Newborn mask wearing

[firstpregnancy1]

I'm currently pregnant and due next week with my first baby!

I have quite a big family who live in various places in the Uk, mostly the south, none in the stricter lockdown areas.

I've been umming and ahhing for a long while about how it's going to look after baby is born and how /when/logistics of family visiting and I've very much been 'let's wait and see'. But that time is ever approaching!

My query isn't whether or not to let family meet the newborn, but rather should I request people wear masks when they're holding him/close by? All of my family and friends who visit are mask wearers in shops etc so no one with any medical exemptions or any other exemptions and I'm sure all would oblige. (Some may oblige whilst I raising their eyebrows or jokily call me precious but would oblige nonetheless as they would respect our choices).

In terms of risk, my partner works in central London and will only be having 2 weeks off work paternity leave before going back to the daily grind of commuting on the train and the tube and then working in a role which is mostly office based but regularly coming into close contact with members of the public in situations which don't allow for social distancing/mask wearing, depending on the circumstances.

So the liklihood is that he will be coming and going from work, in central London, and he won't be wearing a mask around the baby so does that make us a bit hypocritical to then ask others to, as chances are he will be back at work before a lot of our family will have had chance to visit.

For clarity, we wouldn't be breaking the rule of 6, people would be visiting either on their own or with their partner, and nor would it be different visitors every day of the week, were probably talking both sets of grandparents and both sides sibling within the first few weeks and then wider family in dribs and drabs in the following few weeks.

If you're personally choosing not to have visitors for your newborns at all, that's your choice but please dont hound me for our decisions to allow visitors, the query here is about asking relatives to wear masks or not.

Thanks

I'd be happy to wear a mask if visiting a newborn. I think it's a reasonable request

I thought you meant your newborn wearing a mask!

No I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request at all.

My friends who just had a baby made us wear a mask and it made total sense. Don’t feel bad at all about asking - it’s your baby and you need to set rules that you feel comfortable with. I’m sure no one would have an issue!

I visited a friend back in July to meet her newborn and she requested a mask to be worn, but I’d already brought a clean one with me for specifically that purpose.
I think it’s 100% A-ok to ask. And prevent cuddles/holding if they refuse.

Personally, I think if you’re going to allow visitors because you’ve made a sensible choice for yourselves, then it would be a shame to spoil it for your baby and not let him see all the smiling faces that are holding him. Seeing faces is important for babies, and I think if mine were still tiny I’d prefer them to have that normality.

It’s a perfectly reasonable request & also perfectly reasonable to make sensible choices to minimise the risk of catching it.

I would consider it a perfectly reasonable request, and would expect to be asked to at the moment to be honest.

Under 5s are twice as likely to die from Flu than Covid, so I would think you were very precious and a bit bonkers privately. I would wear a mask though.

I doubt the small time of the day a newborn is being visited by people in masks will make any difference to their development, especially since they can’t see very far at that age.

I’d be more than happy to wear a mask.

Oh thank Christ, I thought you were going to make your newborn wear a mask!

I don't think it would be unreasonable at all to ask others to wear a mask around your baby, and I am normally very at the whole 'OMG she looked at my baby' PFBers!

If I were visiting a friend/family members newborn baby, I would comply with whatever their rules were, I think it's disrespectful not to. I don't think asking them to wear a mask is an unreasonable suggestion at all and I wouldn't raise my eyebrows at all

We are due our second baby in three weeks. We plan on having no visitors for the first two weeks at least, then visitors are welcome to hold the baby as long as hands are washed beforehand, no kissing the baby and masks will have to be worn while holding the baby.

I think you’re totally reasonable.

Thanks everyone, our families will definitely willingly comply so luckily not worrying about that side of it, more interested to see peoples views about whether it's worth the other, seeing as how much my partner is in and out of central London. I suppose any measures to reduce risk are better than none 🤷🏻‍♀️

Typo - Worth the *bother

Surely they can’t hold the baby? How does that comply with social distancing?

Well lets face it, asking people to wear masks can't cause any harm, and it might help, so why not.

The best thing you can do is get them to wash their hands really well before touching the baby. But mask wearinf seems sensible too. And limiting guests.

Enjoy, it's a lovely time.

If someone asked me to wear one around their newborn then I would wear one!

I wont be asking people to wear a mask when they see my newborn in 6 weeks, but I have met a few babies over lockdown and have worn a mask when asked. I have also met babies and not been able to hold them as the mother was not comfortable. I always completely understood why a mother chooses to do things their own way.

Do what you are comfortable with. Screw anyone who judges you. Your baby, your decisions.

You are reducing risk by doing that, some things you cannot change, ie your partners job but a simple request to wear masks, fine. Anyone visiting a newborn should comply with parents wishes! I certainly would! Personally not sure if I'd want LOTS of people holding a newborn any time.....the newborn won't get anything from it, so maybe make sure only the people who it will really make happy hold the baby, they are not forced on uninterested relatives.....as in my mum loved holding baby, my brother...wasn't fussed and could happily admire from a distance! Good luck!

Aren't you still supposed to social distance outside your family unit? So they shouldn't be holding the baby anyway

@Covert20

Surely they can’t hold the baby? How does that comply with social distancing?

True. Although it seems like many people don’t care and are ignoring the information given out yesterday.

Absolutely reasonable.

A long time ago before covid, my friend insisted her mum wear a mask when she came to see her baby for the first time as friend's mum had a cold.
I thought that was reasonable too.

Anyone objecting would be extremely selfish.