Do you take your baby out at night in winter?

[Lilly-Pilly]

Caro I don't think anyone is saying someone is in the wrong for not taking their child out!

Be it right or wrong I took DD with me everywhere during her first few months, I found it a breeze to just take her everywhere with me when she was little. We'd go out for coffee and she's be tucked up in her pram sleeping. I loved visiting people with her, putting her in the baby carrier and going shopping. I'm not the kind of person that can stay at home too long or I go crazy!

Most of the time when we were taking her out at night was to spend time with family in and friends in the comfort and warmth of their homes with bubby snuggled up and being cuddled.

[shellbell3]

I don't think either way is wrong or right, just is an individual preference. I think the main thing is if the baby seems settled and not upset.

[Danni]

I think its very important that you do what YOU'RE comfortable with.

Dont let other people pressure you into doing something you don't want to.

Personally, we take Mason out every day. He has been out at night times to other peoples houses as well. He is well rugged up and covered in a big blanket between the car and house.

[Phteven]

I've always taken my babies out at night if I was going out. It's not as if we live live in a particuarly cold climate but TBH even if I was living in a cold country I'd still take my babies out at night.
Viral illnesses (including Croup) are transmitted just as easily during the daylight hours so to me a bigger issue is the health and hygiene of anyone we might be visiting.

I'm not a big fan of the idea of putting my life on hold because I'm a parent. Having children changes ones life enough without burdening oneself with too many restrictions. I never changed my diet for the sake of BF and Imran is still going strong on the boob at 14 months. I'm pretty sure that if I had placed all sorts of restrictions on my diet I would be keen to end our breastfeeding relationship by now. Of course, what works for me isn't what works for other Mums. I'm sure there are women out there who aren't at all fazed by the idea of 2 years without coffee lol.
In the same vein if I decided to stay home at night I know that I would end up feeling unhappy about it and that would impact on my relationship with my children.
That said when we eat out now we don't linger over coffee and dessert the way we used to lol. We eat and bolt (before the wait staff notice the mess our children have made :P ).
It was so much easier when they were teeny because they would sleep in thier pram while we ate.

[ShootingStar]

Viral illnesses (including Croup) are transmitted just as easily during the daylight hours so to me a bigger issue is the health and hygiene of anyone we might be visiting.

Of course.. but it doesnt help to be taking them out when they have the first few cold like symptoms.


I dont think anyone is telling anyone what to do here.. its all just personal opinion.

[Michelle71]

Caro - I am taking my child out, which is ok for me but I would never assume to tell someone else to take their baby out if they don't want to. It is neither right nor wrong to take your baby out .... it is a completely personal choice and the sole decision of each parent. There are good reasons for going out and good reasons for staying in. Your reasons (as with everyone else's) are very valid and important things to consider. At the beginning of this discussion Sarah felt like she was the only person who was taking their child out too.

[Liz]

Yeah, we wouldn't go out either if there were symptoms about. But we have certain commitments each week that we continued to attend and took bub with us, whatever the weather.

Certainly didn't affect our breastfeeding relationship either, my boobs were still always available.. just coz we were out didn't mean I denied him boob and mucked up the feeding. I agree that it's the easiest time to take them anywhere when they're little.

I still think a little cold air doesn't hurt them if they're rugged up. What's considered a 'safe' temperature to take them out? Just coz the sun is shining doesn't mean it's warm. Not lately anyway LOL.. with the wind coming off all that snow! I'm sure eskimo's take their babies out in the cold

[Rachel]

I think you need to do what you are comfortable with. I have no problem with taking DD out at night for things such as going out to dinner etc but I will generally try to avoid taking her out willy nilly if there is another option (such as to the supermarket, I will wait for DH to get home from work then one of us will go). As previoulsy mentioned, it is not the cold air that makes them sick. Common sense would obviously say just rug them up - like you would rug yourself up. We have taken DD out from 6 days old, she is happy to be anywhere as long as we are around she feels secure. Each to there own, I have to say I agree with dachlostars comments that children alter ones life so much as it is without restricting other activities. I need to get out and socialise as usual for my sanity, and occasionally that may be at night.

[{sarah}]

FYI - When Zander had croup last year, the Dr & 2 nurses at the hospital actually recommended taking him out into the cold air for a few minutes as it would stop the coughing episode.....

[Rachel]

Ooohhh, Brooke is Charlotte ok? Missing your updates in the March thread. Hope you are all well and Lucas is going along nicely. hopefully hear from you soon.

[Catastrophic]

I've taking Izzy out since day dot! I can't be one of the mums that stay at home - it isn't in my personality - i would drive myself bonkers... I also think its good to get izzy use to different surroundings and socially involved with the world (children learn behaviour from a young age)... Going out hasn't had a problem with mine and izzy breastfeeding relationship - when she wants it, i give it (milk on legs me is~ lol)...

And during the night i try not to keep her out, but if i'm invited to dinner or there is a special occasion... we will attend... Just like everyone has said ~Rugg up~ it's only 30secs between car an house...

On sunday i am taking her to Tazmania (where it is even colder!) but i won't be feeling guilting for going... and izzy will be fine, i've had the doctor check her over and he says shes a healthy bub who should have a great time, he just wants to see photo's on our return... My doct being a pead. i tend to believe him when he tells me a bit of cold air dosnt do no harm!

[Jennifer13]

If we don't go out it's more to do with being lazy than not taking Lucy out in the cold air.

We went on a trip down to Melbourne when she was just under three months and she came out with me to dinner with rellies, etc. I put her in the snuggliest snow-suit looking thing you've ever seen - made a great photo! But we were mostly inside. Come to think of it, the coldest it's ever been was when we were out the following day catching a train and it started raining. Someone had been killed on the track further down the line, all trains cancelled and I had to wait on a cold station platform for an hour. The worst was when I had to feed her - for me not her! I don't think she even noticed.

[Mother Goose]

Hi Jan,

Like so many others have said, I think it is personal pref and what you are happy with.

I have taken Abbey out several times at night in Winter! I even take her walking in the rain!!! Of course I put the rain cover on the pram! In fact, the rain cover is great on cold nights too - gets pretty steamed up in there! Abbey is always rugged up in her warmest jacket, beanie and however many blankets Mummy thinks she needs. If I could find mittens to fit her, she'd wear those as well!
Like Dach - I'm not going to put my life on hold just because I'm a parent. Plus, DH has the car during the day and often doesn't get home until late so if I NEED something from the shops, need to take Abbey to the doc, or any other number of things - I have to walk. Including at night! And Abbey enjoys it as much as I do. PLUS, a HUGE benefit is she usually goes straight to sleep when we get home! Of course, I limit all of Abbey's outside activity when she is sick (day time included). But do what you're happy and comfortable with.

MG

[Emma1979]

wow i feel like i have been really ripped off in the 'newborn' department... all these babies sleeping soundly in prams while being out, its so unfair! Hollie has been so alert from day dot and would never sleep if she felt she was missing out on something... to date i dont think she has ever slept in her pram, its too exciting.

i cant believe you guys felt WELL enough to go out in your first weeks... but i guess i was recovering from a really traumatic time with having an awfully long labour, then emergency c section and blood transfusion.... i was a right mess for probably the first four weeks and struggled to even walk around the block.... urrrrgh god i am glad that awful time is over! i feel like i barely remember her first few weeks as i was so weak and in a daze most of the time.

ooops when i started typing i didnt mean for it all to sound like a poor me rant!

[Mother Goose]

Hugs Emma. Don't worry - I think I only ventured out for a walk about 3 times in Abbey's first 6 weeks (emergency C-sect too). We do what we can and things slowly get better. Abbey also likes to look around in the pram and will only sleep in it if I put a screen up or if she is super tired. But coming in from the cold to a warm house puts her into a deep sleep pretty quickly!

[Annikas_Mamma]

I didn't do it when Annika was younger, even though it was summer, mainly because I was too exhausted by the end of the day. I do take her out now, but I rug her up to the max. Also, she does not go outside on a cold day without a beanie on.

[JoMarie]

I don't have much choice taking Nicholas out in the cold, but it is the mornings (when it can be 8-10 degrees) that I have to take the girls to school! I have a great outfit for Nic though. He has a really warm "Snug as a Bug" wrap which has legs in it so you can swaddle them but still put them in a car seat or pram all rugged up, it also has a hood. We don't go out a lot at night anyway as we have 3 kids, but I don't think I would consider not going out unless one of them were sick. Anywhere we go, it is inside anyway, so, like most others have said, it is only from the car to the house.

I would struggle and feel isolated from the world if I didn't go out, even in the cold weather. I have had PND, so getting out during the day is really important for me. \

Everyone has their own way of raising their children. My sister doesn't really leave her house after 3pm as her son has a pretty strict afternoon/evening routine, and that's fine.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Great question!
Oscar was born in winter and his first outing was to our local reserve and it was FREEZING, but nothing a bit of layering couldn't fix. Yes, it was daytime, but it was a Melbourne June...sometimes those days are as cold as nights!
In July we went out ALL NIGHT (got home at 6am!) from a brigade annual dinner, and Oscar spent all night asleep in the HAB, except for feeds, which we managed beautifully. The HAB was an especially good tool for cool nights. In July, also, we walked back from a friend's place in a thick fog - Oscar was so snug in the buggy with the storm cover on.
Going out at night was a breeze and he has been coming to the fire station with us since he was less than two weeks old, every week on a Wednesday - from car to warm kitchen took no time at all and that short time of being out in the elements in no way outweighs going out at all, so don't feel bad, just do what you do that baby can fit into as well!
I reckon that the sooner they are allowed to be in situations where you interact, converse, share hobbies, and in general can provide exposure to how people are with each other, the better. Slings are ace for this, because unlike prams (not condemning prams, I have a buggy and it has its uses, just not as much use as my Ergo and HAB), the little one is in the thick of it, absorbing all that interaction, convention of social exchange (manners, waiting your turn to talk etc), and when they are sick of it they just tuck away to sleep in the sling to cut it all out.
If you don't want to go out, different story, then don't.
But if you do, then don't let anyone stop you, especially if YOU consider that the little one is a wonderful little addition to your outings like I do
Also, I was taking Oscar out to visit my horse from 4 weeks, in the HAB - alfresco dining took on a new meaning, and I achieved my first 'walk and feed' out at the paddocks.
If you love to rug up, then go for it!!