Fresh air has a positive effect on children's health. But in order not to harm the crumbs, one should take into account the nuances when you can go for a walk, and when it is better to stay at home.
A properly drawn up schedule of walks for every season of the year will help the baby adapt to changes in air temperature, fill the lungs with oxygen and strengthen the immune system.
When to start walking?
The birth process is stress not only for the body of a young mother, but also for a newborn baby. There is an opinion that with a crumb you can go for a walk the day after discharge. The main thing is that there should be no air temperature drops, the weather should be good, and the child should be calm. Pediatricians do not agree with this opinion and believe that it is better to wait a few days and first adapt to your home environment.
Experts are of the same opinion that the time when you can walk with a newborn on the street falls on the 7th day after the birth of the crumbs.
The first walk can take place at home in a well-ventilated area. The child must be dressed in accordance with weather conditions. Mom can walk around the room with a crumb in her arms.
How long can I walk with a newborn for the first time? The first walk should not be more than 20 minutes. The duration increases every day by 5-10 minutes and is a total of 2 hours maximum. If the weather allows you to spend more time on the street, you can slightly expand the scope of the time interval.
What is the use of daily walks?
Walking in the open air is necessary for a young mother and baby. They have a beneficial effect on the circulatory system.
For crumbs, regular exposure to fresh air helps to normalize night and daytime sleep, as well as to obtain the necessary amount of vitamin D, which prevents the appearance of rickets and promotes the intensive growth of the baby.
Prepare the baby for a walk
In order for the walk to bring positive emotions to both young mother and little toddler, it is worth following simple recommendations before going out:
- A newborn should not leave home without a hat. In babies who have recently been born, thermoregulation has not yet been established. For this reason, the risk of unexpected overcooling or overheating is very high.
- In the cool season, it is better to go for a walk immediately after the baby eats well. A full stomach of crumbs will provide him with a comfortable sleep in the fresh air.
- In the hot season, it is better to walk in the morning or in the evening, when the sun is not so active.
- Before leaving the house, first of all, mother should get dressed and collect all the necessary things that may be needed on the street. And only after that proceed to the collection of the baby for a walk.
- The baby should be worn according to the weather. You can focus on your clothes, the baby should be dressed a little warmer.
- The child needs fresh air, so walks should be daily and regular whenever possible.
Choose a place away from the road and cars. The territory should be planted with trees, and it is very good if it is a park or square.
The optimal time for the first walk
When choosing a time when you can walk with a newborn, first of all pay attention to weather conditions.
What temperature can I walk with my newborn !?
- Avoid high temperatures during hot weather. Going for a walk in the sun can lead to heat stroke.
- At a temperature of 10-15 degrees with a minus mark, you should stay at home.
- With heavy rain, wheelchair covers can harm the baby. This accessory creates the effect of a greenhouse for crumbs, which can negatively affect health.
- Strong wind is a very insidious weather phenomenon. When walking in such conditions it is very easy to catch a cold.
But you should not always stay at home if it is cold outside. Do not forget, the baby needs fresh air, even cool. If mom is very anxious, then walks can be made short but frequent.
It’s good at home, but you must comply
Doctors believe that greenhouse conditions bring greater health risks than regular walks, albeit in the cool season.
The risk factors in connection with which sometimes at home (even in absolute cleanliness) are more dangerous than on the street are as follows:
- ultraviolet does not enter the apartment, contributing to the release of vitamin D, necessary for the full development of the baby;
- even with regular cleaning, dust remains that is dangerous for the baby's respiratory tract;
- fresh air prevents contact of the body with pathogenic bacteria that can live in a person’s housing;
- the baby should receive new emotions daily, and frequent being at home can "grow" a closed personality in him.
Staying on the street must necessarily be in the daily routine of the mother and baby. Compliance with such a correct schedule will provide crumbs with vitamin D, oxygen and adapt the body to sudden changes in temperature.
Fresh air is health
Since ancient times, our ancestors believed that nature can give a child a huge portion of health. It is worth noting that doctors also adhere to this point of view:
- Strengthening immunity. Fresh air favorably affects metabolic processes, the protective functions of the body and the heart.
- Sunlight has a positive effect on the retina. According to studies, children who regularly walk outdoors have fewer vision problems.
- The development of mental activity. Learning new sounds, smells and speech of other children, the baby stimulates the development of the brain.
A child accustomed to frequent walks from birth will not be fixated on tablets, but rather prefer active games in the fresh air.
Walk in the summer
With children born in the summer, walks can begin earlier than with babies who were born in the winter. If there is a rather hot climate in the summertime where you live, then walks are best done in the morning or in the afternoon.
“Summer” peanuts can visit the street already on the fifth day after discharge from the hospital, but this approach to walking concerns absolutely healthy children. If the crumbs have problems, then the question of when you can walk with the newborn is better to ask the pediatrician.
In the warm season, a mother and her child can walk 2 times at a convenient time for her. The main rule when walking in the summer is to avoid the scorching sun and high air temperatures. If the mother is tired and does not have the strength to go out into the yard, then you can leave the baby to sleep on the balcony, but preferably under the supervision of a parent.
You need to wear the baby in clothing made from natural fabrics, try not to wrap the baby, as excess diapers or panties can cause overheating. But! A light cap must always be on the peanut always!
Walking with babies born in winter
Pediatricians forbid young mothers to walk with a child born in winter at least the first 10 days after the birth of the baby. The cold season is accompanied by the spread of viral infections, which are dangerous for the immature immunity of a young child.
How much can you walk with a newborn in winter? If for a long time the air temperature keeps below 10 degrees, you should not experiment and take the child out for a walk, you should just wait out such weather. Some young mothers experiment with walking on the balcony in the cold season. This method has its advantages - the presence of fresh air, and the temperature is much higher than outside.
The time when you can walk with a newborn in the winter, anyway, every mother determines for herself, listening to the recommendations of the pediatrician. But the first walk in the snowy season should not exceed 5-7 minutes.
Many young mothers determine whether the baby is cold by his cold nose. This is the wrong approach. To check if the baby is frozen, warm your hands and touch the back of the baby under the back of the head.
Before going outside in cold weather, you need to change the diaper, feed the baby and dress warmly.
What time is it in autumn and spring?
Autumn and spring weather is very insidious. The time when you can walk with a newborn after the hospital is at least 7 days after discharge. Being in the fresh air should not be more than 10 minutes for the first time.
If the sun is shining, and the air temperature is more than 15 degrees, then the duration of hanging out on the street can be increased. If the wind or rain, it is recommended to reduce.
Fears of parents
Walking with the baby is almost always possible, with the exception of the poor health of the peanut and very bad weather outside the window. But despite this, parents still find a significant amount of cause for alarm.
In what weather is it better to stay at home? Indeed, walking at very low and high temperature temperatures is best avoided. In heavy rain, it is better to stay at home. A light summer drizzle, on the contrary, moisturizes and makes the air cleaner, which makes walking in such conditions beneficial for the body.
What should the first crumb walk be based on? Short in time, as the child needs to adapt. Increasing time on the street, you must always monitor the reaction of the baby.
Is it possible to walk with a newborn late in the evening? It is better to give preference to walks in the morning in the hot season and in the second in the cold. It is important for a child to receive sun rays in the first months of life. Ultraviolet contributes to the production of vitamin D, which is necessary for the baby to fully develop.
How much time can I walk with a newborn per day? After warm weather, a baby can spend about 5 hours on the street after a year, while it is better not to spend up to a year walking for up to 3 hours, even if the adaptation period has been successfully completed.
Parents tend to fear for their defenseless child, but do not exaggerate and protect the baby from everything.
Useful Tips
After consulting with a pediatrician about when to start walking with a newborn on the street, mothers must follow important rules:
- Try to go for a walk immediately after feeding. Small children tend to eat often, and when they feel hungry, the baby will be restless and will not be able to sleep in the fresh air.
- If the air temperature exceeds 30 degrees or below 10, then exit to the street should be postponed.
- If, for objective reasons, a walk with a child was missed, then take the stroller to the balcony. Wear baby in accordance with weather conditions.
- Try not to be on your first walk for more than 15 minutes in the hot season. When you can walk with a newborn in the winter, it was said above, and the duration for the first time should not be more than 7 minutes.
- Gradually increase your outdoor activities by 5-10 minutes daily.
- By 3 months, the baby should walk 2 times a day.
- Always wear crumbs according to air temperature and seasonality.
If you live in a metropolis, try to walk in places far from roads - parks or squares.
For newborns, fresh air is very important. Regular walks favorably affect the mental development of the baby, strengthen the cardiovascular system and form a strong immunity.