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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this is a bit extreme?

45 replies

Eliza9917 · 07/08/2018 16:44

Its a pram sign to tell people not to touch your baby.

Its for prem babies so not sure whether to think WTAF and this is ridiculously precious, or not. Surely if they couldn't come into contact with germs then they would still be in the hospital?

OP posts:

Aprilshowersinaugust · 07/08/2018 16:46

Would be good for keeping unwanted relatives away though!!

Singlenotsingle · 07/08/2018 16:49

Might be more effective if it said "don't touch, I've got a nasty disease and you might catch it".

CaveyLass · 07/08/2018 16:51

“Keep Away, Baby Bites”

Thesearmsofmine · 07/08/2018 16:51

If I saw someone with one I would think it really odd. Just tell people not to touch if it bothers you, most people will understand if you mention baby was prem. Anyone who doesn’t listen to you telling them would ignore a sign anyway.

BuntyII · 07/08/2018 16:53

It would give you a good laugh when you're older if nothing else. 'Remember when we had that stop don't touch sign 😂'

ProudThrilledHappy · 07/08/2018 16:56

Tbh I would have loved this for DS. He came out of neonatal care post surgery and his immune system was still weak. He was also still really small (like 5 lb) so despite being two months old was like a newborn. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who would come up to me while he was in his baby carrier and touch his face and hands and comment how small he was without asking if it was ok. We were actually waiting for a second separate surgery so he was not by any means perfectly healthy, just didn’t require hospital treatment and constant supervision.

His doctors suggested I asked any visitors to wash their hands and use hand gel before handling him when he came home, so I know it looks a bit precious but in some circumstances is needed

SinkGirl · 07/08/2018 16:58

Shortly after one of my twins got out of nicu, age 2 months, an old lady approached and promptly stuck her finger in his mouth. I’m not joking. Wish I’d had a bloody sign.

RoseWhiteTips · 07/08/2018 17:00

It’s cringeworthy.

cchristie1936 · 07/08/2018 17:00

It seems extreme, but why do people think that babies are public property?

ProudThrilledHappy · 07/08/2018 17:04

SinkGirl wtf? Why?!

sexnotgender · 07/08/2018 17:08

If some people didn’t behave like loons round babies there would be no need for a sign. As it is I’m not sure the sign is ridiculous.

Huskylover1 · 07/08/2018 17:10

Uugh, why do new Mum's presume that strangers want to touch their baby? I'm not interested in anyone else's baby. Mine are adults, and quite frankly, I'm completely disinterested in anyone's little cherubs. They may be cute to you, but I don't care, sorry.

AmericanEskimoDoge · 07/08/2018 17:18

If I saw that in the wild, I'd probably think it was a little odd, but then again, I wouldn't dream of touching someone's baby unless it was an emergency (stopping the baby falling or something of that type).

If it makes the parents more comfortable and isn't hurting anyone, it doesn't matter if everyone else thinks it's ridiculous.

SinkGirl · 07/08/2018 17:28

I have literally no idea. It freaked the shit out of me.

The irony is that he (unknown to me at the time) was in the early stages of whooping cough so wasn’t exactly the safest baby to mine for germs in that way.

He was actually really unwell at the time, even a small bug could have made him really poorly so I was quite careful with visitors etc but that woman took me by surprise so much that I couldn’t even say anything - I just stood there completely aghast. It was probably only a second or two but it felt like an hour.

Who does that? She then asked me if she could hold them and I said no, but no one prepares you for the possibility of someone sticking a finger in your baby’s mouth!

frecklesMaybe · 07/08/2018 17:29

It seems ridiculous to me. If a baby's that vulnerable the you wouldn't be out and about with then.

FeckingFeckers · 07/08/2018 17:33

The people who think the signs are useless and cringeworthy are clearly very lucky they haven't had an ill newborn with a very weak immune system. You may not touch newborn babies but there are plenty of strangers who shove hands into prams and touch babies faces and hands. Plenty of strangers who shove their heads into the pram to 'get a better look'. And plenty of newborns who catch illnesses from careless people who just wanted to admire a cute baby without knowing the baby was ill.

Just because it wouldn't be useful for you it doesn't mean it is useless.

FeckingFeckers · 07/08/2018 17:35

Freckles I wouldn't have left the house for 4 months if that was the case. Believe it or not I still had live admin to sort out and errands to run along with household stuff to keep on top of while caring for an ill child. All that requires going outside, with my baby believe it or not

SinkGirl · 07/08/2018 17:55

If a baby's that vulnerable the you wouldn't be out and about with then.

We had one baby in hospital and one at home. Not leaving the house wasn’t an option. When he came home, he had frequent medical appointments, and diagnosis of a condition that makes basic viruses far riskier.

Are you suggesting we should have never left the house? I guess he didn’t really need to see those doctors...

Haberpop · 07/08/2018 18:04

If a baby's that vulnerable the you wouldn't be out and about with then

Of course parents have to go out with a vulnerable baby and I have seen parents use a sign like that on the preterm baby's buggy. Staying home isn't always an option and people do like new borns.

SadTrombone · 07/08/2018 18:29

@HuskyLover1 "Uugh, why do new Mum's presume that strangers want to touch their baby?"

Perhaps it stems from strangers touching their baby. Or witnessing strangers touch people's babies. Or anecdotes of strangers touching babies (for example on Mumsnet).

Pengggwn · 07/08/2018 18:34

It's definitely weird. I just didn't let anyone touch her. Pram facing me, hood up, or baby in sling. Nobody tried, but perhaps my face doesn't invite it!

WomblingWoman · 07/08/2018 18:58

If I'm honest I think what's "worse" is random strangers wanting to touch a newborn without asking and thinking you're odd if you say no.

The sad thing is that the people for whom such a sign was designed probably wouldn't take any notice of it anyway.

Excited0803 · 07/08/2018 19:10

I had someone lurch in and touch my baby's face recently when he was just one day past a nasty d&v (suspected norovirus) bug, so she looked a bit funny when the first thing I said was "please wash your hands" (I'd been saying it to family on repeat all day long), which actually I'd love to say BEFORE people grab at him. I explained and she looked suitably put out; serves her bloody right though. I wouldn't use the sign, but it would be better obviously if people wouldn't assume they can touch a baby.

@Huskylover1 - it wouldn't have occurred to me that random strangers would lurch themselves at my baby and touch him either, but nevertheless people do, people are weird.

Excited0803 · 07/08/2018 19:12

Whoops, posted too soon. I was going to suggest that if all new mums inform random baby touchers that the baby has norovirus then we might end the touching!

rotavixsucks · 07/08/2018 19:16

@Huskylover1 every time I went out with my baby there would be at least 1 person who would touch her without even asking.

Some were really creepy and try to stroke her as I walked past

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