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Original poster

Saw this on a pram today! 😀

192 replies

Netcurtainnelly · 08/10/2025 19:00

A man pushing obviously a young baby along in its pram in the town today.

You couldn't see the baby but there was a sign on the pushchair saying please don't touch or kiss the baby, then words I couldn't read. Then it said Thanks .

Reminded me of MN. I know its been discussed.
Never seen a sign on the pram though, telling people, has anyone else?
Did even know they made them.

OP posts:
Original poster
Netcurtainnelly · 08/10/2025 20:03

SatsumaDog · 08/10/2025 19:44

To be honest I can’t imagine a scenario where I would touch or kiss a stranger’s baby. Neither would I touch the baby of someone I know without their permission. What I find bizarre is that people have to have a sign at all.

Exactly. If anyone does attempt it, you can always tell.them.

What if they couldn't or didn't read the sign either.

OP posts:
MyAcornWood · 08/10/2025 20:03

I always thought this sort of thing was a bit bonkers… then a lady put her fucking finger IN my 6 month olds mouth while talking to her last week and quite frankly sent my head spinning 😂 like I’ve had endless people cooing over DD and DS too when he was wee but that… crikey.

GiantYorkshirePud · 08/10/2025 20:03

I’m in the midlands and it happened to me quite a few times when I took DD for walks in her pram at national trust sites.

I honestly felt like a pram ninja in the end, swerving it and manoeuvring it as they tried to swoop in 😆

My DD was due surgery at 3 months old and I was so frightened of her getting ill and having the surgery delayed because an elderly lady couldnt resist a touch.

DD had her surgery in the end and is now almost 8 months old, I dont mind the cooing now obviously!

PunkApple · 08/10/2025 20:01

I had one on the pram of all my newborns. I don't want strangers touching my baby? Hardly unreasonable.

SisterMaryLuke · 08/10/2025 20:00

I realise this is normal now not to touch babies, but it hasn't always been so. Many older ladies will go to touch a babies hand or cheek, because that was normal in their day. My son is nearly 23 and it was perfectly normal when he was a baby and it never occurred to me to be offended. I wouldn't touch any babies, however tempting they are!

momtoboys · 08/10/2025 19:58

I would NEVER touch a person's baby without permission, nor would I ask permission to touch someone's baby. However, I have, on occasion, seen a person walking a baby in a pram where you could easily see there was a baby in there and said "can I take a peek at your baby?" If they are covered by a blanket I would not ask to peek. I don't walk up to the pram or get near the baby but I have been known to take a look and then make the "oh, look at the wee one" or something similar. Go, ahead. Commence with the internet flogging. Don't forget, I am an old woman! 😂

ThoseThreeBeautifulNights · 08/10/2025 19:58

PersephonePomegranate · 08/10/2025 19:54

Never experienced any of those things and as far as I know, none of my friends did either (it would definitely come up in conversation if it had). It can't be that common, surely?!

Show quote history

My friend was advised to get one of the signs from hospital staff and other parents of seriously ill babies that she knew from hospital, so I’m guessing it’s not uncommon if those in the know feel they needed them.

TwistyTurnip · 08/10/2025 19:58

It would never even occur to me to touch, let alone kiss some random person’s baby. Some people are crazy!

Winterscomingbrrr · 08/10/2025 19:57

Sagaciously · 08/10/2025 19:04

Imagine being that parent. 🙄

I know. Just imagine being a parent to a baby who maybe even more vunerable than the average baby. It’s a scary thought.

LadyGreyjoy · 08/10/2025 19:57

Netcurtainnelly · 08/10/2025 19:48

Yes looked abit like that.
I can't imagine strangers are going to peer into the pram anyway and start trying to hold and kiss their baby.

Show quote history

Well they do. There are many examples on this thread where exactly that has happened.

Sagaciously · 08/10/2025 19:57

Sick babies excluded, I bet the type of parents that display these signs also don’t let anyone visit for a month after birth (especially if it’s the mother in law).

Cuwins · 08/10/2025 19:55

I also never had this with DD (now 3.5). People would smile at her and tell me how lovely she was but nobody ever attempted to touch or kiss her.
If I saw a sign I would assume parents were being extra careful with an unwell or very prem baby.

BeLilacSloth · 08/10/2025 19:54

Good on them, so many unhinged people around thinking it’s ok to touch other people’s babies. Meningitis from a kiss can kill a baby.

PersephonePomegranate · 08/10/2025 19:54

ThoseThreeBeautifulNights · 08/10/2025 19:46

A friend of mine had one of these signs as her baby was very poorly. They didn’t get to go out often due to the risks but even when just on a walk, people would still try to touch. People always act like the parents are the issue, but they should really question why they think they have the right to touch another person that they have zero connection too. It’s like weirdos that touch women’s pregnancy bumps. Seriously, have some boundaries.

Edited

Never experienced any of those things and as far as I know, none of my friends did either (it would definitely come up in conversation if it had). It can't be that common, surely?!

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 08/10/2025 19:53

It's a good idea, it keeps politicians away.

I think I might wear a similar one myself.

LostCats2 · 08/10/2025 19:53

Ahh, I haven't seen that sign since my DD was in the NNU because she was so tiny and prem and had zero fat on her tiny little body. Her face was perfect but below that was just bones and hanging skin. I wish I'd thought to get one of those signs. Her body was definitely too small for big germs for at least the next 3 years of her life (and I had a mum acquaintance try to come over with chickenpox to see her the second we got out of NNU! I was so panicked that the wonderful nurses told me exactly what to say to get her to stay away).

Notajogger · 08/10/2025 19:52

I turned around in a shop once to look at something and an older lady was nearby, I turned back around and she jumped back from the pram where she'd stuck her hand in and stroked DDs face. And this was not long after Covid.

DramaLlamacchiato · 08/10/2025 19:52

Sagaciously · 08/10/2025 19:04

Imagine being that parent. 🙄

I know someone who had a sign like this on her pram, her baby had been premature and was very vulnerable.

So people are not always just THAT parent. They may have genuine reasons why their baby is not to be kissed and handled by strangers.

Babies are not public property nor dolls and random people shouldn’t have to be told not to slobber over them or handle them anyway.

bumbaloo · 08/10/2025 19:51

Sagaciously · 08/10/2025 19:04

Imagine being that parent. 🙄

So you are the sort of person who touches babies that aren’t yours and whom you don’t even know

how RUDE and entitled.

PersephonePomegranate · 08/10/2025 19:51

BananaCandle · 08/10/2025 19:09

Only a MN mum would think everyone would be rushing to kiss their baby 😂

Haha exactly!

TotallyUnapologeticOmnivore · 08/10/2025 19:50

Did he also have a sign that read 'please don't put your hand down my pants'?

PurpleChrayn · 08/10/2025 19:50

Who would want to touch some random baby? Can’t think of anything worse!

TheatricalLife · 08/10/2025 19:48

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 08/10/2025 19:24

Me neither. Maybe my babies were hideous or something?

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😂 me either. DS was slightly potato like for a while....

InSlovakiaTheCapitalOfCourseIsBratislava · 08/10/2025 19:48

Where I’m from people give babies money, apparently it’s lucky. they’ll tuck it in the pram or put it in the baby’s hand. It seems courteous to let them pat the baby after they’ve given it a quid

Original poster
Netcurtainnelly · 08/10/2025 19:48

Evenstar · 08/10/2025 19:08

I have seen them online as below, but never on a pram. I agree that the baby could be premature or vulnerable or the parents may be very anxious due to all the publicity this year about RSV

Yes looked abit like that.
I can't imagine strangers are going to peer into the pram anyway and start trying to hold and kiss their baby.

OP posts: