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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Washing hands after nappy change - MIL thread, sorry

528 replies

StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 17:58

My PIL are staying with us at the moment to look after DS, after I have had an operation. I appreciate is is very generous and lovely of them, and I am grateful.

However, MIL isn't washing her hands after pooey nappy changes. AIBU to be bothered by this? How can I get her to do this without basically implying she's being disgusting? We do have hand sanitizer at the nappy change station, but I found she as using that BEFORE she changed his nappy instead of after! DS is 8 months old, just for info, and my operation means I can't lift or carry him, or bend over/ kneel down, so I can't do it myself at the moment.

OP posts:
ShowMeTheWonder · 15/07/2015 19:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Inertia · 15/07/2015 19:44

Why on earth wouldn't you wash your hands after changing a pooey nappy? You might not have anything harmful on your hands after, but if you have access to soap and water why would you not wash?

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 19:44

TheEagle, YES, exactly! I'd be horrified if a doctor or nurse didn't at least use sanitiser after touching any patient, let alone after changing a nappy. There are signs all over my GPs' surgery and in any hospital I've ever been in telling everyone to wash their hands!

OP posts:
00100001 · 15/07/2015 19:47

Washing hands does prevent the spread of disease. Certainly.

But there really is no need to be washing your hands multiple times a day

Poppyred85 · 15/07/2015 19:48

Erm...just to say...farts don't smell because there are germs floating in the gas, it's the gas itself that smells.

Plateofcrumbs · 15/07/2015 19:49

Handwashers - do you leave the baby where it is without touching it, run off and wash your hands, then return to your baby with clean hands? Or do your minging germ covered hand touch your baby, changing paraphernalia etc first?

I have always wiped my hands with a wipe then used a bit of antibacterial gel immediately after changing the baby so my hands are then clean to pick the baby up etc.

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 19:50

My DDad had an extremely bad tummy bug when he failed to wipe the breadboard after cutting up raw chicken on it (vom). He always laughed at my fastidiousness with raw chicken before this, and now he is as vigilant as I am. Two weeks of vomiting and diarrhoea will do that too you.

There's a BIG difference between constantly sanitising after touching ANYTHING, and washing your hands after going to the toilet, though, 00100001

OP posts:
FlysInDreams · 15/07/2015 19:50

I use hand sanitizer. Also use wipes if I actually get anything on my hands.

00100001 · 15/07/2015 19:50

If you're supposed to wash hands after coming in from outside as one pp suggested, then I'd be washing my hands about.... Fifteen times just from that. Then anytime I blow my nose, let's add two. Touching doors, going to loo, food prep (before and after) I'd be washing about 40+ a day!

Sallystyle · 15/07/2015 19:50

Inertia because I simply couldn't be bothered and I am not scared of a few germs. I could spend all day washing my hands. Every time I touch my dog, or a door handle, or money etc etc.

It has served me and mine well as they very rarely get stomach bugs.

I really don't understand the outrage.

RuddyHellItsSoftCell · 15/07/2015 19:50

Just wanted to get my name added to the DOES wash hands after nappy change side of the spreadsheet. Whether it's pooey or just wet.

CrapBag · 15/07/2015 19:51

WTAF!

This is one of the most disgusting threads I've read!

Like others have said, you don't get shit on your hands after going to the toilet, but you wash them (or you bloody well should do!) Changing a shitty nappy is NO different.

There are far too many skanky people on here. I'm actually gobsmacked by this. It's basic hygiene that takes less than a minute. I don't think I'll touch anything in public again!

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 19:51

I use the sanitizer after I've changed the nappy and disposed of it. Then I redress DS, put him somewhere safe, and wash my hands. Easy-peasy, especially if I have someone else in the house who can keep an eye on him!

OP posts:
00100001 · 15/07/2015 19:52

Oh yes the super hand washers, do you wash after touching pets or money?

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 19:53

Oh, and I rarely get tummy bugs too. The last one I had was about 8 years ago.

OP posts:
Italiangreyhound · 15/07/2015 19:53

Hands should be washed before and after nappy changes. Sanitised if you have it. Pooh is bloody dangerous.After my C-section I got ecoli in my blood, this is because ecoli can live in your body and not in your blood OK. Obviously I had a massive wound but just saying, poo, germs, all of it is dangerous.

Just have a straight forward chat. Just say this is what the nurse at hospital/midwife/doctor recommends....

Get well soon.

Bless you Dr Italiangrehound (PS I am not a real doctor!)

Smooshface · 15/07/2015 19:55

I at least use hand gel, and would expect others to

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 19:55

I must admit, I had no idea this was going to be so controversial. I thought it would have maybe three or four people telling me how to get my MIL to wash her hands.

OP posts:
Smooshface · 15/07/2015 19:56

And I do wash after pets and money, of course!

hotfuzzra · 15/07/2015 19:56

I've already said this but why do people think changing a nappy is the same as going to the toilet? You touch way more items during a toilet trip which are likely to have been touched by other people with dubious or unknown hygiene standards.
I wash my hands after I've had a wee or a poo, not because of all the germs near my hands (I'm very good at not touching piss and shit) but because toilets themselves are gross. Unless you change your babies in the toilet it is not the same. I wash my hands at a public baby change room.

Grunt I wasn't calling all the hand washers hysterical, I was addressing the posters I thought to be hysterical. Sorry for confusion.

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 19:57

Actually the HV is coming tomorrow to weigh him because I can't get him to the clinic, after she goes I might say she's said there's a bug going round and we have to be really careful to wash our hands after changing him etc.

OP posts:
TheEagle · 15/07/2015 19:58

To me it's a no brainer. I'm usually changing my babies nappies before I breastfeed them.

That usually involves my fingers in babies mouths for unlatching them.

I'm not going to risk germs from a nappy change getting into my babies mouths.

It's not a big deal and I'm not (I don't think) hysterical about it.

NancyDroop · 15/07/2015 19:59

Shock from me too for the non hand washers.

Before reading this thread I would have thought everyone washed their hands after changing nappies.

Wow what a sad state of affairs!

Original poster
StarlingMurmuration · 15/07/2015 20:00

Re washing hands after touching pets... I'm not massively bothered about this, though I do try to make sure I don't touch my dad's dog then touch the baby or my face or mouth. Mainly because when I moved out of my family home, where we had three dogs, into a no pet household, I discovered my skin really improved - I used to get a lot of spots, and very quickly they stopped.

OP posts:
TheEagle · 15/07/2015 20:01

Good plan OP - maybe chat to your HV privately and have her make some pronouncement about hand washing while she's there.

That's MN for you - you ask a simple Q and you find out wayyyyyyy more than you thought you ever needed to know!