AIBU about the number of strangers who touched my baby today?

[Babycameearly]

Baby is 6 weeks but was prem so looks brand new. We've been out and about for a couple of hours this morning and lots of peope have stopped to coo over him - however about 8 different women have actually reached into his pram to touch him! Including 1 woman who picked up his dummy (from inside the pram) and tried to push it into his mouth! Is this usual???

I carried DS in a stretchy wrap, he learned very quickly to dive face-first into my cleavage when someone looked like they were going to prod his face.

I still can't get over touching a stranger's baby without permission!

ARGHH @JK types with Dummies no that is just OTT Rule no need to be so bloody rude , Prem babies sometimes need the dummie for suckle ,anyway it doesnt matter loads of non jk types babies have dummies , people love babies they cant help it I can see why you are a bit off with it if he was prem , But people mean no harm Babies are like Magnets for some and like to stroke or touch , putting the JK type Dummy back in was over stepping imo ,

What a horrid nasty and pointless comment about the dummy! Can't stand snobbish divs like that. Op you don't have to justify the dummy and congrats on your baby.

In the early days it can be a bit strange having lots of people handling our babies. Maybe its linked to an instinct from cavemen times so we protected our young? (Please don't flame me if that sounds really thick)

I felt a lot of pressure to take my ds into work so everyone could see him. Everyone was lovely and wanted a cuddle so I was just passing him back and forth for short cuddles with people unfamiliar to him. He seemed fine with it but when I got him home I felt all teary and guilty! It was a really strange feeling!

Ive got OCD and a baby due in a couple of weeks, I can see lots of this ahead - I have a well perfected 'hands off' look ready and waiting

Aww Buttery that sounds really sad about your work. I can totally imagine why you felt bad afterwards, it's funny the things babies make you feel awful about

With reference to the dummy in respect of SIDS it's my understanding that the research is very small and therefore not reliable.

We tried to get DD to take a dummy for emergency situations, such as stuck in traffic and she is crying - after 4 different types I gave up.

DD is 5 months and smiles at everyone, I am convinced the pensioner in the bank queue behind me touched her face the other day. I tried not to think about it until I asked DH if I was being silly and he said "no, what if she had MRSA".

YANBU, unfortunately you would probably be seen as the baddie for saying anything though :(

I occasionally touch other peoples babies if they are very cute, I can't help myself! So I didn't really mind random people touching DS. I found it a bit strange that random old, always foreign, ladies and the occasional man would ask to hold my baby when I was on trains. I did let them but I was always a bit nervous that they might try to run off with him!

Its such a hard thing to say no to aswell because people are doing it because they care. Its flattering that they are taking an interest in your baby and we all swell with pride when people tell us our dcs are cute. However how can you say "don't touch my baby! " Without sounding like a stuck up prig?!

Haha - I managed it today Buttery - bumped into the mother of an ex boyfriend from years ago who was a nightmare - always thought I wasn't good enough for her son / used to call me by his ex wifes name (and once sent me a birthday card with his exes name crossed out and mine next to it!!!). She peered into the pram and went to stroke his face - I took great pleasure in stopping her and saying 'sorry, he's not been well - I don't want him to pick up your germs'

Thoroughly enjoyed it :)

We had a family BBQ to go to when DS2 was 3 months old, only v close family there so was happy for him to be cuddled by his Aunts and Grandparents. I took his hat off when we got home and someone had picked all of his cradle cap leaving looking all pinky and sore!!! I was furious turned out it was my 90 yr old Grandmother who thought she was doing me a favour, I did a very good fish out of water expression as couldnt quite find the words to say.

It didn't bother me at all if old ladies wanted to coo over and touch my dc when they were babies. I was sooooo proud and loved it when anyone took an interest in my lovely babies and said how gorgeous they were (esp dd1 who was bright yellow with jaundice and, in retrospect, wasn't very lovely at all as a newborn!!!!.....she is lovely now though). My parents are Northern and they talk to anyone - I live in London and everyone thinks that they are really weird - but they would have no qualms at all about diving into anyone's pram to look at a newborn because they love people.

sling rain cover or sunshade usually does the trick.