How would you feel about this?

[userss]

I've always had anxiety and I've found it escalated when I had a late miscarriage in my first pregnancy. When I got pregnant again with DS I was a nervous wreck throughout and unfortunately had a high risk pregnancy with several complications which ended in bed rest and early maternity leave. My DS then had to have emergency surgery at 4 weeks old- I found this experience extremely stressful and since the surgery I think I'm possibly a bit too protective over DS. Is it normal to not be comfortable with relatives holding him and not allowing any of them to kiss him? I have a very confrontational family who tell me constantly I'm weird for not letting them kiss him. DH and I kiss him all the time. Luckily he's fine now and I'm much more relaxed at home with hand washing, no longer sterilise bottles everyday etc so that he gets some germ exposure. However I'm still petrified of relatives/friends touching his hands or trying to kiss him. Is it normal to not want everyone to kiss him at this age? I don't think I'll mind when he's a kid but I can't help but hate it at the moment!! Thanks

[Heirhelp]

How old is your DS?

[userss]

Now 6 months old

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

Why aren't you sterilising bottles? Are you fling? If so, you really do need to sterilise the bottles

[userss]

@EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic I'm sterilising them every other day as health visitor said it's not necessary to do every day and it will help build up his immune system

[AprilShowers16]

I think if you want to expose him to germs it would be safer to sterilise his bottles after every use and then let people touch/kiss him instead. I stopped sterilising everything else at 6 months but was advised to keep sterilising bottles after every use as they have little bits where bacteria can easily grow (and the baby has them in their moith for a prolonged period of time)

[Cailleach666]

Your baby is at far greater risk of illness by the fact you are not sterilising bottles than contact with relatives.

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

I'm really sorry user I think your HV has given some quite outdated and potentially very dangerous advice regarding sterilising of bottles. Please have a read of this leaflet on the safe preparation of formula for feeding at home.

As for the rest of your post, you do seem quite anxious. Have you had any counselling?

[Pickerel]

I'm surprised by the HV advice - I thought you should sterilise bottles until one year. But relatives kissing him is absolutely fine!

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

Sorry, fling should have been ffing.

Agree with pp who said that if you want to improve immunity, let him be kissed but sterilise bottles until you stop using formula

[Heirhelp]

Yy to above posters that you must sterilise bottles when using formula.

Your anxiety about your baby being kissed/held is not normal but completely understandable. Very soon your child will be choosing to touch, kiss and probably lick other people. It is definitely something that is worth speaking to a helpful GP about.

[Funnyface1]

You really should still be sterilising bottles at 6 months, I'm not sure what your health visitor is on.

As for the rest I think it's normal to be very protective of your first baby, especially when you've had a traumatic time. You are aware of your feelings so try to consciously relax around family, you know he is safe with them.

[InDubiousBattle]

You need to sterilise bottles as long as you're using formula op. I have no idea what you're hv was thinking telling you every other day would boost his immune system.

I think it's totally understandable that you're nervous about your baby's health but it's really not normal to be so anxious about your baby being kissed by family. I think you might want to visit your gp? In a few short months your baby will be mobile and getting into all kinds of mess (both of mine crawled at 7 months).

[Michaelsone1]

Totally disagree about the bottles. At 6 months washing them well (as you would do anyway) is fine. Do you sterilise bowls, spoons, toys they touch at baby group? I doubt it. So why sterilise the bottles if you can wash thel thoroughly?

[Figgygal]

It does seem a bit over the top to stop them at six months I expect he's now picking stuff up and spending time at groups playing with things that have god knows what on them.

Also my ds is 8 months still sterilising bottles here

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

michael because formula isn't sterile and there can be sone pretty nasty bugs contained in it so bottles need to be sterilised as long as yiu use formula. Things like bowls and plates are different, unless they have come into contact with formula of course