Getting out of the house with your new baby (2024)

FAQs

Why is it so hard to get out of the house with a baby? ›

I came up with a few key factors: fear of messing up the baby's routine, fear of him crying and not being able to settle him down in public, and having to breastfeed in public. As soon as I identified my barriers, I found strategies to overcome them.

There are no set rules about how long to wait before taking a newborn out into the world or when to let people near the baby. Some doctors recommend that parents wait until their baby is a few months old before going to crowded public places (like malls, movie theaters, and airplanes).

In fact, in some cultures moms and babies are sequestered inside for a month or longer. But there's no medical reason not to take a healthy baby out of the house. Fresh air and a change of pace can be good for people of any age, including babies. It's exposure to other people that can cause a baby to become sick.

Some studies link childcare with increased behavioral problems and suggest that being at home with your children offers benefits to their development compared with them being in being in childcare full-time.

There is no rush to go on an outing with your new baby. In some cultures, women stay in the home with their new baby for a month or more. It's okay to take your baby outside as soon as you feel ready.

It depends. The first thing to consider is your baby's ability to eat without you there. A formula-fed baby can be left with another caregiver as soon as you feel comfortable leaving them. If you're breastfeeding, it's important to wait until breastfeeding is well established, which typically takes about 3 to 4 weeks.

While there's no set age, most parents don't feel comfortable leaving their baby until after the first four to nine months.

Separation of a mother from her infant for as short a time as three weeks in the immediate postpartum period can lead to lowered feelings of maternal competency and decreased amounts of attachment behaviour, sometimes continuing for as long as one month after the pair have been reunited.

Don't feel like you have to talk nonstop, all the time. Even talking with your baby 4 times a day for 10 minutes adds up to 40 minutes of rich language learning time—and that's great for this age.

It's play only if it's fun. Follow your baby's cues. Even babies with a lot of energy need downtime and might feel overwhelmed if you keep trying to play with them when they're tired.

Why is it so hard to be away from my baby? ›

Separation anxiety might have you feeling a variety of emotions. It can be nice to feel that your child is finally as attached to you as you are to them. But you're also likely to feel guilty about taking time out for yourself, leaving your child with another caregiver, or going to work.

Loneliness in new parenthood can arise for a number of reasons. The lead up to birth and the first few weeks after birth are often filled with build-up, preparation and focus. Once things quiet down and you settle into life with a baby, that focus disappears and this can be when a feeling of loneliness can begin.

Babies and toddlers often get clingy and cry if you or their other carers leave them, even for a short time. Separation anxiety and fear of strangers is common in young children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years, but it's a normal part of your child's development and they usually grow out of it.

Ideally, a parent should stay home with a child for the first 2 to 3 years of life.