Should it be THIS hard to dress a baby for the day? Is the weatherman EVER right? Yesterday they said it would be sunny and 70, so I dressed her in a short sleeved shirt and pants. It was freezing and cloudy (but at least she got to wear one of the sweaters I knitted for her!) Today they said raining and cold, so I dress her in a onesie, lined pants and a little jacket, and it's warm and sunny. When she wakes up from her nap I'm going to have to change her.
So.... should we take Madeleine to her first Mass on Sunday? I had planned on taking her right away, but then our pediatrician said that church was the worst place to take a baby because of all the germs and everyone wanting to touch her. He said there are a lot of infections going around and he recommended not taking her for 6 weeks! So I haven't gone to Mass in 3 weeks. I really miss it! My friend Jenny brings me communion every week, which is wonderful, but it is not the same.
I think for sure we'll go on Easter. I mean - it's Easter! But should we go this week and risk getting her sick for her baptism?
6 comments:
There is a new policy in some areas to hospitalize newborns (8 weeks nad under) running even a low temp and put them on high dose antibiotics, you want to avoid that if at all possible.
There are ways to participate in Mass though. Little tricks of the trade that I use. Put the baby in a sling and keep a blanket over her face, or in her car seat again with blanket over the car seat.
Sit in the lobby instead of the main body of the church, Arrive late and leave early! :-) Tricks my pediatrician suggested to us.
Good Luck
blessings
Christi
PS please pray for my 20 year old son. He is having chest pains and on his way to the ER
I recommend a sling for going to church. It keeps hands away and you can keep a blanket over her, with the claim that she is a frequent nurser I'm terrible about sharing my newborns and have found that most people really do understand!
kathryn
I personally stay away as long as I can... with RSV and such to deal with with newborns, I'd rather err on the side of caution and not go. Heck, even with my other kids, I find it so "amazing" that we seem to always get sick on a Tuesday (Mass on Sunday, sick by Tuesday)
I agree with Christi on the "tricks of the trade." I usually wear my newborn and, more importantly, HOLD THEIR LITTLE HANDS when someone comes by. I am simply stunned how many people will cough into their hands, and then try to touch the hands of my newborn.
Hell-ooo?
I never, ever, ever worried about germs until my first was born. He was a preemie and RSV would be VERY, VERY dangerous for him. So, after that, I got a bit more cautious.
I'm going to be the lone dissenter here and say that it's perfectly fine to go to mass. You have a healthy, full term infant who is completely breastfed...that alone is such incredible protection that you shouldn't worry too much about common germs. Anything she's exposed to, so are you, so she ets all your protective antibiodies. She's not particularly at risk for RSV or anything, so go ahead to mass. You can keep her in the sling or in her carseat covered with a blanket, and politely discourage holding and touching, if you want. But there's no need to be over-cautious, in my opinion.I guess it just depends on how germ-phobic you are. I'm not very, not subscribing to modern germ theory. ;)
First, Mum2Twelve, your dear son is in my prayers. I hope everything is fine with him.
Michelle, you're NOT the lone dissenter, and I'll go a step further.
My daughter is NOT breastfed, but is perfectly healthy, as are most newborns, and she went to her first Mass at 6 days of age.
(Babies don't just get their immune systems from breastmilk - the antibodies are passed to them during the 3rd trimester.)
She's been held, kissed, loved on, etc., and she's never even sniffled.
She's building her immune system by being exposed to all these germs, and it's not like I live in a germ-free biosphere.
The hospital is where most babies get sick - that's why the mortality rate for homebirths is exactly the same as hospital births - home, because of unexpected emergencies, hospital due to so many germs.
She's been to Target, the coffee shop down the road, etc.
I must say, though, no one has sneezed and then tried to touch her - that would be gross for anyone to do to anyone, infant or no.
If anything, I have found people to be extra careful. "Can I hold her?" "Sure." "Okay, I'm just gonna go wash my hands."
"You want to hold her?" "No, I had a sore throat this morning."
In the end, you take her where you want when you think it's best, but try not to panic about germs.
Our homes, cars, her crib, etc., are germy too, whether we like to think about that or not.
;)
I personal feel my birthday party would be the perfect test to see if you are okay with taking her to Mass! hahaha :) Love you! - Heather
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