Do you take your baby out at night in winter?

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

I have my MIL insisting that it is fine to take little Julian out at night in winter and my mother and grandmother making me feel extremely guilty even to think about it. He is 7 weeks old. If we were to go out, it would literally be in and out of the car for a minute or so as we came in and out of the house. But it is just so cold at the moment. Obviously we would rug him up but I can't make up my mind on whether it is ok!

[{sarah}]

We've been going to MILs for dinner once a week since I was about 3 months pregnant & have continued to do so ever since.

If someone is sick we don't go, summer or winter (us or them)
If it is raining we don't go, no point getting him wet, drying off, to get wet again.
If he's had a bad day.... If it's too cold.... If it's too late....

We play it by ear, but having said that, most of the time we do still go in winter. I always made sure he had a beanie, as well as being rugged up & a blanket on top. I would then have to strip him down once we got into the house LOL! He's been fine with it all, hasn't had more colds or illness than any other child, so it hasn't affected him negatively so far....

[shellbell3]

I suppose it depends where you are going. If its somewhere indoors I don't see why it'd be a prob, as you said you would rug him up. Just do what you feel comfortable with. I don't see how being indoors elsewhere would be different from being indoors at home.

[krysalyss]

My opinion is that it is ok. If you are just going from the car to the house and back, he is going to be rugged up and will be in your arms next to your body. Sitting outside in the wind is a different matter but I would be fine with what you have said. Isn't it difficult when you get people with strong different opinions. It makes it hard to form your own.

[Liz]

Yeah, we went out all the time. Just rugged him up in jumpers and beanies (plenty of handknits from nana ), blankets etc. Much better to wrap him in something warm than in cottonwool IMO heheh. When it's a quick dash to the car & back, I dont' see a problem at all. And you can always get DH to make the car nice & toasty warm before bub gets in too.

If it was windy or rainy, we'd tuck him inside our jacket/coat. But like you say, it's only between the car & the house.. it's hardly going out

[Beach Mama]

Hey Jan- good to hear from you - hope you and julian are going well!! I have this dilema too - stoopid Melbourne weather - its funny my mum doesnt like us going out much at all but if we are going to her house for dinner its fine Ive been out with Izzy since she was a week and half old to her great grandpas place... i honestly think if she isnt sick, and you are going from house to car to house and shes all rugged up then they will be fine. I think she actually likes to feel the cool fresh air on her face briefly too!!
Good luck hun!!

[maddysmummy]

we take maddy out at night but she is rugged up tight! and the heater in the car on a few minutes to take the chill off the air!but if mil asks us over for dinner then ist too cold..heheh im mean.

me 28 dad 25
DDnovember 06

[Pandora]

I don't see an issue if you are only going to be outside from the car to the house etc, for a short period.

I wouldn't do it wil DS very often now, but thas because he goes to bed at 7:30 and doesn't tend to sleep well at other people's houses. Up until he was about 6 months old we used to take him to my Aunty and Uncles house once a week, unless it was raining or he was unwell.

[Emma1979]

personally, i avoid going out at night with my bubs. I'm a cold person, and I don't really like going out at night in winter, I'd much rather be warm and toasty at home in my ugg boots and flanellete pjs.... so I treat bubs the same. But I sort of don't WANT to be out at night with bubs, during the day is different, but night time is for baths and feeds and winding down for sleep, if that makes sense. My girl seems to get unsettled if we are out, she isn't the sort to sleep for fear of missing out on things.

Unless there was something on I couldn't avoid, I don't intend to take my baby out at night in winter, no way.

[*Ali*]

I think it is another thing that comes down to personal choice. As I see it if you are going straight out of the house into the car and out of the car back inside then it isnt such a problem. I just used to make sure DD was rugged up warm, usually in her jammie, with a jumper, beanie and a blanket.

[Karina]

I have gone out at night a few times with claire.I just make sure she has plenty of warm clothes. We dont go to outdoor places, we are always inside (like a restaurant or something) so I never really saw it as a bad thing.

[widdly]

in my opinion, of course you can take him out at night if he is only going to be in the cold air for a couple of minutes at a time!!! it sounds crazy to me that people would keep themselves locked away at home just so bub doesn't get a bit cold.

i just used to get him out of his carseat and hold him against my chest and tuck a thick flannelette blanket around him and under my arms so the cold air couldn't get to him.
We went to a 21st party when he was 6 weeks old which was held in someones back yard, just made sure he was rugged up and he was either nursed by someone or sleeping in his stroller and he was fine and happy.

There are so many better things to feel guilty about, please don't feel guilty about taking your baby out of the house

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

Thanks everyone for your opinions I'm starting to feel less guilty now. I guess my main concern was what if he got sick. I wish people would let us do our own thing, without putting their own opinions on us! I'm going to have to have a stronger backbone I think.

[{sarah}]

We went to a 21st party when he was 6 weeks old which was held in someones back yard, just made sure he was rugged up and he was either nursed by someone or sleeping in his stroller and he was fine and happy.

Zander was at a BBQ at 1 week old, although it was March so not too cold. He was also at my sister's 21st party, on the harbour (it was a cruise) when he was around 10 weeks old as well. I was starting to think I was the only one!

[Michelle71]

Oscar will be one week old tomorrow and he will be going to his first night excursion but remaining indoors. Consequently, he will look like the michelin man with the amount of layers he will wear but it is part of my life and he is too so they have to meet eventually!! You can get sick whether you go out at night or not and winter is a bad time for viral illnesses which are transmitted from people, not the cold weather as such, anyway.

Make a choice you are happy with. I am comfortable taking my baby out at night and in winter. My choice. But not a choice for everyone ..... and that is OK!!! There are more difficult decisions to make with regard to the upbringing of your child so try not to feel guilty when you make a decision that is fine for you but not what someone else would do.

[srv]

We didn't take DS out at night for the first month, not because we were worried about the cold, but because he was more grizzly in the evenings and we were settling into our routine for bed etc. Now we take him out ( he's now nearly 7 weeks old) but mostly to families houses. We thought it would be harder in the evening cause of his grizzles but it's actually easier with so many hands ready to give him a cuddle if he cries so we can finish dinner etc. I wasn't concerned about cold cause he was rugged up for the short walk to and from the car. And it didn't seem to disrupt his evening routine. I wanted him to get used to going out cause we regularly would go and have dinners with my parents, in laws, brothers etc. And it's fun being around the family with him and the other kids. Good family atmosphere.

[Lilly-Pilly]

I've never had a problem taking DD out at night even in the winter because she was always rugged up, beanie, blankets etc.
You don't get sick from being out in the cold for a few minutes!!

[ShootingStar]

Ive never taken Jesse out at night. Personally, i think babies and kids should be home in the evenings, whether it stuffs up your social life or not. Theyre more important and i think taking them out, especially when its the middle of winter, when they should be home in bed is not good for them at all or fair.

I have a girlfriend who use to take her daughter out at the drop of a hat for a guy and she wondered why she was always taking her to hospital for croup!

Thats my opinion.