Can you believe this new mom?

@sunshine4 (8703)
United States
March 22, 2007 2:20pm CST
So this lady had a baby last Friday (her 3rd child in 2 1/2 yrs). She insisted on going home from the hospital on Saturday. On Sunday she took the newborn to church and left him in the nursery! The following Wed (by now the baby is 5 days old) she took the baby to her husbands high school that he teaches at. Don't you think that this mom is endangering her newborn? WIth all the sickness going around this time of year, I can't believe that she would bring her new born to these very germy places. What do you think?
8 people like this
47 responses
@txwoman36 (173)
• United States
23 Mar 07
i dont have any kids but if i did i wouldnt take them out much for the first month. i have been told that you need not to take your newborn out that much for the first month. your right the germs could get to the child easily. being so young the baby is very acceptable to getting sick. some mothers dont think straight when it comes to the baby or child.
2 people like this
• United States
23 Mar 07
I don't think she is doing anything wrong. I dont know how she could be on the go like that...but I had a c section and that slowed me down. But I would wonder why she would leave a newborn in the nursery instead of taking him into the service with her. I wouldnt be able to let me newborn baby go away from my sight. As far as the germs, they are everwhere. By not taking your child out into the world you are keeping them from building up their immune system to normal everyday exposures.
2 people like this
• United States
23 Mar 07
Wow, what is WRONG with that woman? She obviously had no CLUE as to what is out there, and she should with that many children. Someone should educate her on this. If she still is irresponsible with her children, maybe someone else should have them.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
22 Mar 07
WOW she's a strong mother to be up and about the day after her birth. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking her newborn out and about town or wherever, germs are everywhere, even in the home so... all I know is that I couldn't do that, I needed more than a day to recover from the birth of my son. ;)
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
23 Mar 07
I know, by my 4th child I was begging to stay in the hospital an extra night.
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
22 Mar 07
When I first read this, I thought you meant left in the nursery as in abandoned him in the nursery. Honestly, she's much more active than I was when my child was a few days old but if she feels like she's not doing too much-more power to her. I don't really see it as endangering the child though. If her husband teaches at a high school, he's going to bring home the germs he's exposed to all day anyway. The child has older siblings, so if they go to school the child is exposed to all of those germs too. If the child were premature or in some way compromised, that would be different.
1 person likes this
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
23 Mar 07
Endangering the child wasn't a good choice of words to use....I realize that now. All I know is when I had my children I was told not to take them out until after the first doctors visit. Maybe things have changed in the last 5 years.
@stacy624 (2776)
• Canada
22 Mar 07
To me it sounds like she is a very active mom, and that could be a good thing! Its amazing what our children learn at an early age. Its hard becuase Germs are Everywhere no matter where you look, But if she keeps an eye out and just asks for anyone to be near the baby to do a good hand wash!
1 person likes this
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
23 Mar 07
From what I heard, she was letting all the kids touch and hold the baby. This to me is a bit much. It's one thing to be out, but letting a bunch of grubby kids who probably aren't thinking about washing their hands before they touch the baby, that's a bit much.
@egay679 (152)
• Philippines
23 Mar 07
it seems to me that this lady is so busy that she can afford to bring and leave her baby anywhere she goes. newborns usually are to be kept safe during the first stages of their lives. babies who are only days' old are more prone to catch infection outside rather than at home that is why newborns should never be brought outside or travel first because they are still very sensitive to capturing diseases. when i had my daughter, i never really left our house and stayed with her all the time. if ever i had some things to be bought, i just let someone do it for me or i would left my baby with a close relative of mine at home. i don't want to risk my baby's health and i don't think there is nothing wrong to be protective with your child.
• United States
23 Mar 07
The day I left the hospital after having my oldest we went to Wal-mart. She was 2 days old. We walked around for an hour, bought her some new stuff and introduced her to all of our friends. The next morning we took her out to breakfast with us. She was 3 days old. We did the same thing with all of our kids. Going to wal-mart on the way home from the hospital is like a tradition now. I don't think I could have left any of them in the nursery, though, because I wouldn't want to be away from them but I don't think she was endangering the baby--it is just strange that she would leave the baby that easily. But that's her choice. heck, when my 3rd child was a week old (she was my 3rd baby in just over 2 years) we took her on a 8 hour car ride to go pick up her brother and sister at my in-laws' house. We stopped at Target and to eat. Then she got passed around to all the relatives, went out to breakfast at the same place we took the oldest when she was born, then drove home 3 days later with our other kids. The only thing that went wrong was the kids got pink-eye and gave it to her and it set off a chain reaction of constant eye infections. But those would have happened eventually because she had clogged tear ducts. She had an eye infection from 1 week old until 18 months when she had surgery. Other then that she was never sick as a baby. None of my kids were. they didn't get their first colds until they were 2.
1 person likes this
@briennekb (610)
• United States
22 Mar 07
I don't think that she is doing anything wrong. It's not like she can be a hermit just to protect her child from germs. Not to mention, one of the ways that our bodies build up immunities to certain bacterial diseases is by being exposed to them. Did you know that even afer we brush our teeth, there are still 4 billion microbes swimming around in our mouths? Sounds gross huh? But, it's a fact. As long as this mother is taking her baby places that a relatively clean, the baby probably won't have any problems. Now, if she takes the baby to a swamp and lets him roll around in the mud, that's another story. You just simply can not avoid germs. Grocery stores have just as many germs as a high school. So if you think that she shouldn't leave her baby in a church nursery and a high school, then you should also think that she should've take her baby out of the house period. And that is unlikely to happen.
1 person likes this
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
23 Mar 07
I personally would never take my newborn out and about like that, but it's a mothers choice, so we can't really do anything about it, there is no law on it. I guess to each their own. If that is what she wants then so be it. I wouldn't do that though.
1 person likes this
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
23 Mar 07
When my youngest was born, we brought her home Friday. That Monday I had to get up around 6 to take my husband to work and then take my oldest to school. With my husband working and only having one car, I had to do everything during the day. So that meant if I had to run around and get things, she went with me. I think a baby has to be around these germs to build up a immune to them. Can't sit at home waiting for warm weather and when the child does get sick it's really bad and takes forever to get rid of.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Mar 07
i don't realy think that she is endangering her child but you are right that these can be very germy. If she brought the baby home early, this could be because she has other children to attend too. I don't neccesarily think that she was doing anything wrong.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Mar 07
Goodness I was out in Walmart with my newborn daughter the day we were both released from the hospital. With my first and second children, I wasn't though LOL By the time number 3 came along, I was used to the whole birthing process. I delivered on Monday evening early and left Tueday by noon. I can recover MUCH better in my OWN bed than a hospital room (where they bother you alllll the time and at what seems all hours LOL). I have school age children too...if there is a germ floating around, my kids will gladly bring it home to share it with everyone else--they always do LOL You can't sheild a child from each and every germ there is...they are bound to catch something sooner or later. So seeing as how I was just as active, I think she is doing just fine hun
1 person likes this
@dudess (24)
• Botswana
23 Mar 07
wow! 3rd child in 2 and half years......hmm she is one active person i should say( or is it overactive).i strongly believe that small child who is only a a few days old doesnot need a tour of the town. yes u are right they are very likely to catch mild to serious infection from the air outside home more than by staying at home(unless someone is sick at home). their immune system is not fully developed to combat microorganisms.i feel its the caretaker's(mother) duty to protect the helpless child.u must also realise that the child has been through a traumatic experince of coming out of the dark, cozy and quite womb to a bright and noisy world and it needs some time to adapt to the new atmosphere.well, its crazy what she did but its her child and i guess she knows best.
• India
23 Mar 07
i am not a mother andn or am i good in parenting. but i feel it will be good if you keep the child inside home atleast for the first month.
@fatragu (677)
• United States
24 Mar 07
The only way to build up a baby's immune system is for them to be exposed to germs. When my oldest was born I was out and about 3 days later. When my second one was born I was out and about that same day. In fact she was born 4/13 and we went from the hospital to the apartment to drop my stuff off and then to Walmart to get their pics taken with the Easter Bunny. I have never been told to stay inside until after the first Dr. appointment. I know that after each of mine were born I had lots of energy. I am also due in early October will be taking this one trick or treating along with my girls.
@repzkoopz (1895)
• Philippines
23 Mar 07
this mom may seem strong because of what she's been doing. but the fact that she's taking her new born to different places and exposing the baby, thats terrible. which ever time of the year, which ever place, the baby's defense system is not yet developed and may cause sickness.
@neglitex (347)
• Latvia
23 Mar 07
Lol! A 5 days old baby should get carried around everywhere! he's immune system isn't so strong enough! That Mum is crazy! :D
• China
23 Mar 07
is it a ture story? I thing she must be a brave and dountless Mom.I haven't seen such strange people before.... What style will her bb be?
• Canada
23 Mar 07
Get a grip what should she do put the child in a bubble... get out and breath the fresh air..