Am I being silly?

[BabEmama]

Hi everyone. Recently I had a visit from my health visitor. By recently , I mean just before lock down began. Baby needed to be weighed and measured. Now the health visitor wasn’t wearing a mask or gloves. And whilst trying to weigh my son, the scales weren’t working properly. I kept lifting him and putting him back down. But then out of no where, she picked up my baby and placed him back down. Firstly my issue is, at no point did she use any hand sanitizer. So I’m just expected to trust her hands are clean? We are in the middle of a pandemic. And secondly she didn’t ask. She just grabbed my baby. Had she of asked, i would of told her she’s not to touch him without washing her hands. Now I don’t think I’m being silly here. But I just wanted a second opinion. Just because you are a health visitor and work with babies, in no way means I trust that you’ve washed your hands enough. This is something that’s been bugging me for a while now and I don’t think I’m happy with having that same health visitor again. I’d really appreciate some outside opinions. Thank u 😊

[peanutandpumkin]

Well pandemic or not she should've been using sanitiser as its a new born and while visitors are limited they are gently asked to use them.. also ive been seeing midwives and health visitors all used hand sanitizers so really dont know if she doesnt use or forgot.

Another thing she may have not anticipated the lockdown or things getting this serious so she may have just thought its ok 🤷🏽‍♀️ my health visitor picked up my baby to weigh.. one asked permission and one didnt but i am ok with it so its just me i guess.

You are not being silly though but its a one off so not worth worrying about. Next time just tell her to use sanitiser. After lock down I think they will do so 😊

[Pixiefringe]

You are being silly. I'm sure as a health visitor her hand hygiene is up to par anyway, particularly in times like this. And even if not, unless she put her fingers in your baby's mouth and rubbed his/her eyes, it's very unlikely baby will have caught anything. But whether you want her back or not is up to you, if she makes you this uncomfortable there's nothing wrong with asking for a different HV.

[SnowdropFox]

I wouldn't have batted an eyelid tbh. It's her job and I trust a healthcare professional to wash their hands. Im not going to stand over them watching them watch their hands as they enter the door.

If you dont want the HV touching your child without permission make that clear going forward. And ask what their handwashing procedure is so you know. That way you are both on the same page.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

I think you're looking at the situation with the privilege of hindsight. She didnt know what it would turn into.

Im a nurse, we hand wash at the start of patient interaction and then more if we come into contact with patient bodily fluids or anything gross. So unless she had touched something horrible, then I wouldnt expect her to wash her hands before touching my baby.

With the picking up without asking, I think you're being a bit precious.

[SoloMummy]

So you're talking about before March 20th?

[Eggcellent29]

You’re not being unreasonable at all.

HVs should wash their hands before handling a newborn. Every visit we had, the HV asked without being prompted where they could wash their hands before holding my baby.

However, I think it should be a shame to refuse to have this HV again, assuming that nothing else was wrong. I would just politely ask her to wash her hands next time

[DivGirl]

My health visitor used to gel her hands on arrival (without me asking) and beyond that would just pick up baby whenever. I wouldn't have asked her to wash her hands if she didn't do that - though I am probably in the minority in thinking handwashing before touching a baby is OTT.

You are overthinking this though - I wouldn't have noticed and I certainly wouldn't have expected her to wear gloves or a mask. Gloves aren't sterile and they have enough to carry as it is. She should have washed her hands or used hand gel where you could see her doing it to settle your fears, but chances are she did it just before coming in, and if she didn't this was months ago! Clearly she didn't pass anything on to you.