Good question, Trista. Assuming you don't actually live in the hospital you delivered in, I would say that typically a baby is okay to travel on day one of its life, since that is when most babies travel by car (to home) for the first time. There is no reason to keep a newborn (and therefore, it's mother) captive in the home for any given set period of time after birth. If dressed appropriately, there's not reason not to go for a stroll, visit relatives, or go to the store as soon as you, the new mother, feels up to it. Now, with that said, a newborn is more susceptible to infections and, therefore, you should be careful about your baby being in large crowds during the flu season, and about strangers coming up wanting to touch, sqeeze and hold your baby for the first month or two. You can ask family and friends to wash their hands prior to touching the baby, and that should be adequate.