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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to get annoyed when total strangers touch/stroke my baby without asking?

252 replies

GreebosWhiskers · 01/05/2007 09:44

ds is nearly 6 months & fair enough he is gorgeous (not that I'm biased or anything) but why do total strangers feel the need to have a grab at him when he's in his buggy? Doesn't matter where we are, on the bus, in a shop, whatever, there's someone stroking his cheek or grabbing his hand. I see their manky fingernails or nicotine-yellow fingers & shudder!
I know babies are cute & soft & cuddly but I'd never dream of touching someone else's baby without at least asking first.
So, AIBU?

OP posts:
nailpolish · 01/05/2007 10:38

i cant tear myself away...

noddyholder · 01/05/2007 10:38

I like those little fat rings around their wrists

oliveoil · 01/05/2007 10:38

bottoms

oh I love their bottoms

and flat feet without any arch

plod plod plod

nailpolish · 01/05/2007 10:39

their little chipolata toes...

on god im finished, someone find me a fertile man

oliveoil · 01/05/2007 10:39

toes!!

little tiny nails

giggles

huge eyes

NineUnlikelyTales · 01/05/2007 10:41

Chicpea I don't think it's the babies who are vulnerable, it's the new mums!

expatinscotland · 01/05/2007 10:42

The toothless smiles.

Ooooo.

misdee · 01/05/2007 10:42

i love people taking an interest in my children, then can tickle their toes, stroke their cheeks etc etc, i dont mind.

and kerrymum, i went upstairs to my dd2 when she was 3months old and found her grey and listless in her cot, still breathing. had to call abulance, SATs were low, she got colour back in her once she puked all over in the ambulance. she had a severe chest infection and brochilitis to boot. i could've lost her that night, but i dont mind if people touch her. she is the most robust child about. she had loads of people cooing over her and giving her silver coins in her pram.

now if someone was to stick their foul tabocoaed filthy hands into dh open wound i would flip. because thats a direct link to his heart. or if someone dared to come into my house with flu, again i would flip. my kids may have been ill ranging from dd2 as stated above to dd1 covered in eczema so much that she looked like she was burnt, but wouldnt scream at anyone for touching them as babies.

Spidermama · 01/05/2007 10:43

Bandy pink legs and feather soft hair.

YES to little shoulders in vests. Tiny sandles are good too aren't they? Nappy waddling works for me.

misdee · 01/05/2007 10:43

i have a fat baby pic in my profile.

Manictigger · 01/05/2007 10:43

And their wrists that look as if they've got rubber bands round them (or is that just me?). But feet are def the best bits with those lovely wriggly toes (but then I have gnarled excuses for feet so perhaps it's just foot envy rather than baby gooeyness)

expatinscotland · 01/05/2007 10:44

The soft, round heads.

I still stroke DD2's head all the time.

Spidermama · 01/05/2007 10:45

Yes the foldy wrists. I used to have to dig around in the folds of their wrists and neck to get them clean.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

misdee · 01/05/2007 10:46

awww chubby baby arms. dd3 is skinny minny, no chubbiness of her.

i love those chubby baby legs the best.

Original poster
GreebosWhiskers · 01/05/2007 10:48

Oops!
Did the original post, went to feed ds & came back to a bit of a stramash

ds is my 4th & all my dc have been allowed to play in the dirt etc. I've never kept them away from other people & I've never minded people stopping to talk to them or admire them - why would I? Of course it's okay to talk to babies!

But I still don't think it's appropriate for strangers to be touching them. A few days ago I was at the bus stop with him in his pouch sling & a woman who was reeking of alcohol threw her fag-end away, leant over him (still exhaling smoke) & started to tap his nose, stroke his chin & hold his hand which I knew full well would wind up in his mouth.

I'm a wimp so didn't say anything but I really wasn't chuffed & was never so relieved to see a bus!

OP posts:
KerryMum · 01/05/2007 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

misdee · 01/05/2007 10:49

oh you know what i mean.

nailpolish · 01/05/2007 10:50

that baby smell on the top of their heads and the velvetty skin of a newborn

MrsJohnCusack · 01/05/2007 10:50

I have spent oooh at least 2 hours today squidging my nearly 8 week old's chubby little thighs

scrummy

expatinscotland · 01/05/2007 10:52

The way they move their fingers like E.T.

Oooo.

misdee · 01/05/2007 10:52

there is a lady at the school with the most gorgeous chubbiest baby i have seen since dd2 was a baby, i always want to smoosh him as he is so so lovely and chubby.

whomovedmychocolate · 01/05/2007 11:08

I think there's a point been missed here. If you are really uncomfortable with people prodding your baby you can make that clear with your body language. With some folks I really don't mind and they can give her a cuddle and it's fine and with others I hold her myself and they can talk to her and look at her but I hold her close into myself and the message gets across that she's not for prodding.

But my house is healthily dirty so I don't worry about the germs, I'm more worried they'd steal her because she's so bloody lovely!

nailpolish · 01/05/2007 11:12

there is a wee girl who sits in her pram while her mummy takes her son into the nursery dd1 goes to

i am constantly telling this mother her dd is so gorgeous she must think im a loon

SparklyGothKat · 01/05/2007 11:23

I had a very sick dd1 when she born, she had blood poisoning, anemia (sp?) low SATs, bradycadias, but after 5 weeks in SCBU she was allowed home, she was a cubby baby and people would coo and touch her, it didn't worry me because I knew I was very lucky to have her home, alive!!! If she catches a cold or cough now she is knocked for six even now, but she is a normal child.
Dd2 was born at 3lb 8oz and came home at 4lb 1oz, because she was so small people were amazed by her and would peer into her pram and want to cuddle her. Again i was proud.
It would be a very sad world if people ignored children

SparklyGothKat · 01/05/2007 11:24

cubby- chubby

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