Friend kissed my baby, feeling upset

No I don’t, and people shouldn’t kiss babies that aren’t their own. But it’s happened now. Being fussy last night was likely just your baby being a baby! But of course I’d kiss my own baby!!

I love how people on this thread are putting the feelings of fully grown adults over a baby’s safety. Absolutely shocking.

OMG, that is so sad.
Let’s hope they won’t be the parents in a year or so, who are complaining that grandparents aren’t willing to help with regular childcare.

Where did all this uber-preciousness about new babies come from? All this crap about the ‘little family’ needing time to bond, no visitors for ages, etc.?

Gosh, I have kissed relative's babies all the time!

No one things anything of it.

I agree there is definitely a risk, anyone with a young baby should already be aware of this, but it seems like maybe your friend was unaware of this? Perhaps mention next time that you’re not kissing the baby yourselves until they’re quite a bit older as although maybe rare there are very serious complications that can happen like rsv, physical and mental disability if someone with a cold sore kisses them (YouTube if you feel up to it, what happened to one little baby was terrible and easily avoidable) and you have every right not to want to risk it with your child.

I absolutely don’t think people should be kissing your baby without asking first but I suppose it’s dependent on your relationship and I’m sure your friend would never mean to harm your baby so I’d take a gentle approach to educating them.

Babies do not need kisses, they have no concept of what a kiss is until they’re taught, people need to get a grip here. Snuggles
and smiles are absolutely fine at this age.

Kiss your baby now, baby needs lots of kisses. Kisses from you will make babies stronger.

Totally agree!!!

Bullshit. Who doesn't smother their baby with kisses!!!

Absolutely ridiculous. Kids are going to end up with such weak immune systems.

Of course! It's perfectly normal to kiss babies. Hard not too, tbh.

I wonder if mn start them when things are a bit slow 😆

A friend of mine has just become a grandmother for the first time.
They were sent a list of rules some weeks before the baby was born.
They have not been allowed to visit yet (baby is 2 weeks old and no health concerns). When they do visit (a 3 hr drive away) they've been told they can only stay for 20 minutes and are not allowed to kiss the baby.

Apparently some of this advice came from the MW, but it's been nearly 16 years since I had any MW contact so I don't know if their recommendations have changed.

She kissed her on the cheek?? There's nothing wrong with that!

How sad no one has given your baby a kiss. What do you think will happen? Unless your all riddled with cold sores and other illnesses then it's fine!!

I think this post is not real.

If it is, OP, please seek professional help. It will be much more damaging to your child to grow up around your anxiety than being exposed to germs.

I've never met anyone who doesn't kiss their own babies face (of course not if you are sick or have a cold sore).

To not have kissed your own baby on the cheek yet does make you sound a little unhinged. My mum get cold sores and has before she had me, I asked and she kissed me on the cheek as a baby. When you think of it, probably half of the population get cold sores or carry the herpes virus, and nothing really happens. In fact, you're risking your baby's health by not exposing her to germs, meaning she will get far sicker than your oldest. They need to exposed to germs and things for their immune system. You really, really are not doing your baby any favours by wrapping them up in cotton wool. Do you get any counselling or therapy to deal with your germ anxiety?

Yes, I feel a lot of compassion for the children as well as the adult suffering from irrational anxiety.

Is it irrational when we tell pregnant women to avoid bagged salad, cleaning products and berate them for a watered down glass of wine with Christmas dinner for some to then struggle to see any small risk as anything other than a potential disaster when a baby is born?

A good mother is a neurotic mother, or so the modern parenting standards suggest.

OP, without wishing to be unkind, you are massively over-reacting. You do know it’s far less germ-spreading to give someone a kiss on the cheek than to shake their hand? Your baby will not die from a peck on the cheek. Be pleased that your friend thinks enough of your baby to want to. (And I admit, had you let me hold your baby - and yes, I would have asked permission first - I might well have kissed it, probably on the head but possibly on the cheek.)

I've read it all now...
Get a bloody grip for God's sake.

You sound like you have gave birth to baby Jesus.
Im a part of a dying generation on MN never heard of not showing affection to a child.
Some of the threads i read on here i often wonder why son have babys.

I think you are massively overreacting. I say this as someone who has never kissed another person's baby as I've never wanted to but other people especially older relatives have kissed mine.

My oldest had RSV multiple times as a baby and toddler with hospital admissions but I do not think a couple of of kisses on the cheek from healthy people caused this. Cold viruses are everywhere and can't really be avoided. She just had more difficulty dealing with bronchiolitis, croup etc than her sister did. She had suspected asthma but is fine now her breathing tubes have grown.

I'm emetaphobic so scared of people getting or having stomach bugs, very strict on the 48 hour rule and am pretty good at avoiding such illnesses but a healthy person kissing a baby on the cheek is not scary to me.

I would be annoyed about a kiss on the mouth but not hugely worried as if the person is healthy there is no concern.

Kids need exposure to germs to develop healthy immune systems.

I get coldsores and don't kiss the kids when I have them.

I’m with you @Lurkinmn

Neonatal Herpes can be very serious.

DP’s niece was kissing my DS as a newborn, and she had a spot on her lip. I was freaking out.

Then a friend came round with her son, and announced she was just off to the doctor’s afterwards as her son had an ear infection.

People can be bloody thoughtless.

Oh, to add I would definitely kiss my baby. I just wouldn't kiss other babies but definitely hug kids etc. I couldn't imagine not kissing my baby.

This actually depends on the friend. I have friends who are physical because they come from families who are, and they would kiss the baby. Others, like myself, wouldn't. We're all different. But I was quite nervous when mine were babies so I did say no kisses, especially during the winter months. Then DS2 came and DS1 obviously game him chicken pox and all diseases possible right away 😅.