To not want strangers to cuddle my baby?

[kimmy726]

It seems lately that every time I am at the ships someone will come over and pay a compliment to my daughter (6nonths old). That's fine and lovely. But they then follow it up with, 'oh let's have a cuddle'. This will be complete strangers, shop assistants, Tesco staff are the worst. I always say no, as I don't want a stranger holding my child, whether she's crying or not, as

1. I have no idea if they are I'll or 2) if they will drop her(she's v wriggly). AIBU to always decline? I'm totally fine with friends and family playing/holding Her, I just don't want strangers (who I won't see again) to pass on any colds or accidentally drop/hurt her! X

This has never in my years parenting happened to me!

Practise your resting bitch face or raised eyebrow. No-one has ever asked to hold either of my boys. Although 4mo ds2 is in a sling most of the time.
I was most uncomfortable when a friend of dh's asked to hold my pfb at a wedding (4mo at time) and then disappeared with him. I was having a chat with a friend. Realised they weren't nearby, went off in search of ds to find friend showing my son off to all our friends outside. I was pretty annoyed because I hadn't had a chance to do that myself. They were also about to put him down on the edge of the bouncy castle!

*no stranger has asked to hold, that should say.

YANBU. it's not because you are overly sensitive either - I can't see how anyone would just give their baby over to random strangers to hold.

OMG the finger in the mouth thing!
I remember being on holiday with Ds1, a few months old, and someone leant over him stuck her finger in his mouth then proceeded to drop fag ash on him!
I was speechless

I think I have a very bad case of resting bitch face, because nobody has ever asked to hold my children. And my DD is very cute and smiley.
It's a good thing. I would probably just tell them to jog on.

YANBU. We've had several strangers try to take DS out of our arms without even asking and trying the put their fingers in his mouth

Don't feel bad about saying no, you wouldn't let a stranger drive your car or go through your handbag so why would you want them holding your most precious possession?

Sorry for your loss

Never had a stranger asking to hold my DC when they were small but I really offended one woman while out in a busy shopping centre with my PFB DS when he was very new.

She leaned right into the pram, grabbed the blanket to uncover DS's face and told her child, to 'look at the baby'. I said something sharp about germs and leaning over new born babies and moved the pram out of her reach. She gave me a filthy look said something to her DC about me being stupid and self important and stomped off.

I'd had several miscarriages and a still birth before I had DS so was probably a bit sensitive about it but no one has the right to just touch your baby without permission and asking to hold a stranger's baby is just weird. Sticking fingers into a baby's mouth is just vile. Who the hell would do that?

I get a lot of children asking to hold my small dog. I don't even allow that in case they drop her. Certainly wouldn't be handing over my precious baby to a stranger.

I think I've only asked a stranger once for a cuddle of their baby, and, tbh, was surprised when they handed her over!

It was in a cafe: the baby was about 8 months (so not teeny tiny) and the parents were eating lunch. The wee lass was on her dad's lap and he was having trouble eating one handed. I was going to sit down at the table next to them, and as I passed stopped and say hi to them. I cheekily put my hands out towards her and she was passed over to me! She had a lovely 20 mins on my lap whilst her parents ate their lunch in peace.

The friend I was meeting for lunch thought I was incredibly rude to have asked (once she realised I'd never met these people before) but, as I said, I really wasn't expecting them to hand her to me!

When DD was born I was super drugged up and instead of the midwife waking me to feed/change her she did it for me while I slept. I was fuming. I missed her first feed, first cuddle, first nappy. Everything. I'm still angry 4 years later. I finally snapped when I woke up and she was missing (cue me having panic attack from hell) and they were just cuddling her in an office with no consent.

This time round when I had DS (also rainbow baby, sorry for your loss ) I wouldn't let a single midwife or nurse pick him up unless it was for medical reasons. I couldn't leave his side. Eventually it eased up, he's 6months now and I do let people hold him but I get anxious about it. We went to a family wedding and it was like pass-the-baby but he loved the attention so it helped. Was like ripping off a plaster if that makes sense.

YANBU