Infants Outdoor Exposure

There is really no specific guideline on when you can bring your newborn out. Most propose that once your baby is out of the hospital, it is fine to bring him/her out if you feel up to it. The only thing to note would be to avoid large, crowded, enclosed places with poor ventilation. For such places, it will be good to wait till your baby is six to eight weeks, when his immune system is better developed. These places increase his exposure to airborne germs that could be dangerous for his immature immune system. Bringing him out for walks in the parks will be great. The fresh air will be good for both you and your baby.

Just to share, we took our baby a week after she was born. We actually had no choice as the Pedia's clinic is in the mall. We were actually more worried on how we are going to take the baby to upper floors while on her stroller than the common virus that she might acquired from the crowd. But fortunately, my baby is 6 months now and she never caught common colds since we took her out of home on her first week. But I do think, breastmilk really helped her boost her immune system. As we all know, breast milk is packed with vitamins and anti-bodies that help protect the babies from common viruses.

My family said to keep my newborn at home for at least 1 month during confinement, best to be after 3 months. I'm more of a worrywart, so he only went out when he's 3 months old (before that, it was only to vaccinations!) - but even so, we only went to the neighbourhood areas and nowhere far away. Like you, I was also worried about the exposure to viruses - especially since they do not have strong immune systems. However, we took small steps that both my son and I were comfortable with - there's no need to hurry!

Elders in my family suggested 30 days, and thats what even i did for my new born took her out after a month. This is because a mother needs to rest n recuperate also by than the newborn has had its 1st few vaccinations and the feeding pattern is also kind of set.

I kept her in confinement for about 2 weeks. Post that I felt the exposure is good for her