Kate steps out five weeks after giving birth...and you?

How soon after having a child does one resume leading a normal life?

Yesterday, The Telegraph carried a photograph of the Duchess of Cambridge venturing out for the first time since she gave birth to Prince George five weeks ago, shopping for groceries at a mart near her parents' home.

This past Sunday, actor Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria Thomas were pictured taking their newborn daughter to the park in New York -- little Carmen Baldwin was only born Friday and brought home a few hours before this first jaunt.

It would seem from the above instances that different parents have very different approaches toward resuming normal life after the birth of a baby.

When it comes to us Indians, most mothers and newborns spend the first 40 days after a child's arrival at home, as is the custom, although modern families are now beginning to rebuff this tradition.

So we're asking all the seasoned young mothers out there -- how much after delivery did you resume leading a normal life? Where was your first outing to?

What advice would you give other mums-to-be about getting back into a more regular routine?

Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'Advice for young mothers') with your experiences and opinions and a photograph, if possible, of you and your little one. We'll be publishing the best entries right here on rediff.com

Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images