A newborn as a guest: when can you visit a newborn?

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When can you visit a newborn and what should you pay special attention to? Such questions are most often asked by new parents who are inundated with phone calls and invitations from their closest family and friends. Is it possible to travel as a guest with a 2-week-old baby, or maybe it is worth waiting a bit longer? 

If askgo away the question is when you can go out with the newborn to people, you will find the answer in this article.

When can you visit your newborn?, or a few words about readiness to receive guests

The neonatal period occurs in the first 28 days of a baby's life, during which time it begins to adapt to life outside its mother's womb. Very often during this period the first doubts appear, such as: When can you visit a newborn? The answer to this question is not clear and depends on several factors.

When can you think about visiting your newborn?

Emilia Konka

Resident doctor at the Department of Congenital Defects in Metabolism and Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child

The expert advises:

First of all, such a small child is very susceptible to overstimulation. New people and sounds of conversations can be a lot of excitement for your baby. Newborns are also extremely sensitive to any microorganisms that may accidentally be brought home by family members and friends.

Some babies and/or their mothers experience various health problems immediately after birth, which may delay the date of the guests' first visits. When can you visit your newborn?

For the sake of the child, it is most often recommended to wait at least 7 days after the mother and child return from the hospital with the first visit. However, this is a very individual issue that should be discussed with the baby's parents - never visit the baby unannounced.

When you can visit your newborn will also depend on parents' readiness, and above all, a mother who is recovering after the difficulties of childbirth.

The postpartum period is quite difficult for many women: perineum pain or scars after a cesarean section, fatigue, possible lactation difficulties and learning to care for a child are just some of the challenges a new mother faces. 

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Aleksandra Swiebod

Head of the Department of Assessment and Development of Cooperation at the Institute of Mother and Child

When can you visit a newborn? If the child's mother and father make it clear that they are not yet ready for guests, show understanding and wait patiently for the invitation.

When can you go to visit a newborn? Is it possible to go to visit a 2-week-old baby??

When parents feel more confident in their new role, they usually happily accept numerous invitations from family and friends who want to meet the baby and spend some time with him. When you can go to visit your newborn will depend primarily on... the child's health condition.

If the baby has experienced any health problems or the parents have doubts about when it can be done go out with the newborn to people, it is worth consulting a pediatrician and/or a community midwife.

Is it possible to travel with a 2-week-old baby??

As long as the baby is healthy and has no ailments, and the parents (primarily the baby's mother) feel strong enough to pay their first visits to family and friends, nothing stands in the way of go out with your newborn to people after approx 1,5-2 weeks after delivery. However, let us respect the decision of the newborn's parents who would prefer to wait a little longer to visit.

Is it possible to travel with a 2-week-old baby?, if they live quite far from their parents' place of residence?

Emilia Konka

Resident doctor at the Department of Congenital Defects in Metabolism and Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child

The expert advises:

It is not recommended that newborns stay in a car seat for longer than approximately 30 minutes. Therefore, it is worth refraining from trips lasting several hours until the child is at least 3 months old.

Whether with a 2-week-old baby Can I visit guests and use public transport?

In public transport, your baby will be able to stay in a comfortable gondola, but will be exposed to contact with many people stimuli and worse, with numerous microorganisms. Therefore, if possible, it is not recommended to use public transport when traveling with a newborn.

Now that we know when you can go to visit your newborn, it is worth remembering a few important issues.

When you can go out with your newborn to people?

It is worth paying attention to several issues when inviting guests to your home or visiting with a newborn. Belong to them:

  • Health status of visitors: Let's not hesitate to ask whether the invited guests or people we are going to visit are completely healthy and whether they have any unusual symptoms, e.g. skin lesions or diarrhea. Even an "ordinary" runny nose can result in a very dangerous infection for a newborn.
  • Maintaining hygiene rules: Let's ask everyone to wash their hands thoroughly, even if they won't touch the newborn. This is the basic prevention of the spread of various pathogenic microorganisms.
  • Let's be careful about overstimulation: Let's not kiss the newborn, let's avoid handing the baby over from hand to hand. When you can go to visit your newborn, it's normal that everyone wants to see him and get to know him. However, for the baby's sake, it is better for guests to see him when he is in the safety of his mother's arms or sleeping in his own bed. This will reduce the risk of overstimulating the child and infecting him with an infection.
  • Let's avoid visits from numerous guests: When you can visit your newborn, remember to limit the number of people to a maximum of 2-3 at a time.
  • Parents' preferences: When you can go out with your newborn to people, invited guests should not feel offended if the child's parents ask them to give up smoking or using perfume while meeting the newborn. Visitors may also be asked to mute their phones and talk a bit more quietly.
Emilia Konka

Resident doctor at the Department of Congenital Defects in Metabolism and Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child

The expert advises:

Let's limit the newborn's contact with children attending nurseries and kindergartens. Perhaps the newborn has older siblings, but it is still worth limiting contacts with other children to reduce the risk of infecting the baby with an infection. Remember that it usually takes about 1-3 days from infection to the first symptoms of the disease, during which time a preschooler/nursery student can infect others.

  • Short visits: Let's plan the visit at a time of day convenient for the parents and the baby, observe the child's reactions and do not extend the visit (1-1,5 hours is enough).
  • Help for parents: When can you visit your newborn? remember that new parents are usually very tired, so it is worth offering them help even in basic matters, such as making coffee/tea or bringing refreshments.

If parents do not feel ready to receive guests, it is worth informing their loved ones politely but firmly. In turn, any doubts regarding when you can visit your newborn for the first time should be discussed with your pediatrician and/or midwife.

 

Medical consultation

Emilia Konka

Resident doctor at the Department of Congenital Defects in Metabolism and Pediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child

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