Friend kissed my baby, feeling upset

People are being really harsh to you OP. I love my friends babies and would never ever kiss someone else’s baby. I find it really weird she did tbh. Not even thinking about germs I just find it seriously odd.
I only ever kiss my own children and usually the tops
of their heads or eskimo kisses. Remember some
people kiss their kids on the mouth which id never do and so different people have different standards/whats normal to them. Equating you not kissing your babies face to not holding/cuddling them is a major overreaction from other posters.

It’s literally flu season and as someone with young kids with flu right now I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I don’t think you’re being unreasonable! My kids got flu off someone who didn’t realise they had it yet as the incubation period can be longer.

So glad when my dc were babies that it was normal to kiss babies. My babies had lots of kisses from lots of people and I’ve kissed lots of babies. Unless the person is ill or has a cold sore then a kiss on the cheek or head is fine.

i thought kissing on the face had actual immune system health benefits? look it up

A lot of people carry and transmit the herpes virus without having symptoms of it so OP is correct to be worried as it can be dangerous to babies. Nobody should be kissing someone else’s baby.

I'm only talking about the strangers I did not reference the family not being allowed to kiss the baby. Obviously if a family member has a cold sore they too shouldn't but in all of my posts I was referring to visitors. I never once said the nhs says family can't kiss their own baby 🙄

This is crazy. Chill out.

I have kissed my friends babies on the top of their head but not on their face. Not until after 1.

We told people in advance that we don’t want them kissing the our daughter.

Having said that your reaction seems a bit extreme in the aftermath.

Are you seeing anyone for your anxiety? My Daughter is 2 and I’m still struggling with depression and anxiety over her so I do completely understand how you are feeling. When my daughter was about 3 weeks old a family friends daughter (19ish I think but with severe sen difficulties) kissed her on the mouth. I felt sick all day.

Well, I might offer that not kissing your baby at all would be worse than worry about infection. Babies are born to be loved and cuddled. If you are really worried about it, I guess you can tell people they should not kiss your child, but that seems kind of sad.

I missed that part! Me and DH smother ours in kisses ... THOSE CHEEEEEKS 🤣

You haven't kissed your 16 week old baby? Sorry OP but that's incredibly sad

The biggest threat to your child is teaching them your health and germ anxiety.

Get some help.

I'm sure your friend doesn't have the bubonic plague....Unclench.

Are you getting professional help for your anxiety because your behaviour really isn't normal. If you don't want others kissing your baby fine, but as a family not being allowed to really isn't.

If you've got cold sores so don't want to kiss your own baby, then that's all the more reason to welcome everyone else kissing them, so your wee one doesn't miss out on the world's normal affectionate response to babies!

The healthiest children are the ones exposed to germs. You've missed out on kissing and snuggling your babies for no reason.

It's ok if you dont want anyone to kiss your baby but you have to tell them before hand. It's not fair to expect people to know that as it is outside of the norm. Personally, I think it's healthy for the baby to be kissed, it will help build their immune system x

Yes i have kissed loads of babies, all the ones in my extended family and probably most of my friends ones.... thats what those squishy little cheeks are for. I don't know anyone in RL with this paranoia about kissing babies. Its like people who don't let kids blow out candles on a birthday cake "becoz GERMS". Life is not sterile, in fact its too much sterilising etc that contributes to allergies and asthma incidences rising in the west.

Poor child

Your poor baby has had no kisses! That's really sad for your little one. Please get some help

@MellowCritic No, the NHS advice is only for visitors not to kiss babies (not their own mum!). And it is only for when the baby is a wee newborn.

Yeah we got that, but the baby is missing out both on affection and bonding but also on the essential health benefits of exposure to their family's germs by this bonkers approach. The baby is not at risk of cold sores if the family are careful and sensible but this doesn't mean never kissing her on the face!

I would never kiss someone else’s baby, I also understand why you wouldn’t want that due to RSV which my own child had and it’s a horrible illness! I do kiss my own child and always will, I do think you need to loosen up on that one x

Please don't get medical advice from instagram

I don’t want to pile on and be unkind OP as you are obviously struggling but I agree with most of the posters on here that this is deeply neurotic. It’s completely irrational to have this prohibition against kissing the baby.

Your germ anxiety is ruling your life and you need to make sure you don’t pass this on to your baby.

Babies need exposure to microbes to build immunity. Trying to shield them like this is pointless and counterproductive.

Also, to ppl shocked she hasn't kissed the baby yet. She has, she said she kissed on the head and feet etc, just not on the face to not pass on cold sores.