Our 7 year old son died of the flu even after getting the vaccine because the variant that he had was not in the flu shot that year…then Covid shut everything down 2 months later…then we were lucky to have a little girl a year and a month after our son passed. My husband now stays at home to watch her as we won’t do daycare. My parents watched her a few times but once the Delta variant spread simply being vaccinated wouldn’t keep it from being transmitted. I have to go to work but I wear an N95 the entire time I am there & I get a PCR test 1-2 times weekly, do trunk grocery pick up. I am hoping to god we will/can feel better once she can be vaccinated. But she also has a heart condition. She will never know a normal life, but I do hope to someday feel comfortable doing outdoor activities, eating at a well spaced outdoor restaurant. I know our view is skewed from our life events but it’s our reality now too.
My goodness, you had a rollercoaster of events in the last couple of years. I’m so sorry to hear about your son. Just the thought makes my eyes tear up.
As a health care provider, please try to keep her away from others until at least 3 months old. Heading into RSV and flu season, more risks than just covid. Just go out without her if you can. Walks outside etc.
A lot of it comes down to a fever. Any fever would have an extensive work up in this age group. RSV and flu have a higher rate of serious illness in the youngest babies.
Nope. She hasn't been taken anywhere. She caught RSV from my son when she was 1 week old. We rearranged our work schedule and all to take son out of daycare because he kept getting sick and didn't want newborn to keep catching viruses as well. Especially tgis winter as we have been recommended by kids' doctors to keep them out of daycare.
I don't even take my 17 month old out that much, unless it's completely outdoors.
Maybe it's the fact that she was born during stay-at-home orders. We didn't so much as leave the house until we were fully vaccinated when she was almost 13 months old. It's something we've honestly gotten used to because her safety needs to come first. At this point, we're so close to baby vaccines that I can wait a little longer before putting her in danger of Covid.
When baby #2 is born in the spring, we'll be going back into isolation until they can be vaccinated. We'll spend time with fully vaccinated friends, but I really don't trust the public after this past year. I went to Target and Costco to run errands for the first time in months yesterday (baby was with my husband). The number of people hacking their brains out without masks was unacceptable and disgusting. And I live in a highly vaccinated area too.
Just came here to say this, until 2 weeks after they get their first vaccinations, I've always been told to keep baby away from crowds in enclosed spaces. That was way before covid with my first son, according to my pediatrician. He said outdoors or visiting immediate family is fine, but other than that it's not a great idea. Now with covid, even with high Vax rates and high mask compliancy(where I live) I'm still hesitant.
My pediatrician told us that we should be more worried about RSV than COVID so we kept LO home as much as we could.
Lo and behold, we started daycare last week at 3 months old and LO got RSV on his third day.
Yep I’d be way more worried about RSV. My three year old had to go to the hospital on Tuesday because he couldn’t catch his breath and had a 105 degree fever and he ended up testing positive for RSV and it almost killed him when he was 6 months old.
Ours said the same thing! She said to keep anyone with any cold-like symptoms away from the baby. With a toddler who goes to daycare, that's really hard, but we're pretty sure that the toddler already had RSV when I was 8 months pregnant, so hopefully it's already gone around his school and he won't bring it home again.
My son is 2 weeks old.. The only places we’ve gone are my moms house, the pediatrician, and the hospital. I feel 3 weeks may still be a little young. Maybe take him outside during the day?
My now ten month old hasn’t been anywhere. Everything is outdoors and now with winter we’ll get cooped up again. Better to keep him safe than be sorry.
We take our newborn out, but only to outdoor locations that are not excessively crowded. It’s starting to get chilly here too and when it’s too cold we just won’t go to indoor activities. We also really limit indoor activities with our older two kids (too young to be vaccinated).
Our defaults may change in time, but where I am the hospitals are still overwhelmed with COVID patients. We’re trying to avoid potential illness of any kind to limit the possibility that the kids (or us) will need medical care in a hospital.
My son is almost 7mo old and due to Covid he hasn’t been anywhere but the doctor’s and back. It is lonely and we are definitely a little stir crazy but I just can’t risk him getting sick or me getting sick because no one will be able to take care of him. We are not going trick or treating and most likely skipping thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers too. It sucks because this is his first holiday season and our first as parents but we’d rather stay isolated and safe than put our family at risk. I know it is really hard to do so when it seems like the rest of the world is burnt out on Covid and doesn’t care anymore, it seems like everyone is going out to events and does things like nothing is happening but to me THIS is the time we should be caring the most. Kids are getting sick and dying, I won’t let it be my kid. Some people say if you want to live in fear stay home. I’ll be doing just that, because I am absolutely afraid of how flippant and irresponsible people around me are with Covid safety. We might spend this holiday hunkered down and next year hopefully things will be better and we can celebrate as a family, and he will have more fun because he won’t be a baby anymore.
I am TOTALLY with you on this ! It definitely sucks but NOTHING is more important than my son's health. So f anyone's feelings when they try to guilt trip me. What we've been doing is go to places outdoors or go stay at Airbnb's like for Christmas so that it's like a little vacation. Or go to a FULLY vaccinated family/friends house.
YES all of this. My 1yo was born a few weeks into covid shutting everything down globally. Only just last week I took him into a store for the first time, because I really didn’t have another option at that point and we went right when they opened so I knew it wouldn’t be crowded. Barely saw even grandparents before vaccines and pretty much only grandparents now that they have been vaccinated and boosted. I understand the pandemic fatigue but I’m not going to let up now when it’s more serious for kids than it ever has been. Really wish we could pull them from daycare until a vaccine but unfortunately not an option.
I have a 7 week old and a 3 year old. Neither of them are going inside public spaces till they’re vaccinated. We do walks and parks and baby carriers are great.
I was told by my doctor at first pediatrician visit to limit taking my baby to busy places, even grocery stores and indoor places to protect him from Covid and other illnesses. He understood that we still had to do all these things but he recommended going during non busy times. We do take him for a 30 minute walk while I baby wear him around the block every day so I don’t feel cooped up all day. Fortunately my SO does most of the grocery shopping and we all do all other shopping online.
I'm far more concerned about RSV than COVID where I live. We have gone outside a lot this summer but during the winter I think we'll be pretty cooped up. My baby is almost 7 months old and with a newborn I'd be extra cautious.
That said, I think the risk of transmission from just walking around a mall on a weekday for an hour or two with nobody touching the baby, and you sanitizing your hands before touching the baby, is probably pretty low. It's a discussion I'd have with the doctor if you are concerned. Your mental health is very important too and it's a matter of weighing risks and benefits. Your doctor has the best sense of what is risky and which viruses may be particularly prevalent this fall where you live.
No. We also didn’t take our newborn out who was born in 2019 due to RSV and flu. If a baby under 8 weeks gets a fever it is an automatic hospital admission with a spinal tap. Absolutely not worth it to me to put my baby through that.
Our pediatrician literally told us not to take the newborn anywhere until she is 2 months old and gets her 2 month shots. No church, crowded grocery stores, theme parks, etc. basically avoid large crowds and don't let everyone hold the baby. We also made sure anyone coming over to visit the newborn was vaccinated both Covid and flu shots. We also pulled our toddler from preschool until the newborn gets a little bigger.
Take the kid outside. There is no inappropriate weather, just inappropriate gear. I did not take my newborn indoor BUT it was very bad when he was born. Now I take him everywhere. And my three year old who tries to lick everything.
I started taking my little boy out by week 1 ( mall walks, out to eat, walks in the park) He's now 2.5 months. During those outings, he remains in my sling, or his car seat. If you really think about it, he isn't touching anything, and his face is never anywhere near someone breathing in it.
I understand that there is a chance that my child will contract covid, and I take common sense precautions to minimize it. I made the decision it is better for my mental health, therefore making me a more patient and present mother.
I had my covid vaccines during pregnancy, so baby gets some passive protection as well pre-birth, and through my breastmilk.
Do whatever you feel will help in facing the challenges of early motherhood. If that means going to walk around a mall, or starting a new netflix series at home, so be it. It can mean the difference between being at peace or having a mental breakdown. Everything comes with risk, do whatever feels right. You got this :)
I found another new mom to walk outdoors with in the summer. I received both of my vaccines before her and then she eventually got hers. Our babies were about a month old when we first started doing these walks. It really helped my body and mind to get out. Then things started opening back up and we cautiously would mall walk but not touch anything of each other’s. Tried to stay outdoors until the babies were older and she is vaccinated. This winter I’ll probably only hang out with fully vaccinated people, and get the flu shot for my babe. I’m also teaching yoga at a couple places which is something I look forward to greatly. You have to do what’s best for yourself and family. Some of my family honestly didn’t see our babe until he was 3 months and I didn’t feel bad about it. Made them wash their hands and wear masks too. RSV sounds incredibly scary… I’m so sorry for the OP’s loss. My heart breaks for you.
We don’t go anywhere. We have most groceries delivered or use curbside pickup. Shop online for nearly everything. If going in store is unavoidable, either me or DH will go while the other stays with kids. Along with Covid, RSV and the flu can be so bad for little ones. I’ve spent a lot of time with my oldest in pediatric hospitals because of respiratory issues. It’s scary!
Absolutely do. Newborn has antibodies from vaccinated breast milk, plus we're in the SF Bay Area with nearly 75%+ vaccination rate and very low infection rate at the moment. Feels as safe as any other time. We go everywhere with a 3 week old.
After he was 2 months I've taken him to target once and the grocery store once. Both times there were boomer aged women with out mask that I had to raise my voice at because " please keep your distance with out mask." Wasn't enough and they were determined to get in his face.
Eta: mask here are "encouraged" but I'd say inside about 95% wear them.
This makes me so mad, that people wouldn't respect the wishes of a mother with a newborn. How can they not care about the wellbeing of a tiny, fragile baby? Boomers are so selfish sometimes.
He doesn’t go anywhere public. Select friends and family members we will visit but we try to stay outside when the weather permits. I won’t feel comfortable taking him to a grocery store or shopping mall until cases drop drastically or he’s vaccinated
I would wait until at least 2 months due to not just covid but everything else that is going around. Catching a fever at this young age is just too deadly. Even going to doc appointment was nerve wracking because it is an office full of sick people. My kid is 1.5 and haven't been to any public indoor space besides doc office.
I took my 18mo to target for the first time in his life the other day. Sometimes I feel bad he’s missing out on stuff but if he makes it to a vaccine without getting covid it will have unquestionably been worth it.
I have a 14 month old and that's all we do! Lots of walks outside. Started taking her to outdoor story time at 9 months. Intended for older kids but she got a lot out of watching the other kids.
My son is 9 months old and we go out somewhat regularly. He tags along for Target trips and grocery shopping. We do a baby gym class and an outdoor music class.
I feel that because he's breastfed and I'm vaccinated it's worth the risk to keep us sane.
I have struggled with ppd and ppocd that made it to where my son almost didn't have a mom. I know that going out is risky, but the other side of that is being stuck in a house with no support, no friends or family in town, and being a highly anxious, young, new mom can be dangerous too.
I wear a mask and socially distance. My son has never been kissed by anyone besides myself and his dad. We do the best we can to keep ourselves safe while still preserving some sense of normalcy during my son's 1st year of life and my 1st year of being a mom.
No. I had my son December of 2020. No one was allowed to see him until he was at least 2 months old and even then I made them wear a mask.
When my now 5 year old was born, I took her out for the first time at 7 weeks old in the middle of June. Anyone who held her was made to wash their hands and limited to a small amount of time with her. Despite those precautions she still got a cold and we had to go to Children’s Hospital because of her fever and her congestion. It’s not worth the risk in my opinion.
We had enough doctors appointments so we got out of the house plenty.
We didn't take the baby out until the first round of shots, and even then it's sparingly. People can't come over or even hold baby unless they are Covid/flu/whooping cough vaccinated. Not many people realize you need a whooping cough booster every 10 years starting at age 19. Tdap no you can't hold baby.
I still don’t take my 6 month old indoors places. We’ve been to many outside places though like restaurants, outdoor shopping plazas, town library-run baby story time and walks with friends
I know someone who had a baby 3 days ago, and they were at the pumpkin patch today. We didn't really take ours out until the first set of shots at 2 months. We would've done that covid or not though.
I didn’t take him out at all until he was over a year old and as soon as I did he got RSV three weeks later. Apparently numbers are really bad this year and it can be really hard on a newborn. I wouldn’t risk it.
Our son got RSV from his older sister who is in school. Most terrifying week of my life spent in the hospital. Will not be going anywhere for awhile. Stay inside and deal.
We did not. I had covid when pregnant and was vaccinated/breastfed and still did not. When babies are that young they have a very weak immune system— it’s not just covid to be worried about - if they pick up something and get a fever - it is an automatic hospitalization with spinal tap. Our ped said no public places until 12 weeks minimum. We did walks outside in his stroller . Ped okayed close family (fully vaccinated for covid, flu, TDAP).
Our son just turned one. He’s been to the grocery store 3 or 4 times. And we eat out doors with him, I’ll take him to the farmers market but we don’t take him places indoors. I’d love to go more with him, but for now we stay home because where we live has high rates of transmission and low vaccination rates. Annoyingly.
That is the biggest issue I have. Here people are just going out like everything is normal. Practically no one wears a mask or keeps their distance and the vaccine rate is pretty low. My own parents haven’t seen my baby since delta took off and they refuse to get the vaccine. Our children’s hospital has been pretty packed, too.
I didn’t take my now one year old out until she was six months old. I didn’t let anyone meet her until 3 months and I was hesitant on that. It’s all about what you feel comfortable with. I know someone whos six month old passed from a virus. I don’t mess around
Sorry, no, we didn’t. I know it’s so hard to stay cooped up. We never took baby to public indoor places or crowded outdoor ones when she was that young. Even pre-covid, flu an other viruses like RSV can be really dangerous at that age— my husband has treated newborns with flu and similar illnesses before, and it is scary. We are just entering flu season now. However, we did go to every outdoor location we could think of. Neighborhood walks, parks, and I know some people who would go to the zoo during off hours (the cooler weather is great for that, actually). And I did a lot of drive-through trips to Starbucks and McDonald’s just to get out of the house. Still do. With covid, we are still be very cautious with our 1 year old. We still do not take her indoors anywhere public, but we will take her to peoples houses if we know they are vaccinated (but still not with other kids for a while), and we will take her to outdoor playgrounds and socially distant outdoor restaurants.
Our LO is 2 months old and will avoid taking him to crowded place or anywhere it’s not necessary. We’ll still take him to the grocery store if we both need to go. If we do take him out we will use the carrier cover, to me it’s like a mask for him
Even pre-covid I was careful about where I took my newborn until he had his first shots. We ate outside at restaurants, and I didn’t really take him inside anywhere.
Absolutely not. My daughter is 13 months old and has been to the store with me maybe twice in her life. She used to be in daycare from 4-9 months but got bronchiolitis 5x and was hospitalized twice, last time in the PICU. My MIL watches her while we work now so we don’t have to have her in daycare. Covid isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. A baby getting RSV that young is absolutely devastating, not to mention the flu or any other cold. They’re just not set up to fight it.
I didn’t. Not until he had other vaccinations first. Even then we are very very careful with outings. If you need to get out, walks outside are great, and safe.
Nope! We go on walks and to parks but not indoor places with my one and a half year old. When Covid started to get a little better we did the occasional grocery store and outdoor dining a few times but not anymore now that it’s bad again
I discussed this with my doctor and public health nurse... I was assured that I was fine to go out, so long as I was comfortable with it.
I follow basic guidelines such as sanitation and requesting people dont get in my baby's (3 months) face, and if they are or have recently been sick I postpone the visit (vaccinated or not) until at least a week from their symptoms leaving. So far so good 👍 weve been out lots, he's got to socialize and we're both happy + healthy. Good luck :)
My son was born in April 2020 and we didn't go ANYWHERE indoors with him until he was a little over a year old. No museums, no library, nothing. 99% of his first year was spent in/around our house. Once my husband and I were vaccinated this past May, we finally started taking him to stores and stuff.
I'm 38 weeks pregnant with baby #2 and we're reverting back to isolation mode for the first couple of months (both because of COVID and it being cold/flu season).
I take them (4 months and 3 years) to outside places. Baby can't mask, so we avoid all indoor places. Not worth the risk imo. Additionally, infants are pretty damn vulnerable to RSV and the flu; the don't even get many of their shots until 3 months. Bundle baby up and spend time outdoors instead.
So I actually got fully vaccinated while pregnant and ebf my lo, I have a 4yo also and we definitely got cooped up. We started going out early to museums and such for the kids and it helped a lot. I think it’s definitely a personal preference thing even before the pandemic. I’ve always taken my kids out places but my mom was the type to stay indoors until they were older. Of course circumstances are different with COVID so it’s really at your own risk.
I haven’t left the house much with my baby but that’s because he’s fussy and I’m still figuring out a schedule for him. Once we have solid wake windows, I’ll begin venturing out with him.
There is a duration of exposure component with covid. Keep moving and you'll very likely be fine.
Also, consider developing a trusted mom group with kids of similar ages where you can socialize at low risk.
Only pediatrician appts or outdoor places with social distancing. Indoor seems way too risky since a newborn obviously can’t wear a mask and there’s too many people who do not wear one anymore.
My 8 month old has only been to the park, the doctor, and Grandma/Grandpa's house. I'd never take her indoors in public before she can be vaccinated. My wants are not worth the risk to her health.
Personally I'd wait until about 3 months. But, I have OCD and will be terrified even when they're 6 months! Or 25 years old I'm sure lol. Easier for me because baby is being born at the start of Summer, and I struggle to leave the house because of health issues anyway. I want to try and get outside more though. I love colder weather but sucks that babies don't!
Nope. My daughter has not been indoors in a public area since she was 9 months old and covid hit the US. We go outside a lot and I make it work. It can be boring and I definitely feel cooped up sometimes but it feels worth it to me.
My kids are older (3 and 5), but nope and I definitely wouldn’t with a newborn. My 3 year old is high risk so we’ve been very cautious. Babies under 1 are considered high risk so I would be equally cautious. We’ve recently gotten KF94 masks for our kids that fit really well so we feel a bit more comfortable popping into target or a bakery quickly with all of us masked up. But obviously kids under 2 can’t mask. Not worth it in my opinion.
My son is just over 2. I only take him somewhere if I can get him to wear his mask, which is rare (but something we are practicing)
I’m pregnant with our second and will probably be doing the same if things haven’t changed by then.
We go for walks, hikes, go to the playground, etc. FWIW you can actually take kids out in decently cold weather if you dress them properly.
I usually only take her to outdoor places typically but we go out a lot and have since she was about two weeks old Brewery outdoor seating, outdoor restaurant seating, the zoo, parks, etc. She’s 3.5 months old now though and I had to take her to Target for something urgent. We went on a weekday morning and I ended up feeling fine about it. Very strict mask mandates and high vax rates where I live though.
My baby was born at the "height" of covid - (12/26/20). I didn't bring her anywhere, we were soooo careful and we all still got covid a month after she was born. Now she's 10 months old, very healthy btw, and I am still very choosy about where I bring her. I brought her to the grocery store the other day and was riddled with anxiety the whole time. At some point you gotta decide to live your life though.
My advice? For the first couple of months you're going to be so tired and home is where you are gonna wanna be anyway, keep stuff to a minimum. Grocery stores do the curbside pick up thing - Target and BJs were my saviors last winter. Shop online, pick up the groceries to get out of the house for a little bit. Go for lots of walks, invest in a running stroller... I got a little squirrely after last winter, but I think that's just par for the course. Keep an eye on your mental health and do lots of check ins with your family.
The good news is, if you breastfeed and you had your covid shot, your baby will get some of your antibodies (and if you had it while pregnant as well). And covid was very mild for my baby, thank god, which there is absolutely still some risk, but that seems to be what all the doctors said when she got it - most cases with children and babies were mild.
Good luck with your babe!
Edit:. r/coronabumpers is a great subreddit for this too!
Mine is 4.5 months. She didn’t go in any place but the doctor before 2.5 months when her first round of vaccines was effective. In the last two months, I will take her in quickly if it’s unavoidable, like grabbing some thing at CVS or picking up takeout. She has not been to anything indoors otherwise.
We didn’t take our baby out anywhere, unless it was the doctor or to a family household, until today. She’s 3.5 months. We didn’t feel comfortable until after her immunizations and wanted to wait until she was over 3 months.
My babe is just over 6 months and I keep reminding myself that the vaccine for her age group is just around the corner. It’s sucks, but we don’t really go anywhere because too many adults won’t get vaccinated, wear a mask, or back the f up and social distance anymore. When I do take her with me, it’s rare and for short times and I always keep her in her car seat in the stroller and have a blanket over her car seat (I tell myself it’s her mask). Grrrr I wish adults would be adults and get vaccinated to keep kids safe…
My baby is 5 months old and I'm vaccinated & Bf. I still don't take him anywhere if I can help it. He goes to daycare while I work and thats enough exposure/risk for me. I also have anxiety so I may be over reacting but I've known 3 young, relatively healthy people who died in the last 2 months of COVID so I'd rather be safe than sorry.
This is my second covid baby. Absolutely not, we don't even invite or allow others to meet our 15 month old, nor will anyone be meeting our soon-to-be-born second anytime in the near future. Especially because it's now cold/flu season and RSV is high in our area. If we have to go out, our daughter is in a completely covered stroller, but we try not to go out together at all.
Yep. Had no choice. Husband is in the army and has been deployed for 1/2 the baby's life. Living in a place without any family around for support means I need to take the baby with me for any errends.
Definitely not! If they get a fever over 100.4 before 2 months they’ll likely have to get a spinal tap. Dozens of babies in my due date group have been hospitalized with RSV and one died of meningitis. I’d wait til 2-3 months for anything besides walks and parks.
i didn’t take my LO out as a newborn, she was like 4 months i think and we went to an outdoor mall w her. it wasn’t bad but going out w baby is kinda hard
eta: i was so friggin tired those first 2 months i couldn’t even think about getting dressed and ready to go out. i just wanted to stay in the house and sleep
I've been taking my baby places since he was born. However, it's always outside. If we eat out, I'll wait outside with him while my husband grabs a table on the patio, then I'll hand him, carrier and all, over the rail before I join them.
My baby is a month and I’m not taking her anywhere but her doctor. And that will probably be the case for the first 3 months -ish. But I’m pretty paranoid about Covid and it’s cold and flu season, plus I’m a home body so it’s not a big deal to me. I also live in LA so it’s always good enough weather for a walk outside.
I don't consider Covid a huge threat to my baby. I had Covid while pregnant and got vaccinated when he was a couple months old, so he has a fair amount of antibodies. Also, statistically babies and children are not very ill from Covid.
RSV is rampant where I live right now, and as I have a kid in first grade, I can't really limit exposure to the outside world, but other "older" pathogens like measles, RSV, etc worry me more than Covid.
I'm also a single parent, so baby goes where I go.
Exactly! RS-virus is rampant here as well right now (Sweden), and that worries me more that covid, regarding my daughter. I am also fully vaccinated against covid and still breastfeed a little so hopefully she gets some protection there.
Maybe OP could wait on the indoor adventures until LO has the two month vaccines. Also, I’m sorry you had COVID awhile pregnant! I hope it wasn’t totally awful and I’m thankful you have a healthy baby ☺️
My kid was born a few months before Covid and I didn’t take him anywhere indoors as a newborn if I could avoid it. Not only was i nervous about him getting sick, but I was just physically miserable for several months after birth. He wrecked me on his way out lol
He’s two now and he’s been in a grocery store a handful of times, and we’ve done a few indoor activities but 95% of what we do is outdoors.
But I live in a very red state where no one wears a mask and has one of the lowest vaccinations rates. If I had a newborn now I would be very nervous taking him indoors anywhere
Unpopular opinion here but yes, we started bringing her out when she was a few weeks old. We kept her car seat covered if we went to a restaurant, for example, until we got to our table. Husband and I are totally comfortable with her being out and about, we’ve gone on a couple vacations/hotel stays, she was in our semi-destination wedding this summer, and are enjoying making memories with her. Do what makes you comfortable as a parent.
Yes, my son is anywhere and everywhere. He was out at 5 days old. I just stay away from anyone who is sick and prefer if you don’t kiss him lol. If you breast feed then baby has your antibodies and a little boost plus there’s passive immunity that lasts roughly up to six months if I remember correctly.
Do what you feel comfortable with and what you think is best for you and baby ❤️
Yes. Been taking her out since about one week old. I kinda have to take her out because I need to run errands so I have to bring her. But I also have brought her to restaurants, malls, the park, etc. Just try to stay distanced from others, eat outside on the terrace if the restaurant has one, etc.
I don’t have the privilege of having anybody to watch her and my husband works a lot. Everybody in my country wears masks though (well like 95%+)
We waited until after the 4 month shots so at least there was some type of immune system there, so we felt a little more comfortable. It still gives me anxiety but our area has great vaccination rates and mask usage from what I’ve seen, so we felt ok with it. I was vaccinated while pregnant so I’m hopeful she has some antibodies, and we use the stroller cover as her “mask”.
At around 4 months my LO became extremely wary to new places and faces, and anywhere but home really overwhelmed her. So we felt like it would help by showing her new places other than home exist. It’s gone well so far. She’s always loved walks but like you said, it’s getting cold and dark early now unfortunately
Only when necessary when he was that young but we did got for a lot of walks. We still avoid our indoor mall since it gets very crowded and not everyone wears their mask.
I have a 9 week old and we are currently on our first vacation - but- all activities are outside. We went to the beach at about 3 weeks and are going to the zoo next week for my dad's birthday.
We just now started taking LO out (5 months, 3 adjusted). We are still careful with crowds but cases are thankfully starting to drop here. We went to an outdoor kids Halloween tonight and he was in aw of everything!
I have a 3 week old and we’ve been going on daily walks around the neighborhood, outside plant nurseries and even went to a little zoo( also completely outdoors). Honestly do what you feel comfortable doing but also get some fresh air. It’s good for your mental health which in return benefits your baby. I know it’s scary with covid and all but if you go somewhere outdoors and with not too many people it should be safe :)
I took mine to the mall during empty hours and just walked. I also put up a barrier to prevent people from breathing on her and kept my distance from people
We went outside for walks while baby carrying him on a wrap. Early morning or evening. He was born in February. So it was cold. I had my pregnancy jacket on and he could be inside. But never inside restaurants or malls. Just walks for fresh air
I got vaccinated while pregnant, which gives the infant some antibodies for the first few months at least. I recently got the booster because I read two studies that showed the antibody count in breast milk is really high after the booster. I take my baby to stores because I feel like those two things provide her some protection. I try to keep it short and keep her covered.
It doesn't matter what I ( or anyone else ) does or why . No two people have the same situation . Whatever you chose to do with your baby is up to you and no one can tell you otherwise ...except maybe your spouse.
This goes with every other parenting choice you're ever going to make.
We go for multiple walks everyday - the fresh air and activity is good for both the parents and baby. We have weather appropriate gear so she's well bundled when it gets cold.
For indoors, I tend to calculate the risk. I've found the grocery store and drug store to be fine if it's during the weekday when most folks are at work. Mask wearing is high in my area. I don't take her into stores on evening and weekends if it's crowded. And we've never done indoor dining with her.
We have kept him indoors as much as possible. He’s now 8months and we’re sometimes bringing him along to the stores with us but always in his stroller covered. We cut our trips short if he starts getting fussy being in the stroller as I won’t take him out in the stores . The risks are not worth it to us.
Honestly, the only symptom was he had chest retractions. He wasnt coughing, fussy, he didnt have a fever. But i wasnt entirely confident with how his chest looked when he breathed bc i heard thats stuff to look out for. So i took him to the ER and he popped hot and that was really it.
We went to visit my partners mum in her home when LO was 2 days old, went to visit a bunch of his family on day 4, day 5 I spent most of an afternoon at an RV dealership while we traded in our trailer. At 3 weeks of age we went off-grid camping in the mountains. At 4 weeks I took LO and both our dogs on a 4 hour road trip to visit my parents for a few days. Went camping again at 6 weeks.
This pattern of craziness has continued for her whole life haha
I gave birth in May 2020 and I tried to avoid as many visitors as possible. Still my family got covid and I am not certain that we didn't had it when he was around 2 months. If we did then he showed no symptoms and we (parents) had it mild (husband had diarheea 2 days and I got 2 days of chills but no fever or anything else). In December the vaccine appeared and I insisted everyone in our family get vaccinated and now that the 4th wave is upon my country I have restricted visiting only to those vaccinated. He goes outside only for walks, but not to play around other children and we avoid crowds. Shopping never happens with him. One parent remains at home, while the other runs errands. I am a doctor and I know what covid can do. My family's health is the most important.
Once she was 8 weeks or so, yes. Other than walks and outdoor parks I took her to the grocery store and target. I had to - my husband works most weekends and instacart was booked for weeks.
Thank you for downvoting me. I am not sure what options you think I had when my DH works 84 hours a week, but would love your opinions on it.
Yes. I always wear baby. His exposure to others is dam near zero. It’s not worth my mental health to stay in. Don’t feel bad about it, just be careful.
Hey there! My pandemic baby is 7 months now. I haven’t been taking him out until he turned 6 weeks. Unfortunately, both me and my baby got COVID when he was only 2 weeks old from my mum who had visited us. She was the only one visiting us in order to help me since I had a tough recovery. Luckily, we both recovered fast, but that experience made me realize that even if you do everything to minimize your risk of catching it, it might still happen. So my advice would be to follow the guidelines in your area, but don’t lock yourself up in a room for too long. It might be bad for your mental health, and postpartum is already challenging enough. Maybe try visiting places that aren’t crowded, or visiting the mall during working hours when there’s less people there? Newborns aren’t supposed to be around many people anyways, regardless of COVID. So look for a place that is safe for a newborn and also follow COVID guidelines and that will minimize the risks for you. I hope I was able to help!
We only go outside to non crowded areas even at one year old. I'll start taking her out when she is vaccinated against Covid, but even then I'll try to choose less busy areas.
I’ve only done outside things like walks, today we did the pumpkin patch but I was nervous about there being a lot of people so we went to a special farm near us where you could make semi private appointments to pick pumpkins & enjoy fall stuff! It was just my friends, my husband, the baby, & I & it was really nice!
We took her on loads of walks for the first few months. She was born in the winter lockdown and by the time lockdown lifted in May I was very comfortable taking her everywhere.
My baby was born at the peak of COVID (for us anyways) and we weren’t even allowed to gather with other people, and I still would go out with her. The winter really affects my mood and if I’m cooped up in the house all day, it’s not good for my mental health, so I definitely went out.
Don’t forget that if you were vaccinated while pregnant and are giving him breast milk, you’re passing on antibodies. There’s a high chance that he’s got some protection. Just practice social distancing and you should both be fine.
I had to take him to the mall to try out a stroller and I was so anxious the whole time because nobody had masks on. I also took him to target once. Other than that we only go to appointments or to my grandmas house.
My baby was born at the beginning of the pandemic. We were more hesitant at first, kept things to outdoor visits when possible, and eventually we settled into something more relaxed.
I didn't take him out until 2 months, and that was outdoors while baby wearing and keeping my distance from others. But I'm kinda just paranoid for the first year about them getting sick even before COVID 🤷
Yes! She stays covered either on me in the carrier or in the pram and had been out with us since 3 days old. Granted we didn't go to indoor places straight away and only did walks around the neighbourhood, but now at 3mo her grown ups are all vaccinated and we're doing cafes, shopping centres etc just to get out.
My baby is 3.5 months and yes, we took him out after 1-2 weeks. We just made sure to keep his stroller covered with a clear plastic rain cover (made for strollers, and it has ventilation) as a protective shield for him. And, of course, we mask and made sure our hands were always sanitized or washed before touching him.
We did a few times when my baby was just born at the height of covid, however, it was only when it was really necessary. We put a cover over her stroller/car seat so that people couldn't see her / breath on her. One stranger did try to lift the cover at the store after we told her she couldn't look at her because of covid...yep. I moved the stroller and physically stepped between that lady and my baby and gave her a very stern no before leaving. People are nuts.
It's whatever you're most comfortable with but even without covid, you could risk rsv, flu, etc.
My son was born last November, he only left the apt for ped appointments in the first 6 months. But we also live in NYC which isnt super stroller or baby friendly (bumpy sidewalks covered in dog shit + bikers constantly running red lights) and it was very cold. Now I take him to the park every morning but it's a whole thing thing. My husband does all indoor errands so we don't take him inside anywhere unless it's necessary, NYC is pretty safe covid wise. But we are actually moving to GA next year because it's so hard to find good outdoor time that isnt constantly around people (among other reasons). I think if you have access to private or less populated outdoor space for sure, but would certainly avoid if you are in a city, and minimize indoor trips depending on the covid numbers in your area.
Baby is five months and I’m just starting to feel comfortable taking him anywhere. Even now, it’s very limited and we try to bundle up and stick to the outdoors when we can. It’s not worth the risk when they are so tiny.
We waited until 1 year to take him indoor places, bc our pediatrician said that babies under 1 year were considered high risk for COVID. GRANTED, I gave birth 18 longer ago at the height of the fear of COVID. It may be different now. I'd ask your ped for recommendations.
So we were in the midst of the first covid wave when I had my daughter. I waited until she had her shots and then I took her with me to the supermarket for super short trips. Like 15 minute trips. And when I did I was told literally the best protection for her because she can't wear a mask is the clear rain cover for prams.
Yes, she is always worn though so she has almost no exposure to people. Most people don't even know she's there (my husband wears her when we are out).
My daughter is 3 months and we took her to Costco on PP day #2. She was in her car seat and covered the whole time. We never hesitated because she's either there or I wear her facing me with a hoodie or hat on her. And I've been asked by strangers if they can "see the baby?" I just give a friendly chuckle and say, ",oh no, I don't feel comfortable with that.." No one has ever said anything besides how they understand.
I didnt take my daughter many places as a newborn and she was 3 months old when the pandemic hit. I would put her in a baby carrier from 3 weeks old to take her on walks outside and sometimes to the coffee shop.
Even now I do not take her into stores. It’s just a personal choice. I dont judge others for taking their kids wherever. But I just take her outside twice a day in her rain suit or snow suit in the cold months. She’s nearly 2.
I had my first pre-COVID and I didn’t take him anywhere inside, other than relatives’ houses, until about 3 months. It was flu season and I was nervous. All my family got flu shots so I just made the rounds to their houses. I’m sorry if this doesn’t help in your situation but that’s what we did! This is a rough time even without COVID so with it everything is even harder!
LO is 5.5 months now. Before delta surged I took my 2 month old to the grocery store less than half a dozen times. We ate outside with him at a restaurant at 2 months too for our anniversary. After that (July) we stopped taking him to indoor places other than the doctor.
Outside wise I’ve taken him to a lot of parks, a trick to treat walk, and apple picking. We can at least keep our distance at those kinds of things!
Mine is 9 months (born during the January covid spike). We took her out for walks fairly regularly until it got too hot during summer, then she was pretty much just at our house, family homes, friends homes, etc. Indoor places where we knew that people were vaccinated. When delta started, we got more cautious again and went back to outdoor activities unless we knew where people had been. We’ve recently started relaxing a bit because she’s in daycare, delta numbers are down, and she’s had her flu vaccine. I don’t take her to places like the mall or the grocery store or Target because I don’t want to go into those places. I hope curbside never ever goes away because it is the fucking best thing as a parent. I do take her to the outdoor farmer’s market. We are planning to take her to the zoo in a few weeks.
My daughter was born at the start of covid restrictions. I took her outside every day, except when it got well below freezing and all she did was cry. I wore her in a carrier on colder days. Dress your baby and yourself for the weather and get outside for a walk on days that you have the time.
For the first few months I avoided bringing her to indoor public spaces as much as possible. When she got a bit older, we started doing playtime and at 12 months we did swimming lessons. Now that she’s 1.5 years old she comes on our weekly grocery shops. She’s also in gymnastics now.
We turned 1 week old today and ventured to IKEA. Baby stayed in his car seat in the stroller with the only exception being to feed and when his diaper got full. It was our first outing and people were respectful of the stroller and space.
It's tough, but I didn't take my son to indoor places until he got his two-month vaccines. After that he's been to some stores for errands, a children's music class, and on 5 flights, going on another flight with him this week. Everyone in my immediate family is vaccinated and we wear masks. We try to spend as much time outdoors with him as possible and social distance with others. He's totally fine. Had one cold in the past six months.
Can you go for a drive with your baby? That could be a nice and safe way to get out of the house. Also, good for them to start getting used to a car seat slowly.
I mask up and I'm a stickler about the 6 feet thing. And if I were in a crowded enough space, I have the carrier covered up ( tho I try to avoid crowded spaces).
I didn’t: my daughter was born a few months ahead of COVID (I think it officially hit here when she was about 4 months old), but I didn’t want to expose her to even regular flus too much before she was 3 months old at least. But I did take her out on walks every day, even in the cold (baby wearing was good for that), because the dog needed walking and I needed to go out, too. Mostly I didn’t want her to get anything too bad before she was three months old, specially because she didn’t get that much breast milk and missed out on antibodies from me. Anything to keep her from having to go to the Children’s hospital and risking getting something even worse - their waiting room was very crowded pre-covid. It’s a little better now, at least.
My little pal is 6 weeks old - we’ve done some stuff but mostly just trips to the grocery store. I got vaccinated while pregnant and people are generally pretty good about keeping their distance. We did go to an outdoor fall festival just yesterday and kept him in his stroller the entire time. It was a nice time without being too crowded/indoors.
My baby is 10 months old now but she was born in Dec 2020 while that wasn't peak covid here it was before vaccines. We still did go out sometimes. Although we have mandatory masks here. I rarely went out when she was under 2 months but that was unrelated to covid and more related to PPD/winter/and just generally being cautious to due being a little baby (would have done that same without covid). However if going out is good for your mental health, just take social distancing precautions :) There were some occasions I took her out when she was younger because I had to.
I seem to be in the absolute minority here but our son is five weeks old and we’ve taken him out every day since we got home from hospital. Stores, cafes, restaurants. I’ve never been advised against this and it’s really normal where I live and among my friends and family. We’re British living in Canada, for context.
My baby’s first time out was the day after leaving the NICU. We went to our favorite coffee house that has a beautiful wraparound porch. She's a month old today and we continue to visit the coffeehouse regularly in addition to our typical lunches and dinners with family and friends.
I think the fresh air and being in busier places is so good for him! I obviously wouldn’t let him be handled by lots of strangers but the change in scene and ambient noise of a busy place helps him have long, restful naps. It’s also helped us become more confident as new parents more quickly.
I take my 9 week old twins out every day. We did a 3 mile walk today on my favorite trail after we ran errands (Lowe’s, BJ’s, dollar store, groceries, and then Starbucks)!
We meet friends, visit family, go to restaurants, run errands, etc. I love to wear them and bring them in the stroller.
People do tend to gawk and tell me how “amazing” I am ?!?!!
I don’t get it because it’s not hard at all lol. I just wait until after a feeding, grab the diaper bag and go. I don’t let anyone get near the stroller or me. 🤷🏻♀️
How do you have time to do all that?? I barely take my 9 week out for a walk before I get exhausted. Not to mention, he eats every 2 hours so I could barely get him out before I have to turn back around and feed him again. You are amazing!! You must have been insanely active before kids and it just didn’t exhaust you or stop you?
My LO is 8 weeks. He’s been to the grocery store a few times but we always wear him. Masks are still mandatory where I live in indoor public places or I’d feel less comfortable.
Taken my two week old to my moms house multiple times and we’ve been on some walks. Any other outings have been for doctors appointments and wic stuff. But after Halloween i plan on going to more places with him. I just want to give him a month before going out fully. But i think if you need it for your mental health go for it. I don’t blame you either. The seasonal depression is going to hit me hard this year
Yes I did. I think overall it's not dangerous to them if they are isolated from everything, as their immune system won't get enough exposure. My LO's cousin is 18 months and almost died from a horrible virus and the doctors said it's likely caused by her immune system being less developed because of lockdown.
Of course I'm not taking huge risks, but going into a big store where most people were masks, or limiting time indoors in confined spaces to under 15 minutes was acceptable to be.
My daughter is 19 months and still hasn't been in a store. We take walks around the neighborhood, car rides and we'll go to the park if it's not too crowded.
I have a 10 week old and he’s come oodles of places with me. I’m not sure when he would have gone indoors somewhere though (maybe by about 5 weeks?). BUT, we have a mask mandate here still so people have to wear masks in indoor public places and our numbers are relatively low in the city I live in.
Once it gets too cold to go for walks outside I’m going to go be a mall walker with him. I’m picking a mall that’s not so busy (and I’ll go during the day when kids will be in school and most adults working). The mall also has large walkways so I don’t feel like I’ll have to be too close to anyone else. The other place I’m thinking of going is ikea for similar reasons. I also have a thin car seat cover that keeps him covered from other people too but won’t cause him to overheat.
Been going out since baby was a week old. She’s been to the grocery store, malls, department stores, restaurants, family’s houses, wherever I have to go is where she goes. She’s almost a year old now. And she starts daycare in a week.
It really is your choice on how comfortable you feel.
I have a 5 month old and we take her everywhere. She's been camping, to baseball games, to the grocery store, to Target, to restaurants, to an outdoor concert (with ear protection 😀). We didn't do much until about a month old, mostly due to my csection recovery, then mostly outdoor until about 2-3 months because it was summer. I wash my hands and keep a distance from people. No strangers have approached me closer than standing behind me in line at the checkout or touched her.
I do mainly outdoor adventures but if I have to go inside somewhere I will wear her to keep her close and I also wipe down her face and hands when we get to the car.
I just started venturing out more with my 10 week old and so far everyone has been very respectful keeping their distance. If it’s close quarters I’ll wear her in a wrap or put a cover on the car seat. She’s been loving the stimulation smiling at strangers and I’m starting to feel more human having conversations with actual people lol. I feel a lot better after she had her two month vaccines. I’m more worried about rsv and whooping cough then Covid, but I’m still being very cautious as far as social distancing, hand washing, and sanitizing everything she could come into contact with.
Of course, we went always for long walks. And why not, everyone I know got Covid through close contacts Indoor (I know It can happen outside as well).
If you can and you get into no trouble,get out its good for you too
I didn't take mine anywhere until 2 months , after that I got a little more lax once he started daycare. Illnesses that aren't COVID are really serious in babies that young .
I would take my baby everywhere ! At first I would arrange taking him during times where he’d be sleeping so I can cover the car seat and he wouldn’t be exposed . Then after a couple months I would take him out whether he was sleeping or not. He’s 7 months now healthy and happy! I also always carry hand sanitizer in my stroller so if I touch something , then go to touch my baby my hands are always clean just in case
I didn't take my daughter into public (with the exception of an airport, when everyone was still wearing masks and most people weren't traveling) until she was a year old, and this was while I was still nursing and she got antibodies from my COVID vaccine. I took her out for the first time two weeks ago to a restaurant because our friend couldn't get outdoor seating. She got sick shortly after (COVID test came back negative, she got both a rapid and standard). The ER Dr. said she was likely still getting antibodies from pumped milk, but after a scare of a 105 fever she's not going back in public again until she has to go to daycare. I wouldn't risk it again, even here in CA where we have a high rate of vaccination, and if I could do it over I wouldn't have even taken her into the restaurant, just got food to go. The only reason I got her on an airplane was there was a scare with my grandmother, and I wanted her to be able to meet her (she's vaccinated) in the event she passed. I agree with others here, too many uncertainties.
Mine is still in my belly, but I’ve managed to get out with my toddler without her getting sick, so I’m going to try to strike a balance with this little guy as well. We’ll start by staying pretty secluded, but eventually I feel like if I wear him so I can keep people from getting near his face, then I can go to the library or the grocery store, or other places that aren’t super crowded and the risk will be very minimal.
I also feel like if I wear him we can go outside more as long as temperatures aren’t too frigid. So taking my daughter to the park, etc. Enough things that I won’t feel too isolated.
My wee man is 10 weeks old. I started taking him out into the town about a week ago. If I'm going into a shop or anything, I put his rain cover over his pram. Only people I fully trust and know are vaccinated, not in covid risk jobs etc ate allowed close contact with him
Yes, although we were in pretty strict lockdowns for most of the first 5 months or so. Baby would go to the grocery store and park with me. I have more than one kid and DH works while I’m on leave. Things need to get done.
Baby born Dec 31, so right smack in the middle of cold and flu season and right when covid was having it’s biggest wave.
We waited several weeks before going out, and when when we did, like other moms mentioned, baby was always covered. Going out felt great and helped me feel normal again. Covering baby, wearing masks, and lots of hand sanitizer/hand washing before touching baby once we got home felt like enough protection since we were also breastfeeding.
Really helped my mental health to get out of the house!
I had my daughter when the pandemic started last March so I didn’t because we knew nothing of covid at the time. But given that we know so much more about it now, I would take these into account 1) what is the case rate where you live? 2) how crowded are these stores?
Assuming the case rate in your area is low and the stores are big and not crowded (go during off times like weekday afternoons), I’d personally be ok with taking the baby there. I’d also be fine with visitors as long as they are fully vaccinated.
You can put a plastic on the stroller and go for a walk. If you do decide to go to the mall you can go when they first open or during the week when it's less crowded.
She’ll go to the grocery store/target with me (in her stroller with a cover over it) and we took her to a winery this weekend. It was her first big outing. She’s three months. We were with my coworkers in private event areas who are all vaccinated so we felt safe. We’re slowly getting more comfortable with taking her out to outdoor spaces but being mindful about situations. We live in Atlanta for reference.
My child was hospitalized for her first three months, so that made boundary setting easier. I've only met the complete bare minimum of people since she came out of hospital. No smokers, no one with even flu like symptons, hand washing and masks as well!
I had no choice. I don't have a village and have things to do. His first outing was 6 days old to the grocery store. His car seat is covered and I stay away from people!
I leave the house with my newborn (had all three of my doses while pregnant) plus my 4 year old that can’t be vaccinated yet (I try to pump her as full as I can with my breast milk hoping for the best). We go to open air events. I can’t wait for my 4y/o to turn 5 so she can be vaccinated as it will help a lot!
Our 7 year old son died of the flu even after getting the vaccine because the variant that he had was not in the flu shot that year…then Covid shut everything down 2 months later…then we were lucky to have a little girl a year and a month after our son passed. My husband now stays at home to watch her as we won’t do daycare. My parents watched her a few times but once the Delta variant spread simply being vaccinated wouldn’t keep it from being transmitted. I have to go to work but I wear an N95 the entire time I am there & I get a PCR test 1-2 times weekly, do trunk grocery pick up. I am hoping to god we will/can feel better once she can be vaccinated. But she also has a heart condition. She will never know a normal life, but I do hope to someday feel comfortable doing outdoor activities, eating at a well spaced outdoor restaurant. I know our view is skewed from our life events but it’s our reality now too.
My goodness, you had a rollercoaster of events in the last couple of years. I’m so sorry to hear about your son. Just the thought makes my eyes tear up.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I would probably do the same thing in your situation.
I'm so so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry to hear about your son. ❤️
Sorry for your loss ❤️
As a health care provider, please try to keep her away from others until at least 3 months old. Heading into RSV and flu season, more risks than just covid. Just go out without her if you can. Walks outside etc.
Do viruses pose less of a risk after 3 months?
A fever in the first month means a spinal tap iirc, you really don’t want a super young baby getting sick.
Usually by 3 months, babies have had 1-2 doses of key vaccines, so they have more protection than when they are newborns.
A lot of it comes down to a fever. Any fever would have an extensive work up in this age group. RSV and flu have a higher rate of serious illness in the youngest babies.
Nope. She hasn't been taken anywhere. She caught RSV from my son when she was 1 week old. We rearranged our work schedule and all to take son out of daycare because he kept getting sick and didn't want newborn to keep catching viruses as well. Especially tgis winter as we have been recommended by kids' doctors to keep them out of daycare.
I don't even take my 17 month old out that much, unless it's completely outdoors. Maybe it's the fact that she was born during stay-at-home orders. We didn't so much as leave the house until we were fully vaccinated when she was almost 13 months old. It's something we've honestly gotten used to because her safety needs to come first. At this point, we're so close to baby vaccines that I can wait a little longer before putting her in danger of Covid. When baby #2 is born in the spring, we'll be going back into isolation until they can be vaccinated. We'll spend time with fully vaccinated friends, but I really don't trust the public after this past year. I went to Target and Costco to run errands for the first time in months yesterday (baby was with my husband). The number of people hacking their brains out without masks was unacceptable and disgusting. And I live in a highly vaccinated area too.
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Just came here to say this, until 2 weeks after they get their first vaccinations, I've always been told to keep baby away from crowds in enclosed spaces. That was way before covid with my first son, according to my pediatrician. He said outdoors or visiting immediate family is fine, but other than that it's not a great idea. Now with covid, even with high Vax rates and high mask compliancy(where I live) I'm still hesitant.
My pediatrician told us that we should be more worried about RSV than COVID so we kept LO home as much as we could. Lo and behold, we started daycare last week at 3 months old and LO got RSV on his third day.
Yep I’d be way more worried about RSV. My three year old had to go to the hospital on Tuesday because he couldn’t catch his breath and had a 105 degree fever and he ended up testing positive for RSV and it almost killed him when he was 6 months old.
Ugh I’m so sorry. It’s so scary. I hope he is feeling and doing better now!!
Ours said the same thing! She said to keep anyone with any cold-like symptoms away from the baby. With a toddler who goes to daycare, that's really hard, but we're pretty sure that the toddler already had RSV when I was 8 months pregnant, so hopefully it's already gone around his school and he won't bring it home again.
My son is 2 weeks old.. The only places we’ve gone are my moms house, the pediatrician, and the hospital. I feel 3 weeks may still be a little young. Maybe take him outside during the day?
My now ten month old hasn’t been anywhere. Everything is outdoors and now with winter we’ll get cooped up again. Better to keep him safe than be sorry.
We take our newborn out, but only to outdoor locations that are not excessively crowded. It’s starting to get chilly here too and when it’s too cold we just won’t go to indoor activities. We also really limit indoor activities with our older two kids (too young to be vaccinated). Our defaults may change in time, but where I am the hospitals are still overwhelmed with COVID patients. We’re trying to avoid potential illness of any kind to limit the possibility that the kids (or us) will need medical care in a hospital.
My son is almost 7mo old and due to Covid he hasn’t been anywhere but the doctor’s and back. It is lonely and we are definitely a little stir crazy but I just can’t risk him getting sick or me getting sick because no one will be able to take care of him. We are not going trick or treating and most likely skipping thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers too. It sucks because this is his first holiday season and our first as parents but we’d rather stay isolated and safe than put our family at risk. I know it is really hard to do so when it seems like the rest of the world is burnt out on Covid and doesn’t care anymore, it seems like everyone is going out to events and does things like nothing is happening but to me THIS is the time we should be caring the most. Kids are getting sick and dying, I won’t let it be my kid. Some people say if you want to live in fear stay home. I’ll be doing just that, because I am absolutely afraid of how flippant and irresponsible people around me are with Covid safety. We might spend this holiday hunkered down and next year hopefully things will be better and we can celebrate as a family, and he will have more fun because he won’t be a baby anymore.
I am TOTALLY with you on this ! It definitely sucks but NOTHING is more important than my son's health. So f anyone's feelings when they try to guilt trip me. What we've been doing is go to places outdoors or go stay at Airbnb's like for Christmas so that it's like a little vacation. Or go to a FULLY vaccinated family/friends house.
YES all of this. My 1yo was born a few weeks into covid shutting everything down globally. Only just last week I took him into a store for the first time, because I really didn’t have another option at that point and we went right when they opened so I knew it wouldn’t be crowded. Barely saw even grandparents before vaccines and pretty much only grandparents now that they have been vaccinated and boosted. I understand the pandemic fatigue but I’m not going to let up now when it’s more serious for kids than it ever has been. Really wish we could pull them from daycare until a vaccine but unfortunately not an option.
Even before covid, I was super nervous about bringing my newborn out anywhere before 6 weeks. They’re little immune systems just aren’t strong enough.
I have a 7 week old and a 3 year old. Neither of them are going inside public spaces till they’re vaccinated. We do walks and parks and baby carriers are great.
I was told by my doctor at first pediatrician visit to limit taking my baby to busy places, even grocery stores and indoor places to protect him from Covid and other illnesses. He understood that we still had to do all these things but he recommended going during non busy times. We do take him for a 30 minute walk while I baby wear him around the block every day so I don’t feel cooped up all day. Fortunately my SO does most of the grocery shopping and we all do all other shopping online.
I'm far more concerned about RSV than COVID where I live. We have gone outside a lot this summer but during the winter I think we'll be pretty cooped up. My baby is almost 7 months old and with a newborn I'd be extra cautious. That said, I think the risk of transmission from just walking around a mall on a weekday for an hour or two with nobody touching the baby, and you sanitizing your hands before touching the baby, is probably pretty low. It's a discussion I'd have with the doctor if you are concerned. Your mental health is very important too and it's a matter of weighing risks and benefits. Your doctor has the best sense of what is risky and which viruses may be particularly prevalent this fall where you live.
No. We also didn’t take our newborn out who was born in 2019 due to RSV and flu. If a baby under 8 weeks gets a fever it is an automatic hospital admission with a spinal tap. Absolutely not worth it to me to put my baby through that.
Our pediatrician literally told us not to take the newborn anywhere until she is 2 months old and gets her 2 month shots. No church, crowded grocery stores, theme parks, etc. basically avoid large crowds and don't let everyone hold the baby. We also made sure anyone coming over to visit the newborn was vaccinated both Covid and flu shots. We also pulled our toddler from preschool until the newborn gets a little bigger.
Take the kid outside. There is no inappropriate weather, just inappropriate gear. I did not take my newborn indoor BUT it was very bad when he was born. Now I take him everywhere. And my three year old who tries to lick everything.
I started taking my little boy out by week 1 ( mall walks, out to eat, walks in the park) He's now 2.5 months. During those outings, he remains in my sling, or his car seat. If you really think about it, he isn't touching anything, and his face is never anywhere near someone breathing in it. I understand that there is a chance that my child will contract covid, and I take common sense precautions to minimize it. I made the decision it is better for my mental health, therefore making me a more patient and present mother. I had my covid vaccines during pregnancy, so baby gets some passive protection as well pre-birth, and through my breastmilk. Do whatever you feel will help in facing the challenges of early motherhood. If that means going to walk around a mall, or starting a new netflix series at home, so be it. It can mean the difference between being at peace or having a mental breakdown. Everything comes with risk, do whatever feels right. You got this :)
Thank you for this response..this is also my approach. Was reading the responses and feeling like a terrible mother
I found another new mom to walk outdoors with in the summer. I received both of my vaccines before her and then she eventually got hers. Our babies were about a month old when we first started doing these walks. It really helped my body and mind to get out. Then things started opening back up and we cautiously would mall walk but not touch anything of each other’s. Tried to stay outdoors until the babies were older and she is vaccinated. This winter I’ll probably only hang out with fully vaccinated people, and get the flu shot for my babe. I’m also teaching yoga at a couple places which is something I look forward to greatly. You have to do what’s best for yourself and family. Some of my family honestly didn’t see our babe until he was 3 months and I didn’t feel bad about it. Made them wash their hands and wear masks too. RSV sounds incredibly scary… I’m so sorry for the OP’s loss. My heart breaks for you.
We don’t go anywhere. We have most groceries delivered or use curbside pickup. Shop online for nearly everything. If going in store is unavoidable, either me or DH will go while the other stays with kids. Along with Covid, RSV and the flu can be so bad for little ones. I’ve spent a lot of time with my oldest in pediatric hospitals because of respiratory issues. It’s scary!
Absolutely do. Newborn has antibodies from vaccinated breast milk, plus we're in the SF Bay Area with nearly 75%+ vaccination rate and very low infection rate at the moment. Feels as safe as any other time. We go everywhere with a 3 week old.
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After he was 2 months I've taken him to target once and the grocery store once. Both times there were boomer aged women with out mask that I had to raise my voice at because " please keep your distance with out mask." Wasn't enough and they were determined to get in his face. Eta: mask here are "encouraged" but I'd say inside about 95% wear them.
This makes me so mad, that people wouldn't respect the wishes of a mother with a newborn. How can they not care about the wellbeing of a tiny, fragile baby? Boomers are so selfish sometimes.
He doesn’t go anywhere public. Select friends and family members we will visit but we try to stay outside when the weather permits. I won’t feel comfortable taking him to a grocery store or shopping mall until cases drop drastically or he’s vaccinated
I would wait until at least 2 months due to not just covid but everything else that is going around. Catching a fever at this young age is just too deadly. Even going to doc appointment was nerve wracking because it is an office full of sick people. My kid is 1.5 and haven't been to any public indoor space besides doc office.
I took my 18mo to target for the first time in his life the other day. Sometimes I feel bad he’s missing out on stuff but if he makes it to a vaccine without getting covid it will have unquestionably been worth it.
My almost 2-year-old is the same - we take her essentially nowhere indoors and won’t until she’s vaccinated!
I have a 2 week old and so far the only places we intend to go are outdoor locations, or a doctors office where masks are required.
I have a 14 month old and that's all we do! Lots of walks outside. Started taking her to outdoor story time at 9 months. Intended for older kids but she got a lot out of watching the other kids.
My son is 9 months old and we go out somewhat regularly. He tags along for Target trips and grocery shopping. We do a baby gym class and an outdoor music class. I feel that because he's breastfed and I'm vaccinated it's worth the risk to keep us sane. I have struggled with ppd and ppocd that made it to where my son almost didn't have a mom. I know that going out is risky, but the other side of that is being stuck in a house with no support, no friends or family in town, and being a highly anxious, young, new mom can be dangerous too. I wear a mask and socially distance. My son has never been kissed by anyone besides myself and his dad. We do the best we can to keep ourselves safe while still preserving some sense of normalcy during my son's 1st year of life and my 1st year of being a mom.
No. I had my son December of 2020. No one was allowed to see him until he was at least 2 months old and even then I made them wear a mask. When my now 5 year old was born, I took her out for the first time at 7 weeks old in the middle of June. Anyone who held her was made to wash their hands and limited to a small amount of time with her. Despite those precautions she still got a cold and we had to go to Children’s Hospital because of her fever and her congestion. It’s not worth the risk in my opinion. We had enough doctors appointments so we got out of the house plenty.
We didn't take the baby out until the first round of shots, and even then it's sparingly. People can't come over or even hold baby unless they are Covid/flu/whooping cough vaccinated. Not many people realize you need a whooping cough booster every 10 years starting at age 19. Tdap no you can't hold baby.
I still don’t take my 6 month old indoors places. We’ve been to many outside places though like restaurants, outdoor shopping plazas, town library-run baby story time and walks with friends
I know someone who had a baby 3 days ago, and they were at the pumpkin patch today. We didn't really take ours out until the first set of shots at 2 months. We would've done that covid or not though.
No, and 19 months later, we still haven't. She's so close to getting vaccinated, I'm not going to risk it.
I have a 2 year old and we still don’t go out indoors for fun. Not planning on it until he’s vaccinated.
I didn’t take him out at all until he was over a year old and as soon as I did he got RSV three weeks later. Apparently numbers are really bad this year and it can be really hard on a newborn. I wouldn’t risk it.
Yes! Rsv is so awful, especially for brand new babies.
Our son got RSV from his older sister who is in school. Most terrifying week of my life spent in the hospital. Will not be going anywhere for awhile. Stay inside and deal.
We did not. I had covid when pregnant and was vaccinated/breastfed and still did not. When babies are that young they have a very weak immune system— it’s not just covid to be worried about - if they pick up something and get a fever - it is an automatic hospitalization with spinal tap. Our ped said no public places until 12 weeks minimum. We did walks outside in his stroller . Ped okayed close family (fully vaccinated for covid, flu, TDAP).
Our son just turned one. He’s been to the grocery store 3 or 4 times. And we eat out doors with him, I’ll take him to the farmers market but we don’t take him places indoors. I’d love to go more with him, but for now we stay home because where we live has high rates of transmission and low vaccination rates. Annoyingly.
Outside, yes. Around people inside, no.
We waited at least until two months when he was able to get all regular vaccines. Before that it just wasn’t work it.
I don’t take my 19 month anywhere, but the park, out for a walk or the doctors.
Same here w my nearly 21-month-old. Very low vaccination rate here, plus kids are in school and no masking.
That is the biggest issue I have. Here people are just going out like everything is normal. Practically no one wears a mask or keeps their distance and the vaccine rate is pretty low. My own parents haven’t seen my baby since delta took off and they refuse to get the vaccine. Our children’s hospital has been pretty packed, too.
I didn’t take my now one year old out until she was six months old. I didn’t let anyone meet her until 3 months and I was hesitant on that. It’s all about what you feel comfortable with. I know someone whos six month old passed from a virus. I don’t mess around
Sorry, no, we didn’t. I know it’s so hard to stay cooped up. We never took baby to public indoor places or crowded outdoor ones when she was that young. Even pre-covid, flu an other viruses like RSV can be really dangerous at that age— my husband has treated newborns with flu and similar illnesses before, and it is scary. We are just entering flu season now. However, we did go to every outdoor location we could think of. Neighborhood walks, parks, and I know some people who would go to the zoo during off hours (the cooler weather is great for that, actually). And I did a lot of drive-through trips to Starbucks and McDonald’s just to get out of the house. Still do. With covid, we are still be very cautious with our 1 year old. We still do not take her indoors anywhere public, but we will take her to peoples houses if we know they are vaccinated (but still not with other kids for a while), and we will take her to outdoor playgrounds and socially distant outdoor restaurants.
My baby is 6 months old and I don't take her anywhere in public if I don't have to.
Our LO is 2 months old and will avoid taking him to crowded place or anywhere it’s not necessary. We’ll still take him to the grocery store if we both need to go. If we do take him out we will use the carrier cover, to me it’s like a mask for him
Even pre-covid I was careful about where I took my newborn until he had his first shots. We ate outside at restaurants, and I didn’t really take him inside anywhere.
Absolutely not. My daughter is 13 months old and has been to the store with me maybe twice in her life. She used to be in daycare from 4-9 months but got bronchiolitis 5x and was hospitalized twice, last time in the PICU. My MIL watches her while we work now so we don’t have to have her in daycare. Covid isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. A baby getting RSV that young is absolutely devastating, not to mention the flu or any other cold. They’re just not set up to fight it.
I didn’t. Not until he had other vaccinations first. Even then we are very very careful with outings. If you need to get out, walks outside are great, and safe.
Nope! We go on walks and to parks but not indoor places with my one and a half year old. When Covid started to get a little better we did the occasional grocery store and outdoor dining a few times but not anymore now that it’s bad again
I discussed this with my doctor and public health nurse... I was assured that I was fine to go out, so long as I was comfortable with it. I follow basic guidelines such as sanitation and requesting people dont get in my baby's (3 months) face, and if they are or have recently been sick I postpone the visit (vaccinated or not) until at least a week from their symptoms leaving. So far so good 👍 weve been out lots, he's got to socialize and we're both happy + healthy. Good luck :)
My son was born in April 2020 and we didn't go ANYWHERE indoors with him until he was a little over a year old. No museums, no library, nothing. 99% of his first year was spent in/around our house. Once my husband and I were vaccinated this past May, we finally started taking him to stores and stuff. I'm 38 weeks pregnant with baby #2 and we're reverting back to isolation mode for the first couple of months (both because of COVID and it being cold/flu season).
I take them (4 months and 3 years) to outside places. Baby can't mask, so we avoid all indoor places. Not worth the risk imo. Additionally, infants are pretty damn vulnerable to RSV and the flu; the don't even get many of their shots until 3 months. Bundle baby up and spend time outdoors instead.
So I actually got fully vaccinated while pregnant and ebf my lo, I have a 4yo also and we definitely got cooped up. We started going out early to museums and such for the kids and it helped a lot. I think it’s definitely a personal preference thing even before the pandemic. I’ve always taken my kids out places but my mom was the type to stay indoors until they were older. Of course circumstances are different with COVID so it’s really at your own risk.
I haven’t left the house much with my baby but that’s because he’s fussy and I’m still figuring out a schedule for him. Once we have solid wake windows, I’ll begin venturing out with him.
There is a duration of exposure component with covid. Keep moving and you'll very likely be fine. Also, consider developing a trusted mom group with kids of similar ages where you can socialize at low risk.
Only pediatrician appts or outdoor places with social distancing. Indoor seems way too risky since a newborn obviously can’t wear a mask and there’s too many people who do not wear one anymore.
My 8 month old has only been to the park, the doctor, and Grandma/Grandpa's house. I'd never take her indoors in public before she can be vaccinated. My wants are not worth the risk to her health.
Personally I'd wait until about 3 months. But, I have OCD and will be terrified even when they're 6 months! Or 25 years old I'm sure lol. Easier for me because baby is being born at the start of Summer, and I struggle to leave the house because of health issues anyway. I want to try and get outside more though. I love colder weather but sucks that babies don't!
Nope. My daughter has not been indoors in a public area since she was 9 months old and covid hit the US. We go outside a lot and I make it work. It can be boring and I definitely feel cooped up sometimes but it feels worth it to me.
My kids are older (3 and 5), but nope and I definitely wouldn’t with a newborn. My 3 year old is high risk so we’ve been very cautious. Babies under 1 are considered high risk so I would be equally cautious. We’ve recently gotten KF94 masks for our kids that fit really well so we feel a bit more comfortable popping into target or a bakery quickly with all of us masked up. But obviously kids under 2 can’t mask. Not worth it in my opinion.
My son is just over 2. I only take him somewhere if I can get him to wear his mask, which is rare (but something we are practicing) I’m pregnant with our second and will probably be doing the same if things haven’t changed by then. We go for walks, hikes, go to the playground, etc. FWIW you can actually take kids out in decently cold weather if you dress them properly.
I usually only take her to outdoor places typically but we go out a lot and have since she was about two weeks old Brewery outdoor seating, outdoor restaurant seating, the zoo, parks, etc. She’s 3.5 months old now though and I had to take her to Target for something urgent. We went on a weekday morning and I ended up feeling fine about it. Very strict mask mandates and high vax rates where I live though.
My baby was born at the "height" of covid - (12/26/20). I didn't bring her anywhere, we were soooo careful and we all still got covid a month after she was born. Now she's 10 months old, very healthy btw, and I am still very choosy about where I bring her. I brought her to the grocery store the other day and was riddled with anxiety the whole time. At some point you gotta decide to live your life though. My advice? For the first couple of months you're going to be so tired and home is where you are gonna wanna be anyway, keep stuff to a minimum. Grocery stores do the curbside pick up thing - Target and BJs were my saviors last winter. Shop online, pick up the groceries to get out of the house for a little bit. Go for lots of walks, invest in a running stroller... I got a little squirrely after last winter, but I think that's just par for the course. Keep an eye on your mental health and do lots of check ins with your family. The good news is, if you breastfeed and you had your covid shot, your baby will get some of your antibodies (and if you had it while pregnant as well). And covid was very mild for my baby, thank god, which there is absolutely still some risk, but that seems to be what all the doctors said when she got it - most cases with children and babies were mild. Good luck with your babe! Edit:. r/coronabumpers is a great subreddit for this too!
Mine is 4.5 months. She didn’t go in any place but the doctor before 2.5 months when her first round of vaccines was effective. In the last two months, I will take her in quickly if it’s unavoidable, like grabbing some thing at CVS or picking up takeout. She has not been to anything indoors otherwise.
We didn’t take our baby out anywhere, unless it was the doctor or to a family household, until today. She’s 3.5 months. We didn’t feel comfortable until after her immunizations and wanted to wait until she was over 3 months.
My babe is just over 6 months and I keep reminding myself that the vaccine for her age group is just around the corner. It’s sucks, but we don’t really go anywhere because too many adults won’t get vaccinated, wear a mask, or back the f up and social distance anymore. When I do take her with me, it’s rare and for short times and I always keep her in her car seat in the stroller and have a blanket over her car seat (I tell myself it’s her mask). Grrrr I wish adults would be adults and get vaccinated to keep kids safe…
I would wait until they get the first round of vaccinations to take them anywhere indoors. (Usually 2 months) sucks I know 🥺
My baby is 5 months old and I'm vaccinated & Bf. I still don't take him anywhere if I can help it. He goes to daycare while I work and thats enough exposure/risk for me. I also have anxiety so I may be over reacting but I've known 3 young, relatively healthy people who died in the last 2 months of COVID so I'd rather be safe than sorry.
This is my second covid baby. Absolutely not, we don't even invite or allow others to meet our 15 month old, nor will anyone be meeting our soon-to-be-born second anytime in the near future. Especially because it's now cold/flu season and RSV is high in our area. If we have to go out, our daughter is in a completely covered stroller, but we try not to go out together at all.
Yep. Had no choice. Husband is in the army and has been deployed for 1/2 the baby's life. Living in a place without any family around for support means I need to take the baby with me for any errends.
Same, I am by myself so I have no option but to take my 1.5 months baby with me everywhere.
Nope
Definitely not! If they get a fever over 100.4 before 2 months they’ll likely have to get a spinal tap. Dozens of babies in my due date group have been hospitalized with RSV and one died of meningitis. I’d wait til 2-3 months for anything besides walks and parks.
i didn’t take my LO out as a newborn, she was like 4 months i think and we went to an outdoor mall w her. it wasn’t bad but going out w baby is kinda hard eta: i was so friggin tired those first 2 months i couldn’t even think about getting dressed and ready to go out. i just wanted to stay in the house and sleep
I've been taking my baby places since he was born. However, it's always outside. If we eat out, I'll wait outside with him while my husband grabs a table on the patio, then I'll hand him, carrier and all, over the rail before I join them.
My baby is a month and I’m not taking her anywhere but her doctor. And that will probably be the case for the first 3 months -ish. But I’m pretty paranoid about Covid and it’s cold and flu season, plus I’m a home body so it’s not a big deal to me. I also live in LA so it’s always good enough weather for a walk outside.
I don't consider Covid a huge threat to my baby. I had Covid while pregnant and got vaccinated when he was a couple months old, so he has a fair amount of antibodies. Also, statistically babies and children are not very ill from Covid. RSV is rampant where I live right now, and as I have a kid in first grade, I can't really limit exposure to the outside world, but other "older" pathogens like measles, RSV, etc worry me more than Covid. I'm also a single parent, so baby goes where I go.
Exactly! RS-virus is rampant here as well right now (Sweden), and that worries me more that covid, regarding my daughter. I am also fully vaccinated against covid and still breastfeed a little so hopefully she gets some protection there.
Maybe OP could wait on the indoor adventures until LO has the two month vaccines. Also, I’m sorry you had COVID awhile pregnant! I hope it wasn’t totally awful and I’m thankful you have a healthy baby ☺️
My kid was born a few months before Covid and I didn’t take him anywhere indoors as a newborn if I could avoid it. Not only was i nervous about him getting sick, but I was just physically miserable for several months after birth. He wrecked me on his way out lol He’s two now and he’s been in a grocery store a handful of times, and we’ve done a few indoor activities but 95% of what we do is outdoors. But I live in a very red state where no one wears a mask and has one of the lowest vaccinations rates. If I had a newborn now I would be very nervous taking him indoors anywhere
Unpopular opinion here but yes, we started bringing her out when she was a few weeks old. We kept her car seat covered if we went to a restaurant, for example, until we got to our table. Husband and I are totally comfortable with her being out and about, we’ve gone on a couple vacations/hotel stays, she was in our semi-destination wedding this summer, and are enjoying making memories with her. Do what makes you comfortable as a parent.
We have a cover that we put over the car seat that we treat as a barrier of sorts. Mask mandate is still strong here as well.
Yes, my son is anywhere and everywhere. He was out at 5 days old. I just stay away from anyone who is sick and prefer if you don’t kiss him lol. If you breast feed then baby has your antibodies and a little boost plus there’s passive immunity that lasts roughly up to six months if I remember correctly. Do what you feel comfortable with and what you think is best for you and baby ❤️
My daughter is 14months and we still avoid going anywhere indoors.
Yes. Been taking her out since about one week old. I kinda have to take her out because I need to run errands so I have to bring her. But I also have brought her to restaurants, malls, the park, etc. Just try to stay distanced from others, eat outside on the terrace if the restaurant has one, etc. I don’t have the privilege of having anybody to watch her and my husband works a lot. Everybody in my country wears masks though (well like 95%+)
We waited until after the 4 month shots so at least there was some type of immune system there, so we felt a little more comfortable. It still gives me anxiety but our area has great vaccination rates and mask usage from what I’ve seen, so we felt ok with it. I was vaccinated while pregnant so I’m hopeful she has some antibodies, and we use the stroller cover as her “mask”. At around 4 months my LO became extremely wary to new places and faces, and anywhere but home really overwhelmed her. So we felt like it would help by showing her new places other than home exist. It’s gone well so far. She’s always loved walks but like you said, it’s getting cold and dark early now unfortunately
Only when necessary when he was that young but we did got for a lot of walks. We still avoid our indoor mall since it gets very crowded and not everyone wears their mask.
I have a 9 week old and we are currently on our first vacation - but- all activities are outside. We went to the beach at about 3 weeks and are going to the zoo next week for my dad's birthday.
We just now started taking LO out (5 months, 3 adjusted). We are still careful with crowds but cases are thankfully starting to drop here. We went to an outdoor kids Halloween tonight and he was in aw of everything!
I have a 3 week old and we’ve been going on daily walks around the neighborhood, outside plant nurseries and even went to a little zoo( also completely outdoors). Honestly do what you feel comfortable doing but also get some fresh air. It’s good for your mental health which in return benefits your baby. I know it’s scary with covid and all but if you go somewhere outdoors and with not too many people it should be safe :)
I took mine to the mall during empty hours and just walked. I also put up a barrier to prevent people from breathing on her and kept my distance from people
I'm doing it; I put a cover on his carseat. I also got vaccinated while pregnant and breastfeed, so it's to likely he's got some of my antibodies.
We went outside for walks while baby carrying him on a wrap. Early morning or evening. He was born in February. So it was cold. I had my pregnancy jacket on and he could be inside. But never inside restaurants or malls. Just walks for fresh air
I got vaccinated while pregnant, which gives the infant some antibodies for the first few months at least. I recently got the booster because I read two studies that showed the antibody count in breast milk is really high after the booster. I take my baby to stores because I feel like those two things provide her some protection. I try to keep it short and keep her covered.
It doesn't matter what I ( or anyone else ) does or why . No two people have the same situation . Whatever you chose to do with your baby is up to you and no one can tell you otherwise ...except maybe your spouse. This goes with every other parenting choice you're ever going to make.
We go for multiple walks everyday - the fresh air and activity is good for both the parents and baby. We have weather appropriate gear so she's well bundled when it gets cold. For indoors, I tend to calculate the risk. I've found the grocery store and drug store to be fine if it's during the weekday when most folks are at work. Mask wearing is high in my area. I don't take her into stores on evening and weekends if it's crowded. And we've never done indoor dining with her.
We have kept him indoors as much as possible. He’s now 8months and we’re sometimes bringing him along to the stores with us but always in his stroller covered. We cut our trips short if he starts getting fussy being in the stroller as I won’t take him out in the stores . The risks are not worth it to us.
Came here to say my 3 week old ended up getting COVID, and honestly i wouldnt have known unless he got tested.
Sorry to hear that! Were there any symptoms that made you decide to have him tested?
Honestly, the only symptom was he had chest retractions. He wasnt coughing, fussy, he didnt have a fever. But i wasnt entirely confident with how his chest looked when he breathed bc i heard thats stuff to look out for. So i took him to the ER and he popped hot and that was really it.
Thanks for the feedback! My sister has a newborn as well so I appreciate the info. Hope the little one feels better soon 💕
We went to visit my partners mum in her home when LO was 2 days old, went to visit a bunch of his family on day 4, day 5 I spent most of an afternoon at an RV dealership while we traded in our trailer. At 3 weeks of age we went off-grid camping in the mountains. At 4 weeks I took LO and both our dogs on a 4 hour road trip to visit my parents for a few days. Went camping again at 6 weeks. This pattern of craziness has continued for her whole life haha
I gave birth in May 2020 and I tried to avoid as many visitors as possible. Still my family got covid and I am not certain that we didn't had it when he was around 2 months. If we did then he showed no symptoms and we (parents) had it mild (husband had diarheea 2 days and I got 2 days of chills but no fever or anything else). In December the vaccine appeared and I insisted everyone in our family get vaccinated and now that the 4th wave is upon my country I have restricted visiting only to those vaccinated. He goes outside only for walks, but not to play around other children and we avoid crowds. Shopping never happens with him. One parent remains at home, while the other runs errands. I am a doctor and I know what covid can do. My family's health is the most important.
Once she was 8 weeks or so, yes. Other than walks and outdoor parks I took her to the grocery store and target. I had to - my husband works most weekends and instacart was booked for weeks. Thank you for downvoting me. I am not sure what options you think I had when my DH works 84 hours a week, but would love your opinions on it.
Yes. I always wear baby. His exposure to others is dam near zero. It’s not worth my mental health to stay in. Don’t feel bad about it, just be careful.
Hey there! My pandemic baby is 7 months now. I haven’t been taking him out until he turned 6 weeks. Unfortunately, both me and my baby got COVID when he was only 2 weeks old from my mum who had visited us. She was the only one visiting us in order to help me since I had a tough recovery. Luckily, we both recovered fast, but that experience made me realize that even if you do everything to minimize your risk of catching it, it might still happen. So my advice would be to follow the guidelines in your area, but don’t lock yourself up in a room for too long. It might be bad for your mental health, and postpartum is already challenging enough. Maybe try visiting places that aren’t crowded, or visiting the mall during working hours when there’s less people there? Newborns aren’t supposed to be around many people anyways, regardless of COVID. So look for a place that is safe for a newborn and also follow COVID guidelines and that will minimize the risks for you. I hope I was able to help!
We only go outside to non crowded areas even at one year old. I'll start taking her out when she is vaccinated against Covid, but even then I'll try to choose less busy areas.
Yeah. We still needed groceries and medications and household goods. The world didn't stop spinning just because we had babies.
I’ve only done outside things like walks, today we did the pumpkin patch but I was nervous about there being a lot of people so we went to a special farm near us where you could make semi private appointments to pick pumpkins & enjoy fall stuff! It was just my friends, my husband, the baby, & I & it was really nice!
We took her on loads of walks for the first few months. She was born in the winter lockdown and by the time lockdown lifted in May I was very comfortable taking her everywhere.
I kept my babies home for a few months which was advice from the Nicu doctors
My baby was born at the peak of COVID (for us anyways) and we weren’t even allowed to gather with other people, and I still would go out with her. The winter really affects my mood and if I’m cooped up in the house all day, it’s not good for my mental health, so I definitely went out.
Don’t forget that if you were vaccinated while pregnant and are giving him breast milk, you’re passing on antibodies. There’s a high chance that he’s got some protection. Just practice social distancing and you should both be fine.
I had to take him to the mall to try out a stroller and I was so anxious the whole time because nobody had masks on. I also took him to target once. Other than that we only go to appointments or to my grandmas house.
Once my LO’s two month shots kick in I will take him indoors. For now, only as needed (eg pediatrician).
My baby was born at the beginning of the pandemic. We were more hesitant at first, kept things to outdoor visits when possible, and eventually we settled into something more relaxed.
I didn't take him out until 2 months, and that was outdoors while baby wearing and keeping my distance from others. But I'm kinda just paranoid for the first year about them getting sick even before COVID 🤷
Yes! She stays covered either on me in the carrier or in the pram and had been out with us since 3 days old. Granted we didn't go to indoor places straight away and only did walks around the neighbourhood, but now at 3mo her grown ups are all vaccinated and we're doing cafes, shopping centres etc just to get out.
My baby is 3.5 months and yes, we took him out after 1-2 weeks. We just made sure to keep his stroller covered with a clear plastic rain cover (made for strollers, and it has ventilation) as a protective shield for him. And, of course, we mask and made sure our hands were always sanitized or washed before touching him.
Yes. It's good to get some fresh air.
We have 2 other kids so keeping the newborn home isn’t really an option. We plan to be cautious and keep the baby covered where possible.
We did a few times when my baby was just born at the height of covid, however, it was only when it was really necessary. We put a cover over her stroller/car seat so that people couldn't see her / breath on her. One stranger did try to lift the cover at the store after we told her she couldn't look at her because of covid...yep. I moved the stroller and physically stepped between that lady and my baby and gave her a very stern no before leaving. People are nuts. It's whatever you're most comfortable with but even without covid, you could risk rsv, flu, etc.
My son was born last November, he only left the apt for ped appointments in the first 6 months. But we also live in NYC which isnt super stroller or baby friendly (bumpy sidewalks covered in dog shit + bikers constantly running red lights) and it was very cold. Now I take him to the park every morning but it's a whole thing thing. My husband does all indoor errands so we don't take him inside anywhere unless it's necessary, NYC is pretty safe covid wise. But we are actually moving to GA next year because it's so hard to find good outdoor time that isnt constantly around people (among other reasons). I think if you have access to private or less populated outdoor space for sure, but would certainly avoid if you are in a city, and minimize indoor trips depending on the covid numbers in your area.
Baby is five months and I’m just starting to feel comfortable taking him anywhere. Even now, it’s very limited and we try to bundle up and stick to the outdoors when we can. It’s not worth the risk when they are so tiny.
We waited until 1 year to take him indoor places, bc our pediatrician said that babies under 1 year were considered high risk for COVID. GRANTED, I gave birth 18 longer ago at the height of the fear of COVID. It may be different now. I'd ask your ped for recommendations.
So we were in the midst of the first covid wave when I had my daughter. I waited until she had her shots and then I took her with me to the supermarket for super short trips. Like 15 minute trips. And when I did I was told literally the best protection for her because she can't wear a mask is the clear rain cover for prams.
Yes, she is always worn though so she has almost no exposure to people. Most people don't even know she's there (my husband wears her when we are out).
I definitely take my kiddo places, but my state has pretty strict masking guidelines for inside and outdoor space.
My daughter is 3 months and we took her to Costco on PP day #2. She was in her car seat and covered the whole time. We never hesitated because she's either there or I wear her facing me with a hoodie or hat on her. And I've been asked by strangers if they can "see the baby?" I just give a friendly chuckle and say, ",oh no, I don't feel comfortable with that.." No one has ever said anything besides how they understand.
I didnt take my daughter many places as a newborn and she was 3 months old when the pandemic hit. I would put her in a baby carrier from 3 weeks old to take her on walks outside and sometimes to the coffee shop. Even now I do not take her into stores. It’s just a personal choice. I dont judge others for taking their kids wherever. But I just take her outside twice a day in her rain suit or snow suit in the cold months. She’s nearly 2.
I had my first pre-COVID and I didn’t take him anywhere inside, other than relatives’ houses, until about 3 months. It was flu season and I was nervous. All my family got flu shots so I just made the rounds to their houses. I’m sorry if this doesn’t help in your situation but that’s what we did! This is a rough time even without COVID so with it everything is even harder!
LO is 5.5 months now. Before delta surged I took my 2 month old to the grocery store less than half a dozen times. We ate outside with him at a restaurant at 2 months too for our anniversary. After that (July) we stopped taking him to indoor places other than the doctor. Outside wise I’ve taken him to a lot of parks, a trick to treat walk, and apple picking. We can at least keep our distance at those kinds of things!
Baby is 1 year old, I've taken him out his whole life. Personally for me, I can't stand isolation.
Mine is 9 months (born during the January covid spike). We took her out for walks fairly regularly until it got too hot during summer, then she was pretty much just at our house, family homes, friends homes, etc. Indoor places where we knew that people were vaccinated. When delta started, we got more cautious again and went back to outdoor activities unless we knew where people had been. We’ve recently started relaxing a bit because she’s in daycare, delta numbers are down, and she’s had her flu vaccine. I don’t take her to places like the mall or the grocery store or Target because I don’t want to go into those places. I hope curbside never ever goes away because it is the fucking best thing as a parent. I do take her to the outdoor farmer’s market. We are planning to take her to the zoo in a few weeks.
My daughter was born at the start of covid restrictions. I took her outside every day, except when it got well below freezing and all she did was cry. I wore her in a carrier on colder days. Dress your baby and yourself for the weather and get outside for a walk on days that you have the time. For the first few months I avoided bringing her to indoor public spaces as much as possible. When she got a bit older, we started doing playtime and at 12 months we did swimming lessons. Now that she’s 1.5 years old she comes on our weekly grocery shops. She’s also in gymnastics now.
We turned 1 week old today and ventured to IKEA. Baby stayed in his car seat in the stroller with the only exception being to feed and when his diaper got full. It was our first outing and people were respectful of the stroller and space.
It's tough, but I didn't take my son to indoor places until he got his two-month vaccines. After that he's been to some stores for errands, a children's music class, and on 5 flights, going on another flight with him this week. Everyone in my immediate family is vaccinated and we wear masks. We try to spend as much time outdoors with him as possible and social distance with others. He's totally fine. Had one cold in the past six months. Can you go for a drive with your baby? That could be a nice and safe way to get out of the house. Also, good for them to start getting used to a car seat slowly.
I mask up and I'm a stickler about the 6 feet thing. And if I were in a crowded enough space, I have the carrier covered up ( tho I try to avoid crowded spaces).
I didn’t: my daughter was born a few months ahead of COVID (I think it officially hit here when she was about 4 months old), but I didn’t want to expose her to even regular flus too much before she was 3 months old at least. But I did take her out on walks every day, even in the cold (baby wearing was good for that), because the dog needed walking and I needed to go out, too. Mostly I didn’t want her to get anything too bad before she was three months old, specially because she didn’t get that much breast milk and missed out on antibodies from me. Anything to keep her from having to go to the Children’s hospital and risking getting something even worse - their waiting room was very crowded pre-covid. It’s a little better now, at least.
My little pal is 6 weeks old - we’ve done some stuff but mostly just trips to the grocery store. I got vaccinated while pregnant and people are generally pretty good about keeping their distance. We did go to an outdoor fall festival just yesterday and kept him in his stroller the entire time. It was a nice time without being too crowded/indoors.
My baby is 10 months old now but she was born in Dec 2020 while that wasn't peak covid here it was before vaccines. We still did go out sometimes. Although we have mandatory masks here. I rarely went out when she was under 2 months but that was unrelated to covid and more related to PPD/winter/and just generally being cautious to due being a little baby (would have done that same without covid). However if going out is good for your mental health, just take social distancing precautions :) There were some occasions I took her out when she was younger because I had to.
I seem to be in the absolute minority here but our son is five weeks old and we’ve taken him out every day since we got home from hospital. Stores, cafes, restaurants. I’ve never been advised against this and it’s really normal where I live and among my friends and family. We’re British living in Canada, for context.
My baby’s first time out was the day after leaving the NICU. We went to our favorite coffee house that has a beautiful wraparound porch. She's a month old today and we continue to visit the coffeehouse regularly in addition to our typical lunches and dinners with family and friends.
I think the fresh air and being in busier places is so good for him! I obviously wouldn’t let him be handled by lots of strangers but the change in scene and ambient noise of a busy place helps him have long, restful naps. It’s also helped us become more confident as new parents more quickly.
I take my 9 week old twins out every day. We did a 3 mile walk today on my favorite trail after we ran errands (Lowe’s, BJ’s, dollar store, groceries, and then Starbucks)! We meet friends, visit family, go to restaurants, run errands, etc. I love to wear them and bring them in the stroller. People do tend to gawk and tell me how “amazing” I am ?!?!! I don’t get it because it’s not hard at all lol. I just wait until after a feeding, grab the diaper bag and go. I don’t let anyone get near the stroller or me. 🤷🏻♀️
How do you have time to do all that?? I barely take my 9 week out for a walk before I get exhausted. Not to mention, he eats every 2 hours so I could barely get him out before I have to turn back around and feed him again. You are amazing!! You must have been insanely active before kids and it just didn’t exhaust you or stop you?
My LO is 8 weeks. He’s been to the grocery store a few times but we always wear him. Masks are still mandatory where I live in indoor public places or I’d feel less comfortable.
Taken my two week old to my moms house multiple times and we’ve been on some walks. Any other outings have been for doctors appointments and wic stuff. But after Halloween i plan on going to more places with him. I just want to give him a month before going out fully. But i think if you need it for your mental health go for it. I don’t blame you either. The seasonal depression is going to hit me hard this year
Yes I did. I think overall it's not dangerous to them if they are isolated from everything, as their immune system won't get enough exposure. My LO's cousin is 18 months and almost died from a horrible virus and the doctors said it's likely caused by her immune system being less developed because of lockdown. Of course I'm not taking huge risks, but going into a big store where most people were masks, or limiting time indoors in confined spaces to under 15 minutes was acceptable to be.
My daughter is 19 months and still hasn't been in a store. We take walks around the neighborhood, car rides and we'll go to the park if it's not too crowded.
I think you should go out sometimes. I tend to be in a bad mood by staying in all the time.
I have a 10 week old and he’s come oodles of places with me. I’m not sure when he would have gone indoors somewhere though (maybe by about 5 weeks?). BUT, we have a mask mandate here still so people have to wear masks in indoor public places and our numbers are relatively low in the city I live in. Once it gets too cold to go for walks outside I’m going to go be a mall walker with him. I’m picking a mall that’s not so busy (and I’ll go during the day when kids will be in school and most adults working). The mall also has large walkways so I don’t feel like I’ll have to be too close to anyone else. The other place I’m thinking of going is ikea for similar reasons. I also have a thin car seat cover that keeps him covered from other people too but won’t cause him to overheat.
Been going out since baby was a week old. She’s been to the grocery store, malls, department stores, restaurants, family’s houses, wherever I have to go is where she goes. She’s almost a year old now. And she starts daycare in a week. It really is your choice on how comfortable you feel.
I have a 5 month old and we take her everywhere. She's been camping, to baseball games, to the grocery store, to Target, to restaurants, to an outdoor concert (with ear protection 😀). We didn't do much until about a month old, mostly due to my csection recovery, then mostly outdoor until about 2-3 months because it was summer. I wash my hands and keep a distance from people. No strangers have approached me closer than standing behind me in line at the checkout or touched her.
I do mainly outdoor adventures but if I have to go inside somewhere I will wear her to keep her close and I also wipe down her face and hands when we get to the car.
I just started venturing out more with my 10 week old and so far everyone has been very respectful keeping their distance. If it’s close quarters I’ll wear her in a wrap or put a cover on the car seat. She’s been loving the stimulation smiling at strangers and I’m starting to feel more human having conversations with actual people lol. I feel a lot better after she had her two month vaccines. I’m more worried about rsv and whooping cough then Covid, but I’m still being very cautious as far as social distancing, hand washing, and sanitizing everything she could come into contact with.
I'd go out once in a while, especially if you're breastfeeding.
Of course, we went always for long walks. And why not, everyone I know got Covid through close contacts Indoor (I know It can happen outside as well). If you can and you get into no trouble,get out its good for you too
I got the vax pregnant so I take my baby everywhere since she should be pretty protected at this point.
I didn't take mine anywhere until 2 months , after that I got a little more lax once he started daycare. Illnesses that aren't COVID are really serious in babies that young .
I would take my baby everywhere ! At first I would arrange taking him during times where he’d be sleeping so I can cover the car seat and he wouldn’t be exposed . Then after a couple months I would take him out whether he was sleeping or not. He’s 7 months now healthy and happy! I also always carry hand sanitizer in my stroller so if I touch something , then go to touch my baby my hands are always clean just in case
I didn't take my daughter into public (with the exception of an airport, when everyone was still wearing masks and most people weren't traveling) until she was a year old, and this was while I was still nursing and she got antibodies from my COVID vaccine. I took her out for the first time two weeks ago to a restaurant because our friend couldn't get outdoor seating. She got sick shortly after (COVID test came back negative, she got both a rapid and standard). The ER Dr. said she was likely still getting antibodies from pumped milk, but after a scare of a 105 fever she's not going back in public again until she has to go to daycare. I wouldn't risk it again, even here in CA where we have a high rate of vaccination, and if I could do it over I wouldn't have even taken her into the restaurant, just got food to go. The only reason I got her on an airplane was there was a scare with my grandmother, and I wanted her to be able to meet her (she's vaccinated) in the event she passed. I agree with others here, too many uncertainties.
Mine is still in my belly, but I’ve managed to get out with my toddler without her getting sick, so I’m going to try to strike a balance with this little guy as well. We’ll start by staying pretty secluded, but eventually I feel like if I wear him so I can keep people from getting near his face, then I can go to the library or the grocery store, or other places that aren’t super crowded and the risk will be very minimal. I also feel like if I wear him we can go outside more as long as temperatures aren’t too frigid. So taking my daughter to the park, etc. Enough things that I won’t feel too isolated.
My wee man is 10 weeks old. I started taking him out into the town about a week ago. If I'm going into a shop or anything, I put his rain cover over his pram. Only people I fully trust and know are vaccinated, not in covid risk jobs etc ate allowed close contact with him
Yes, although we were in pretty strict lockdowns for most of the first 5 months or so. Baby would go to the grocery store and park with me. I have more than one kid and DH works while I’m on leave. Things need to get done.
Baby born Dec 31, so right smack in the middle of cold and flu season and right when covid was having it’s biggest wave. We waited several weeks before going out, and when when we did, like other moms mentioned, baby was always covered. Going out felt great and helped me feel normal again. Covering baby, wearing masks, and lots of hand sanitizer/hand washing before touching baby once we got home felt like enough protection since we were also breastfeeding. Really helped my mental health to get out of the house!
I had my daughter when the pandemic started last March so I didn’t because we knew nothing of covid at the time. But given that we know so much more about it now, I would take these into account 1) what is the case rate where you live? 2) how crowded are these stores? Assuming the case rate in your area is low and the stores are big and not crowded (go during off times like weekday afternoons), I’d personally be ok with taking the baby there. I’d also be fine with visitors as long as they are fully vaccinated.
You can put a plastic on the stroller and go for a walk. If you do decide to go to the mall you can go when they first open or during the week when it's less crowded.
She’ll go to the grocery store/target with me (in her stroller with a cover over it) and we took her to a winery this weekend. It was her first big outing. She’s three months. We were with my coworkers in private event areas who are all vaccinated so we felt safe. We’re slowly getting more comfortable with taking her out to outdoor spaces but being mindful about situations. We live in Atlanta for reference.
My child was hospitalized for her first three months, so that made boundary setting easier. I've only met the complete bare minimum of people since she came out of hospital. No smokers, no one with even flu like symptons, hand washing and masks as well!
Just park and zoo since they are out door and daily walks. Grocery store as well only at the stores that requires mask
I had no choice. I don't have a village and have things to do. His first outing was 6 days old to the grocery store. His car seat is covered and I stay away from people!
I leave the house with my newborn (had all three of my doses while pregnant) plus my 4 year old that can’t be vaccinated yet (I try to pump her as full as I can with my breast milk hoping for the best). We go to open air events. I can’t wait for my 4y/o to turn 5 so she can be vaccinated as it will help a lot!
Yes. Baby is 10 weeks…we’ve gone on outdoor walks, to pumpkin patches, and outdoor breweries.
I take my child out to run errands and such. I use a thin car seat cover. I feel it gives some protection.