Staying at home with a newborn is a luxury few even stay at home moms have.

With my first there were some health issues for baby which meant a trip to the hospital lab for blood work on a daily basis for the first 10 days or so. With subsequent newborns, I had to get my toddler(s) out to the park as soon as I could for both our sanities - even after a C section. Cabin fever is something that I would have suffered if I hadn't ventured out as much as possible.
Living here even in winter, getting a toddler out to the park is not as much effort as it would be in colder/wetter climates. I fortunately had a friend with young toddlers in walking distance, so many of my outings were with the stroller and the toddler on a tricycle.

It is down to personality and priorities. I made the effort to get out because I wanted to and yes because I needed to keep my routine as normal as possible, particularly fitting into kindergarten routines. I also had to.

It is funny, I remember after my last baby, my mommy support groups were great bringing meals, etc. for a couple of weeks and I really appreciated that. But within a week of being off the list of needing meals, I got a phone call asking if I could deliver a meal to the family of the next baby that had arrived in our group. So yes, less than a month after the baby's birth, I was delivering a meal to another family with a newborn.

They don't stay newborn for long!

Mother of 4- Yes, we are very lucky to have the mild California weather. It's so nice to have ability to head outdoors for a walk or park outing on almost every day. And to not worry about getting little ones into coats, hats, gloves, etc.

I agree, I was amazed by the support we received from other moms who were either very pregnant or who had also recently become mothers of 2. It's wonderful to have a network of friends going through similar life transitions.