Out with Baby, Nature's Timetable

First 2 Weeks - If you Must

By now you know, the first two weeks you'll stay HOME. However there will be times when you may need to venture out, even during those very early days... 

• Pediatric visits
• An appointment with a baby-care holistic specialist such as an acupuncturist or chiropractor who works with newborns
• A walk to get fresh air if your newborn hits the "witching hour" phase earlier than the 2 week point {unlikely}. 

Keep these outings short! Get to your appointment, and home. Don't add anything extra. Baby will need to rest and recover from all the stimulation - and so will you! If possible, keep your baby skin to skin as much as possible, and get in a self oil massage for yourself and one for baby to recover your nervous systems. 
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Weeks 2-6

Fresh air and gentle walking will be nice. Ideally keep your outings to nature walks or walks in quiet residential areas. Wear your baby in a wrap or buckle carrier. Keep it mellow. Long walks are fine - and might be necessary if your baby experiences the "witching hour". Other adults can wear baby too! Enjoy the fresh air! Once you have completed your retreat, it's good for you, and baby will love it. 
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 Week 6 - Expanding Outward

You'll likely feel ready! This is a great time to venture out to a familiar restaurant or start to see friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Wear your baby!

First walk with newborn at 2 weeks, in the cradle hold in the Baby K'tan. This wrap took my sister and me together to figure out but then worked great for the first month when he was really tiny, or for quick runs out when he was bigger. These come in sizes, so will possibly only work for one parent.

First time out in a restaurant. Wearing baby in a moby wrap. This was at 5 or 6 weeks. Woo hoo! Curry rice noodles and gingerale. Baby slept the whole time and got a lot of noodles on his head {good idea to keep them in a hoodie if you are eating while wearing}.

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Our son with his father in a Moby Wrap out on a hike! Other adults love wearing baby, and it's a great way to bond {and give Mama's body a rest}.

Baby wearing in a hand-me-down ergo structured / buckle carrier at the beach, around 6 months.

Out with Baby Considerations
Sights, sounds, stimulation, oh my!

Considerations for Postpartum Mama

For the first few weeks postpartum, Mama is pretty raw and open. Especially if you live in an urban area, it can be very overwhelming to go out before the 2 week point. After that, take it easy and keep it to walks in nature and familiar restaurants. The first few outings in the beginning can be shocking to the nervous system, and feel like it contracts your expansive state. Protect with nourishing food, massage, bathing and quiet time with baby. 
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Considerations for Baby 

For a newborn - and really a baby up to a year old and more, the world is incredibly STIMULATING to the nervous system. Every sound, smell and sensation is HUGE for them. This is true when the world comes to you {via early days visits from friends and family}, and the moreso when you bring your baby out into the world. When your baby's nervous system is overstimulated you'll notice that he will

• Want Mama more
• Want to nurse more
• Be overexhausted later {and either sleep more, or have disturbed sleep}
• Require MORE Mama energy to ground, including needing to nurse more that night throughout the night. 

All of this means that Mama needs to have plenty of reserves the more stimulated baby is. So you can understand why waiting until you are recovered and rejuvenated after birth as long as possible is best for baby, and you.

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Out with Baby, How Tos
Stimulation Protection List!

1. Ideally wait until 2 weeks minimum for an outing {6 weeks post C-birth}. If you go out before that, be SURE to follow these measures. 
2. Wear baby in a wrap or structured carrier 
3. Keep baby facing in in the "hug hold" or "cradle hold"
4. Do an oil massage that day for yourself + baby to protect your nervous system and keep your mind settled. doing this either before OR after your outing {when baby is well rested and fed is fine}. Before is ideal, but it will just depend on your schedule that day. 
5. Get plenty rest and sleep on an outing day {you and baby}
6. Keep baby skin to skin when you get home to help you both ground
7. Nurse on demand - baby may want to nurse more after being out {or while out}
8. Take the road less travelled. Stick to residential areas, parks, nature reserves and so on as much as possible for walks. If you eat out, try a restaurant that has space, is baby friendly  or if it's warm, outdoor seating. 
9. Your newborn may sleep the whole time you are out. 
10. Don't be surprised if your baby hates the stroller! Bring a carrier with you so you can hold him if he puts up a rebellion against the stroller. He wants to be close to you, and you won't want to hold your newborn out in the open air in an urban setting {strangers love to touch new babies}... without the carrier you and your baby will feel vulnerable. 

Hip hold in our woven ring sling - as your baby gets bigger, this is great for short periods of time - like running into a grocery store or blackberry picking. It's perfect when your child starts walking but will likely poop out after awhile and you can throw this small sling in your bag. Be sure to use a woven {not stretchy} material once your child is over the weight limit for stretchy wraps and slings.

Safe in the city! This is our Gemini structured / buckle carrier. Also a hand-me-down and my favorite of this kind of carrier. Baby wearing on a family visit to NYC felt safer than a stroller.

About Baby Wearing

• Keeps baby close so you can read her cues
• More skin to skin time benefits baby's nervous system and development. 
• Baby can often sleep in a baby carrier more easily than a stroller, carseat or basinet, and when baby sleeps she develops a healthy system. 
• Baby is protected and feels safe from the outside world in the carrier, including grabby hands of strangers. 
• It's comfortable for you and baby!
• Hands free!
• Reduces crying and is a magic cure for the "witching hour" or fussiness 
• A great bonding tool for your baby's other parent, or grandparents and caregivers. 
• Takes up less space than a stroller. 
• You don't have to carry that ridiculous heavy stroller / carseat attachment which is terrible for your spine. 

Baby Wearing Tips

• Many babies fuss when you FIRST put them in the carrier, even after weeks of loving it. Don't be discouraged. Once you get moving they settle in and love it, they just don't like the transition and crying is one of their only means of communication. Your baby may be just crying as he goes through the transition of finding a comfortable position. 
• If your baby doesn't like it the first time, try again the next day. It can be YOUR lack of confidence that is impacting your baby's experience. 
• Get an experienced friend {or youtube video} to show you the way and ideally try it the first few time with someone else around to help you get the carrier / wrap on and put baby in. After a week or so you'll have no trouble doing it yourself. 
• Baby should be VERY SNUG. Tighter than you think usually is better for your comfort and theirs. 
• Baby's chin should be a few finger widths from her chest for safe breathing. 
• Baby's nose should be unobstructed. 
• I recommend having several wraps and carriers. We had 5 different ones! I kept one in the car, one could be in the wash, and we had different types - 3 wraps, a sling and 2 buckle carriers. We were gifted some and got some used. They are far more valuable than almost any other baby thing you can have. 

My Favorite Carriers

• Moby Wrap - great for newborn up to about 8 months or so... once baby gets too heavy it will stretch and become uncomfortable. Then you can switch to buckle or woven wrap. They have great videos on their site to help you with the newborn holds. 
• Ella Roo Woven Wrap - great at any age, but I loved this once baby was heavier all the way through toddler years. Once baby was big enough, I loved the Tibetan Rucksack style back carry. More here
• Maya Ring Sling - great for short wears, running into a store or for times when your child starts walking but might poop out early and need to be held. Not great for long walks. 
• Gemini Beco Structred / Buckle Carrier {similar to the more famous Ergo} - wear your baby into the toddler years with this. 
• A great list of Options from Babywearinginternational.com

Baby Wearing Resources

• Wrap Your Baby
• Babywearing International
• Lots of Babywearing local groups on Facebook - ask your questions and go to gatherings where you can trade and borrow carriers and get help learning how to wear your baby.