WWYD 3mth Old & family visit via busy motorway service stations

[JustAWalkingTalkingCotBed]

Just interested to hear what approach you would take if you had family visiting you and your new baby from the other side of the country and they inevitably had to use the busiest motorway service stations i.e. M6 & M1 stations. Obviously covid is massively on the rise again, would you go about your normal business as if covid didn't exist or would you take any precautions when they arrived?

Well I suppose it would depend on a lot of things. Are they vaccinated? Are you? Anyone CEV? Do they live in an area where covid is high? Are they sitting in the service stations eating and shopping with no mask or just popping with a mask on to use the toilets?

The adults are vaccinated not the kids (high school age). No one CEV but obviously baby with bugger all immune system as they're so little. I guess I'm worried about them picking it up at the service stations. I imagine they're breeding grounds for transmission with everyone stay-cationing?

You have no idea where anybody had been and who they have been in contact with
They pose no more risk than anybody else coming into contact with your baby

@insancerre so I'm not letting anyone else touch my baby apart from health care professionals so I guess I apply it to my family then?

It is not inevitable that they have to use motorway service stations, so have a conversation about alternatives. Sometimes a couple of minutes off the motorway there will be somewhere they can park and eat sandwiches/drink from flasks in the open air. Or go to a smaller cafe.

A little bit of research and things such as Google maps can be your help here.

I wouldn't really think any different than them going to the supermarket or anywhere else. Presumably they will follow the same precautions at the service stations they do elsewhere in their life?

I'd be getting them to SD and wear masks around the baby at the very least.

@newnortherner111 yeah you'd think that would be a reasonable thing to do but I think they'll do what's easiest for them unfortunately.

I'd not let them hold the baby. Get them to socially distance and ventilate everywhere or have them wear masks.

Your baby is 3 months old and you haven't let anyone else hold them?

You sound unnecessarily anxious. Service stations will be well cleaned and you're all vaccinated. I genuinely wouldn't be worried about anyone holding my baby. The health professionals you're letting near your baby are probably the ones that are more likely to have come in contact with covid than the general public. Any chance you're breastfeeding? If so, your baby will have some protection from you.

Your baby, your rules
I spend all day holding other people’s babies- I work in a nursery- their parents have no idea where I’ve been or who I’ve been in contact with.
Seems a bit extreme to me, letting them travel all that way and not letting them hold your baby
Can they not wear masks, wash their hands, be outside in the garden?

Why do you think your baby has no immune system?

Of course they do. The will have already had certain vaccinations, they will have residual immunity from you. Their immune system will be functioning.

Going to motorway services poses no greater risk than going to the supermarket.

I’d ask them to wash their hands and then crack on as normal.

As long as they're sensible about social distancing etc they pose a much lesser risk than any healthcare professional.

I'd expect them (at service stations and anywhere else en route ) to socially distance, wear disposable masks, use hand hygeine; and when they arrived at my house , they would bin the masks and thoroughly wash they hands in hot soapy water before any hugs/greetings/baby contact.

Then let the baby-adoration begin.

If you are vaccinated and you are breastfeeding the baby will be getting immunity from you which will help.

I'd be carrying on as normal

Hi. Just to reassure. Not all service stations are busy. I’ve used one regularly on the M6 since the start of the pandemic. It has consistently felt safer than most shops with big concourses and efficient cleaning etc. I’ve even done a couple of (eye-wateringly expensive!!) food shops in the M&S there at the height of the pandemic as my local supermarket was a packed free for all and my deliveries were cancelled.

I’m assuming the visitors have been in supermarkets, work places, schools etc in the 10 days before visiting you so I don’t think stopping at the motorway services is any different.

I think the best you can do is ask that they do a lateral flow test before they leave home and follow good hygiene and social distancing measures at the service station.

They can't pick up covid en route and immediately pass it to your baby op.

This sounds like you are highly anxious ..your baby is little still so I'm sure you can do most of the holding. How long are they spending with you.

You know sometimes it's okay to own anxious feelings and just say hey I feel worried about covid so would prefer to take a few extra precautions. I don't think a service station is a particularly dangerous place they are usually very well ventilated

Also..double vaxxed people are extremely unlikely to get covid and pass it on. It may be possible but it is unlikely

Great, thanks for your input everyone!

I’d probably put baby in a sling and hope nobody asked for a cuddle…

double vaxxed people are extremely unlikely to get covid and pass it on. It may be possible but it is unlikely

I though this had changed? The Delta variant can be easily contracted by vaccinated people - the vaccines just mean you are far less likely to be severely ill.

Service stations wouldn’t give me an extra worry than supermarkets or workplaces to be honest.

Partner uses service stations everyday. They're not particularly busy.

Front line HCPs are far more likely to have multiple contacts than someone using a service station or two.

I think you’re being over-anxious.