In fact, your visits to the pediatrician may be the only time that you have taken your baby out, so by the time your baby is four weeks old, you may be getting a little stir crazy spending so much time at home.
Avoiding Infections
The risk of catching a cold, RSV, the flu, or another infection, is the main reason that you don't want to take your baby out much during her first few months. Since these infections are spread by contact with other people, the more people you are around, the greater your baby's risk of getting sick.While it seems to some people like you are being over-protective, if it helps keep your baby from getting sick with a fever, ending up in the emergency room and needing a spinal tap, then you will be glad that you kept your baby in and waited a few months before showing her off and taking her out.
Taking Your Baby Out
Of course, you can't always avoid taking your baby out.Some tips to help when you do have to take your baby out include:
- avoid crowds by going out during off-peak hours
- don't let a lot of people hold, touch, or 'kiss on' your baby, especially if they seem sick
- carry your baby in a wrap or sling so that she will have some protection from other people
- encourage people to wash their hands before holding your baby
