Appropriate age to go out

I am the kind of person who struggles with being at home all day, not good for my mental health. I have a 1 month old and I am trying to start doing things with her. Like going ti the park, running errands. But people seem surprised and kind of judgy that I am out with the baby at her age. Is this wrong?

Read more on Peanut

The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.

Learn more about our guidelines.
Add a comment
Avatar

Nope! If you feel happy and confident to be out and about with your baby, then you do it!

I would have much earlier but it was Covid so o was more cautious. But I was out going for dog walks when she was a few days old!

Avatar

Not at all! I was out within the first week and it was November. As long as you are ready take your baby and enjoy :) you both need some fresh air and change of scenery sometimes ☺️

Avatar

Ignore the haters. The early months are the best time for going out as babies that age tend to nap often and can nap through any noise. TBH, I wish I went out more during the early months. 😂

Avatar

Not at all! I had to go out too. I wonder if it’s because they couldn’t imagine themselves going out with a young baby or when they had one, they couldn’t. The earlier you go out with baby the easier it becomes long term is my experience x

Avatar

I’ve been going out with my daughter since she was two weeks old. she loves the outside a lot and it’s part of her daily routine now to have one trip outside a day where she tends to have her longest nap. do whatever you think is best! Outside is amazing for babies especially when they are fussy

Avatar

I took my baby out by myself for the first time when she was 3 weeks old. Many people were really surprised. I fielded a lot of questions and just held her close so no one touched her. I think people were mostly impressed that I had her out and were kind to not touch her. Getting out of the house was and is crucial for my mental health.

Avatar

That's ridiculous 🙈

I was out and about immediately. You need to recover of course but getting on with daily life in a way that feels good to you is a part of that.

Avatar

I was out with my son and 4yo 2 days after he was born and we haven’t had many days inside since. If you’re happy to be out then go for it!

Avatar

I went out for walks in the park 5 days PP, I cannot stay indoors and it’s good for them to have fresh air. Obvs don’t do anything too crazy 😂😂

Avatar

Can't find the photo, but my daughter's first outing was to our community's fish fry. It was Saturday and she was born on Tuesday. She went to her first car meet Sunday.

Avatar

I had an emergency c-section and I was out and about with my daughter at 10 days old. We started baby groups at 4/5 weeks. If I'd stayed home, I'd have gone insane

Avatar

If it feels right for you then go for it! To give a different perspective from other comments, I seriously struggled getting out and about with my son for the first few months. I had some back to back health issues which didn't help because I couldn't use a baby carrier and my son absolutely hated being in his pram. Well hated being put down full stop lol but especially his pram. He would scream and scream so with that and my health issues it was really difficult and it was about 4 months before we started being able to get out for walks and stuff. He still hated his pram so it was still stressful but by that point I needed to do it for me. Without knowing what comments or whatever you've gotten that have made you feel judged, some of the surprise etc could be from people like myself who have really struggled those first few months. It may no be judgement but maybe a little surprise and jealousy that you're able to do it. But there definitely is no reason not to if it feels right for you.

Avatar

As long as you're feeling well enough (which you obviously are) then go for it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking baby out from a young age. If it's cold just wrap them up! Use your own judgement in terms of visiting busy places. It never bothered me but I know everyone feels differently.

Avatar

Unfortunately, people will be judgy no matter what decision you make with your baby. You know what’s best for you and your baby, so trust your gut!

Read more on Peanut

Trending

in our community

Health Visitors!

Need a good rant SORRY but does anyone else feel like HV's seek joy by trying to make you feel like a bad parent or is it just me!? 🫠

I took my son to the HV drop in clinic to query something about his skin, they weighed him whilst he was there, plotted it on a graph and said that he hasn't put on enough weight and that they want to refer me to a feeding specialist, essentially, what I am doing is not good enough and he's withering away

This is my second breast fed child, and the HV's should know more than anyone that ALL children develop differently!?

He turned 3 months old last week, he is quite clearly happy and healthy and fed on demand whenever the heck he wants some din din

I ALWAYS come away from HV's pissed off for whatever reason

Avatar

2

13

Time-out method at nursery

I just found out that they put our son on time out in the corner of the room for 2 minutes for pushing another child. He had been pushing a lot that day apparently but they didn’t tell us on pick up. We found out coincidentally because his key person was at the drop off this morning. I’m fuming! What would you do? Am I overreacting?

Avatar

29

Can anyone offer me reassurance?😪

It's currently 4:35am where we live, I've been up since 2am with my toddler (2years9months) who has vomited 5 times.
I'm not sure what it could be, whether food poisoning or a stomach bug, but he's exhausted and has finally fallen asleep.

I'm just really shaken up and don't think I'll sleep tonight. I'm 37 weeks pregnant, sitting on my birth ball next to his bed just watching him and listening for signs he may be sick.


He woke me up over his baby monitor at 2am, I just heard him coughing and spluttering and thrashing around in his bed, it gave me such a massive fright. I don't mind vomit so much, like physically I'm not someone who's bothered by vomiting and ill happily catch it in my hands, but him being unwell just gives me SO much anxiety, and I'm already a hormonal mess atm.


It's so typical that it happens tonight as my husband has a really important day at work tomorrow. Usually he works from home but he has an important meeting in the office tomorrow that he can't miss. He's been up helping me since 2am but I've told him to go back to sleep now. Now I'm just sitting here full of anxiety. Can anyone reassure me, give advice etc?

He started being sick at 2am, again at around 2.30, 3, 3.30, 4.15. He's just completely conked out asleep he's exhausted. He's refusing water, he took one little sip after the 2nd bout of sickness and just threw up again. I have it here just in case of course. I've had to change the bedding, his clothes twice, my clothes, we have several towels dirty too. I'm so overwhelmed and anxious 😪


And he's been sick before obviously but just never so much in such a short space of time.

Avatar

11

Appropriate age to go out

I am the kind of person who struggles with being at home all day, not good for my mental health. I have a 1 month old and I am trying to start doing things with her. Like going ti the park, running errands. But people seem surprised and kind of judgy that I am out with the baby at her age. Is this wrong?

Avatar

14

First Mother’s Day

I feel like such a bad person for this & I’m not looking for sympathy or anything but yesterday was going so well and than I got really emotional and upset because my partner done everything special he could have done but he didn’t even put a few lines in a card from my baby for my first Mother’s Day card..
He said that because there was lots of writing in the card he didn’t realise that it would have hurt or upset me so bad but it did.. I let it affect me alot more than I feel like it should have but I LOVE sentimental things I love little things like that, meaningful stuff. Especially being my first Mother’s Day that I’ve dreamt of all my life..
There is a big age gap between me and my partner and also he’s Italian so maybe he didn’t realise but I just feel so goddam shit about it. Like I ruined MY day..
I spent the day all on my own with my baby at my mums house instead of with my partner bc of me reacting the way I did and I just felt like I toke it so wrong..
I feel I can’t forgive myself for this and I am the type of person to keep thinking about the situation even if my partner says everything’s okay. I beat myself up about it so badly and in such a low mood for it. Even today and yesterday has passed😞
Maybe this may help getting it off my chest and writing it down but how can I seriously live with myself from this? What can I do better?
I’m such an awful person I know😫😫

Avatar

9

“Bad mum”

I had a Mother’s Day afternoon tea yesterday for myself, my mum and my MIL. MIL arrived and didn’t say anything to me, just walked in and sat down. My mum was fussing over my LG as she usually does whilst I was in and out sorting food, making a bottle, feeding the cat, but she was getting wriggly so I took her and put her on her play mat and when I walked away to get her some toys to play with she whinged a bit so I said “I’m not leaving you, I’m coming back” to which my MIL replied “she is leaving you, she’s a bad mum”. It was probably meant as a joke (maybe) but I’d never say anything like that, even as a joke. Probably being a bit over sensitive but I’m tired and constantly doubting if I even know what I’m doing. It’s bad enough thinking I’m a bad mum every day without somebody literally saying it. I spoke to my partner about it, both at the time and afterwards, and he’s said she was out of order… but not out of order to say anything to her but even if he did, she’d just deny it or say it was a joke. The worst part is she actually has no interest in my LG, she only wants to see her if her friends are round at her house and then she wants me to take baby round for her to show her off, who to me are just strangers. To add insult to injury, after she called me a bad mum, she said that her niece had a baby a month before me, and my LG “will probably catch her up when she’s ready” 🙄 Again, baring in mind, she’s seen my LG 3 times since she was born and she’s nearly 5 months old but has implied that she’s not developing as quickly as the other baby. I know babies develop at their own rate but my LG is rolling, trying to crawl, can sit up with very little support, can bring a spoon from a bowl to her mouth to feed herself (I’ve not given her any food, but we practiced with a spoon to see if she was showing any readiness to start weaning). I think she’s doing really well so I don’t think she needs to “catch up” 🙄
The cherry on top of the day was that we sat down to eat and she felt an appropriate topic to discuss was my partners upcoming colonoscopy and bowel prep 😂
I think the outcome and the 2 hours that she was here is that we won’t be seeing her again anytime soon, and I know that wouldn’t bother her in the slightest, which is quite sad when my LG is her first grandchild and she has no interest in her

That’s my little rant over

Avatar

2

3

Read more on Peanut