Friend kissed my baby, feeling upset

If breastfeeding you definitely should kiss your baby, pick up germs and produce antibodies in the milk for her. Also definitely kiss her anyway! But with a friend just ask pls don't kiss baby people don't even think about it I doubt it was on purpose to annoy you

I think you should maybe get some therapy and talk through your irrational anxiety.
Perhaps you have a little bit of post natal?

I mean to be blunt - you are "protecting " the physical health and increasing risk of mental health problems

I get cold sores and have always smothered all 3 of mine with kisses from birth, still do if they’ll let me! All are now over 30 and are perfectly healthy, if I had an active cold sore I wouldn’t kiss but other than that how can you not ! I remember developing a kind of cheek rubbing “ kiss “ when I had one .

Leave your friend aside

You say YOU and YOUR family DONT kiss baby on face ?

Poor poor child - it's a baby - it understands very little but it does understand normal human affection

Cold sores are serious risk, eczema herpeticum can kill babies quickly and easily but someone without a cold sores is absolutely fine to deliver a peck on the check with little to no risk.

Assuming this isn’t a joke…you need to speak to someone about your irrational anxiety.

so no-one can kiss your baby - all part of immune building good stuff unless they have raging cold sores - but you're happy to give them with vaccines with adjuvants containing formaldehyde, aluminium, foetal tissue, antibiotics amongst others?

I'm amazed you are not smothering your baby with kisses!!

@Upstartled Yep. Never did all the generations of my family any harm to be kissed as babies. Who made up this new “rule” and what happens when these kids start nursery and then school??

I’ve heard of plenty of people who don’t want their babies kissed and I think it’s completely reasonable until the parent feels ready.
i don’t get the obsession with people wanting to put their mouths all over babies faces, mum has clearly stated she kisses baby just not on the face, 4 months is still very young and I’m sure once she’s ready and feels comfortable baby will be kissed on the face by herself, dad and sibling.

I just find it unreasonable the amount of ignorant comments on here, name calling her, saying ‘poor baby’ etc instead of people actually seeing what she’s saying.
im sure the little baby is well loved by them all it’s not going to be deprived or unloved if it’s not kissed on the face for a while!

They have mothers demented trying to negate every single risk that might befall their baby, regardless of the benefits that might be achieved through that risk, and then when it triggers anxiety - they tell you it's an individual flaw to feel on red alert about everything. What this society does to mothers is a complete headfuck. No wonder the fertility rate is dropping through the floor.

When did this no kissing babies lunacy start? You do know children need to build up an immune system.

what a compassionate person you are ..

I kissed my friend’s baby on the head by accident the other day. I used to kiss mine like that all the time and wasn’t thinking. It’s not something I would generally do with other people’s children but no harm done.

I have never, ever, met or heard before of a family who have never kissed their 4-month-old baby's face.

The OP clearly has huge health anxieties about her children. Perhaps this is understandable if her older DC has been very ill, but it won't do her children any favours in the long run, and imo the best sound advice is for her to realise that she has a problem and is in danger of transmitting her illogical anxieties to her children.

You are past the dangerous newborn phase, so your baby will be fine! Some people are not aware of the dangers. I saw someone kiss my nephew as a newborn on the forehead and my brother in law told his friend gently with a little laugh that you don't kiss newborns. Nephew survived and is a strong, happy, healthy boy :)

If you have health anxiety, just explain as you pass over the baby, no kissing the baby because still too young and you want to be careful.

some of the repies om here are cruel. maybe its a cultural thing going on ? Or anxiety that has been overblown by pnd ? i dont think you are being unreasonable, but i know, from my own experiance, that if you can you should try to relax over germs. babies cant be not exposed to dirt and germs as it builds up resistance. Maybe you should speak to a family member or your doctor if your feeling anxious in any way.

Yes, I kissed my babies all day long and well, just about every baby I have held - just on the forehead. I'm relieved to see so many yanbus, I had no idea that anyone would have an issue with this.

Obviously there are strict rules for people with cold sores not to kiss babies but otherwise, I mean, that's how you say hello...right?

Genuine question (about to have my first) - I thought it was just the first 8 weeks pre vaccinations to avoid kissing newborns on the face, apart from parents?

This is either a joke or she’s serious and needs to know it’s not normal. It’s incredibly odd and screams “I get all my health info from TikTok”. If it’s genuine, she DOES need help and health care professionals will be empathetic and she certainly won’t be on her own with this issue.

she already carries the herpes virus which makes it less dangerous for baby.

As long as it wasn't on the mouth or hands it's fine as you wiped after. Also it'd better to let them know in the moment.

I get that you're anxious as I was like that too but you should kiss your own baby. They are not a newborn anymore.

It’s a mumsnet poll id take that with a pinch of salt! Most of the posters on here are completely missing the point… as usual jumping on the op, calling her names being nasty instead of giving sound advice to a clearly worried mum.

You are being way overprotective and your children will grow up catching everything under the sun because you are wrapping them in cotton wool. Their immune system will be terrible

It's very different from a friend kissing your baby on the lips. I wouldn't be remotely bothered if it was just a kiss on the cheek. I understand health anxiety. My twins were micro preemies. Nobody was allowed to kiss, or really hold, them initially but when they were about 6 months (so around 3 months old size wise/developmentally) even we wouldn't have been bothered by friends or family giving a peck on the cheek.

I have 4 children. One is almost the same age as your little one. His 3 older siblings have kissed him countless times. I'm pretty sure my 2 year old licked his face the other day. And we must kiss him every single time we hold him.

Did you tell her not to?

If you didn't then you are being very unreasonable.

Not everyone knows about risks of kissing babies, and at 16 weeks your baby is no longer a newborn anyway.