest reason for that.

 

[MinnieM3]

DD20 I took out at about 1 week old to pick out her first Halloween Pumpkin. Even though you'd think you're more overprotective with number one, she went out earlier and more often than the others.

DS17 was out and about early on as DD had pre school and I kept her routine the same.

Now DS6 I guarded like the Hope Diamond for some reason! Major hand washing and no crowds until like 6 weeks! I can't remember my train of thought that made me this way. I do know he was soooo much tinier than my other two (they were 8 and a half pounds and Kevin was 7 pounds 3 ounces). He just looked so vulnerable. He went out to see family and stuff like that but no huge exposure until almost 6 weeks. Weird.

Turns out that of the three DD was sick the most as an infant. DS17 was a close second and DS6 was really never sick as an infant.

 

[tiggerlover]

I wouldn't take my newborn to a smokey restaurant that early, but I did take DS to a friends beach house when he was a little over two weeks old. It was a relaxing day and everyone refrained from smoking around him. (BTW, it was the end of June in Italy so it was definitely warm enough).

 

[L107ANGEL]

Where's that popcorn smilie?!

Myst

Move over chick

 

[robinb]

I used to smoke, but quit smoking through both pregnancies... it's funny you mention giving it up and not starting right back up, but I did with my first child! OMG, I was still lying in the hospital wondering when I could have my first smoke. But I was always very careful to keep it away from my kids. When DD was born, I nursed her so I didn't start back up right away.

That's interesting. I quit cold turkey when I was 18 (I smoked for 4 years!). Once I stopped I had very little interest in starting up again. I guess it's different when you stop for yourself v/s someone else.

 

[Brianne]

We took baby #3 out to dinner when she was only a couple days old. Having said that, if there had been even a single complication to either myself or her, there's no way we would've done it. She stayed in her carrier asleep with a light blanket over the top to keep people away (and it worked), in a non-smoking restaurant. And that was probably the last time we had an easy time going to a restaurant with her.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Bugs was about 2 wks old when we took him 'out' for the first time. By that point I was starting to feel quasi-normal and was going bonkers from being housebound for so long.

TOV

 

[DVC Jen]

I stopped at the grocery (with both DDs) to buy formula on the way home from the hospital.

 

[mrsv98]

I had a c-section and DH had to go back to work so we were kind of confined fro a few weeks. We did go out for progressively longer walks everyday and I think we took her put for the first time at a couple of weeks. Restaurant maybe a month or so.

DH and I were so funny...we were both in our 30s and were so paranoid with her! You would have thought no child had ever lived before ours. Cracks me up to think of it now

 

[Cantw8]

Well, I don't know OP.. it kind of sounds like you are being a judgemental busybody How do you know what the circumstances were? Maybe she had a sitter lined up and the plans fell through. Maybe she really wanted a steak Perhaps instead of judging her, you should have offered her some guidence and gently enlightened her as to the ways of good parenting.

 

[Jennifer S]

My grandmother used to say when the baby is baptized. Me - I think about four weeks and never to a restaurant. Plus I was too tired to go anywhere when they were first born.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

I think if he had been nursing and he'd had that immunity he might have been okay... but nursing wasn't an option for us.
I wish someone had told me not to take him out!

By the time my 4th was born, I was pretty comfortable going out with a newborn at only a few weeks.

BIG mistake in her case. I DID nurse her, as I did all of mine, but she was around many people (it was the holiday season) and somehow caught something. We ended up back in the hospital, with an ear infection, and had to spend nearly a week there, right at new year's. Not fun. The pediatrician told me that anytime a baby under a month old gets a fever, it is automatic admit to the hospital!!

I wish I would have been more careful, even though by #4 I thought I mostly knew it all.

Everything did turn out ok, (she's getting ready for her 11th birthday next month) but I always tell people to stay in when they're that little.

 

[NMAmy]

We stopped at the grocery store on the way home from the hospital. I'd been confined to bed for a month before the delivery and there were some items I needed to pick up along with getting my own prescriptions filled. I do remember an older lady chastising me for having her out--whatever. DD was fine--all bundled up inside her carrier. If the lady hadn't tried to peek under the blanket, she'd never have known how old she was. Now I sound like that "touching my baby" thread.

 

[anewvance]

With my first daughter, we went out to dinner at a quiet family run resturant when she was around 5 days old... all our resturants are non smoking here in Florida.

With my 2nd daughter, I did a no no, she was a little less then 2 weeks old and I took her to the huge baby fest at the Miami conference center. We kept her in her carrier with a blanket over. You'd be surprised how many newborns were there. Got lots of great freebies that we could use right then and there... extras too because of the baby.

With my son, he was born almost 6 weeks early and had problems with fluid in his lungs. He stayed in the hospital for a week after he was born. I did take him to his own baby shower at my mom's house the day he came home from the hospital. But he slept the whole time in my little sister's bedroom. Didn't take him out again for awhile... around 3 weeks or so. I guess with the preemies, you take more concern about germs and all.

 

[Marseeya]

Well, I don't know OP.. it kind of sounds like you are being a judgemental busybody How do you know what the circumstances were? Maybe she had a sitter lined up and the plans fell through. Maybe she really wanted a steak Perhaps instead of judging her, you should have offered her some guidence and gently enlightened her as to the ways of good parenting.

Ahhh, but take heart. At least there was no cleavage exposed or a thong sticking out. Then there might really be something to worry about -- poor little baby with a skank for a mama.



(don't mind us, folks -- just a little tit for tat)

 

[L107ANGEL]

Ahhh, but take heart. At least there was no cleavage exposed or a thong sticking out. Then there might really be something to worry about -- poor little baby with a skank for a mama.



(don't mind us, folks -- just a little tit for tat)

Wow, Just wow! You feel it is ok for this behavior but will condemn me if I took my DD out at an age you feel was not correct? Good luck with that!

 

[Cantw8]

Ahhh, but take heart. At least there was no cleavage exposed or a thong sticking out. Then there might really be something to worry about -- poor little baby with a skank for a mama.



(don't mind us, folks -- just a little tit for tat)

touche!!! Thank God, that wasn't going on

 

[Marseeya]

Wow, Just wow! You feel it is ok for this behavior but will condemn me if I took my DD out at an age you feel was not correct? Good luck with that!

OMG, please just chill. NO, I'm not saying it's okay for that kind of behavior for crying out loud (and do you even know the background story behind those comments? It's a personal aside between me and Cantw8 if you would have read my final note.). And I was asking opinions about taking a baby out and how early. If you'd READ my first post, I admitted to having a skewed opinion of it because of my own experiences. Again, I'm talking about a loud, rowdy, smokey restaurant, not just out in general.

Sheesh.

 

[KimR]

With all 3 of my girls, we went out to a restaurant when they were a little over a week old. Our pediatrician said as long we stayed away from huge crowds, we could take the baby anywhere. We did avoid smoky areas, but then we normally do anyway.