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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not comfortable holding friends baby ?

53 replies

Shaumau · 22/01/2025 19:07

I can see my friend gets a bit dissapointed when her baby doesn’t get that attention from me but get from her other friends. I don’t ignore the baby because thats a bit rude to me. But most of my focus is on my friend. Her baby just turned 1, so very mobile and active baby. She asked me why i didn’t want to hold her baby while we walked. For me it seems pointless walking with a baby on my arms, also im a but clumsy walker so i be afraid of dropping her baby or falling and hurting the baby if, thats what i told her not the pointless but only that im afraid of dropping.idk why some people need others to hold and cho em babies? Im not very good with them until they are older and can talk and you can have a Conversation with them. Babies aren’t my thing, im mostly awkward around em. And i don’t enjoy holding them either, and often they start crying to so... And if i have my own baby one time i would definitely not just try to force my baby on others unless they ask and want to. Sometimes even if not needed she just ask me to hold her but i give her back when we start walking because i don’t like that. We often hang all togheter with our boyfriends.

OP posts:
TMGM · 22/01/2025 19:19

No, of course you don’t have to hold your friend’s baby if you don’t want to, no reasons required. I say this as someone who has recently had one myself, some people just aren’t comfortable with it and that’s fine. I myself am not comfortable holding other people’s babies, it’s completely different when it’s your own.

Mrsttcno1 · 22/01/2025 19:16

I don’t think it sounds like she’s forcing her baby on you, she’s asking if you want to hold the baby?

For what it’s worth I think it’s one of those things you probably don’t realise until you become a mum yourself, how much of a difference it makes to have a friends who help you, even for 5 mins on a walk.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 22/01/2025 19:14

If this is a close friend that you want to keep, you're gonna have to pay more attention to, and hold, the baby, girl 😄