To be wary of people kissing my new baby on the face?

[Yummymummy2020]

Not sure if I’m being completely unreasonable and overly anxious but A lot of well wishing visitors are kissing my new baby on the face and I don’t like it! I don’t mind top of the head but the face freaks me out after the baby was in intensive care three days after birth. I know it’s my baby my rules but I want to strike a balance of not being over the top protective and not offending others! Am fully willing to be told I’m unreasonable (I have already specified no sick visitors) but I’m still uneasy the baby might get something so young and have to go back into hospital! Did anyone else feel like this? I’m generally very easy going and don’t mind people holding the baby ect it’s just the kissing bit when I have heard horror stories! We even stick to the top of the head in case as parents so don’t want people kissing her face if it is risky!

yanbu my mum used to do this with a cold sore. I explained the risk so she used to half kiss on the side without the cold sore. drove me nuts. She was so selfish she couldn't just put dd first.

@LilQueenie that’s awful, I would go mad about cold sores and face kissing after hearing about the risks. It’s really awkward because all I can think to say is please don’t kiss my baby on the face but it seems a bit abrupt! But then if I don’t say anything I’m worried I’m putting her at risk letting it go!

Stand your ground and tell people you don’t want them kissing the baby on the face. Babies and cold sores DO NOT MIX. Don’t even let there be a risk of it.
If someone tried to kiss you randomly, I’m pretty sure you’d tell them where to go!! Take the same approach for your baby.

Ugh I hate this. And when people hold your baby and the baby grabs their fingers and puts them in their mouth.

Ooh look she wants to eat my fingers

Gross. Seriously. !!!!!

Yanbu at all! Wait until people want to shove their (unwashed) fingers in babys mouth to see if they are "teething"

I'm due soon and this is one of my worries too.

I didn't allow anyone to kiss my baby, simply told them not to do it (there were a few faces about it but I didn't give a fuck).

Yanbu at all. I sadly know someone who lost a baby at a few days old from the cold sore virus. You cannot be too careful. Who gives a fuck if someone is offended when a tiny new life is quite literally being put at risk.

Thanks so much everyone I was genuinely worried I was being paranoid but I’ll have a bit of confidence in myself saying I’d rather people didn’t do it now!

Don't be worried, just say no. If they can't manage simple instructions, don't let them hold your baby.

I have never understood it tbh. When friends have had babies, I have had hours and hours of cuddles, never once thought, 'oh I will just pucker up on this little baby!'

Not being allowed to kiss a baby in the face does not exactly infringe on anyone's human rights. People can still talk and smile to the baby, hold and hug the baby, interact with the baby in a hundred different ways. i never understood the offence and hurt at being told not to kiss a newborn baby.

Congratulations on your new baby . DD was told by her consultant to make a sign to put on DGDs pram asking that people don’t lean in as she was very premature and on seeing how tiny she was some people wanted to get a better look. I don’t think you are unreasonable at all in not wanting your newborn kissed on the face. There are some rotten viruses doing the rounds at the moment and your baby is little and vulnerable. People can be infectious without even knowing. Explain nicely but firmly. You aren’t being OTT. Just sensible.

No one should be kissing your baby on the face, you are absolutely not being overprotective and don't let anyone tell you you are!

People putting their fingers in the mouth is worse and fairly common for some reason

Does this include grandparents?

Absolutely no one with a cold sore should kiss the baby, grandparent or not, but I'd have been sad to have been forbidden to kiss my grandchildren.(on cheek or forehead)

And with a new baby, there's nothing wrong with asking visitors to wash their hands first.

Two hygiene issues: (a)washing hands after going to the toilet, before preparing food, before eating, before seeing anyone vulnerable ie babies or visiting patients in hospitals, (b) most people have herpes simplex so just kissing baby's head is fine for grandchildren.

My gm, born in 1886, drummed this into her children, as did my mother. When I went to school we had outside toilets so we all had to wash hands after playtime and before lunch, we had a washroom and were supervised - I can still remember the smell of that soap!

We have antibac gel, which is useful when you are picking up after the dog, changing a nappy when out. I also have baby wipes which I use for wiping down tables in a supermarket cafe - a tip given to me by a colleague when I hadn't noticed tomato sauce left on the table. I do notice though that cleaning the tables isn't routine when trays are removed. Waitrose usually do but definitely not Tesco's or Morrisons.

My baby is 3 weeks old and a friend came around and i copped her kissing his face all over I told her not to do it she got abit offended should I be worried she hasn’t got any active coldsores or herpes I have been reading on the internet and it’s scaring me to death