Home bound for 40 days?

My husband calls me paranoid and sometimes says, "You can't have Alex live in a bubble." But I think he's a bit too much the other way, a little paranoia would do him good.
For example, I'm a little worried about the dog and Alex because I've heard horror stories of dogs biting new babies. My husband would be OK with the dog licking Alex and I wouldn't.
When Alex was first born my mom tried to insist that I stay home for the first 40 days of her new life, as the Greek culture believes. I thought, "no one can tell me to stay home for 40 days! That traditional way of thinking is just crazy."
They also believe that there should be no visitors during the 40 days. The main thought process behind it is so that the baby stays as healthy as possible and takes the time to get used to her surroundings and parents.
Having far passed 40 days I tend to think it's not so crazy. Alex has already had a cold in her first few weeks of life and now she is not keen on being away from home (as you are all well aware). Besides maybe feeling a bit isolated, I now think the 40-day ritual is a good idea.
See mom, I eventually get it...sometimes.