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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Lateral flow testing before visiting my new baby

207 replies

Neleh91 · 28/10/2021 13:07

Hello, I’m thinking ahead I know but lots of people I know just seen to be getting covid recently.
My partner and I have decided that once baby is here ( due dec ) that if anyone wants to visit, we would ask them to do a home test first just to protect baby. My family and his would have NO issues with this but some of my friends are a bit strange about the vaccine.. testing etc.. I mentioned to one of them and she thinks it’s not fair to ask people to do that. Just wonders what everyone thinks? Is it too much.. I just feel like it’s safer for baby.

OP posts:

EezyOozy · 28/10/2021 14:22

I haven't read the full thread but I wouldn't rely too heavily on lateral flow tests, I know a lot of people who have had negative lateral flows followed by forward positive PCRs.

WatchingWait · 28/10/2021 14:22

I think it's a perfectly reasonable request and I did exactly that before visiting a friend's new baby.

PrivateHall · 28/10/2021 14:24

Totally normal op, I would do the same. I am a community midwife and I often suggest to parents that they consider doing this, especially if mum did not get the vaccine or covid during her pregnancy (therefore baby won't have any antibodies). I haven't heard of any objections when parents have made such a request. Most people wouldn't even need to be asked to be honest!

LolaButt · 28/10/2021 14:25

I’ve offered and have done one before seeing friends and friends with babies.

I don’t want it on my conscience if something happened to them.

WoMandalorian · 28/10/2021 14:26

Not odd at all. I have a 2 week old and the midwife told me that I might want to ask people to do lfts before visiting as apparently it can affect newborns worse than children over 1.
"Babies under age 1 might be at higher risk of severe illness with COVID-19 than older children. This is likely due to their immature immune systems and smaller airways, which make them more likely to develop breathing issues with respiratory virus infections" - Mayo Clinic

Franca123 · 28/10/2021 14:27

I don't get this at all. We had a baby a while ago during the pandemic and never asked anyone to test. No one mentioned getting tested. My friends who had babies in the last year have never once mentioned testing either. Babies aren't in anyway at risk as far as I have read. I'm not sure what the concern is? Please correct me if I have missed something massive?

Original poster

Neleh91 · 28/10/2021 14:29

Parents are tested in the hospital when you go in and leave I believe now

OP posts:

aintnousernamelikenousername · 28/10/2021 14:31

It's very strange how so many people think it's odd and 'people just wont visit'.. GOOD! You do not want people who can't even do a simple small thing for you visiting your baby, they clearly do not care enough. It's not odd in the slightest.

Original poster

Neleh91 · 28/10/2021 14:31

Babies cannot get vaccinated and won’t be able to for a long time. We just have to hope that antibodies have crossed over but it’s too early for that to be confirmed. If someone has covid and passes it on the the unvaccinated, they’re likely to suffer the most with it and have the most dangerous reaction? The unvaccinated person is the newborn baby. Babies immune systems aren’t established as newborns as it is never mind covid 19.. so im just concerned that I let someone hold him and they pass it to him, then he gets very sick.

OP posts:

Shitzngiggles · 28/10/2021 14:31

Ds and dil have just had a baby. They've requested do lft before visiting. Perfectly understandable a d no big deal for us. Always have tests here and test regularly especially when visiting dm. Dont honestly understand why anyone wouid have a problem with it.

Ilovechristmasasmuchasiloveyou · 28/10/2021 14:32

@Neleh91

Tbh if they aren’t willing to take a small step to protect my baby; I’d rather they just waited until the risk was less.

The risk was high when you decided to have a baby. You can ask people to take LFTs but what you can't guarantee is someone carrying some sort of other germs, tummy bugs/viral infections because you can't test for those.

Original poster

Neleh91 · 28/10/2021 14:33

Agreed.. I have a new niece and I always test before seeing her to be safe.

OP posts:

Shmithecat2 · 28/10/2021 14:33

@Franca123

They're low risk, but certainly not no risk. There's nothing wrong with parents of newborns being cautious.

Lateral flow testing before visiting my new baby

Ugzbugz · 28/10/2021 14:34

Your baby your rules but it doesn't mean 100 percent and people need to remember that there are many other deadly viruses for a baby such as whooping cough etc and everyone should have had all those vaccines to.

Original poster

Neleh91 · 28/10/2021 14:35

"Babies under age 1 might be at higher risk of severe illness with COVID-19 than older children. This is likely due to their immature immune systems and smaller airways, which make them more likely to develop breathing issues with respiratory virus infections" - Mayo Clinic

OP posts:

CantChatNow · 28/10/2021 14:35

It wouldn't put me off visiting you at all but please don't assume that everyone with a negative lft doesn't have covid. I have covid now as do 3 other members of my family and only 2 of us ever showed up positive on lft. I think a lot of people are using them to justify visiting vulnerable people when realistically they're not actually painting a full picture at all.

caramelcracker · 28/10/2021 14:36

Your baby and your choice. Nobody knows what the long term effects of Covid are, so I also think this is a reasonable request. It is their choice not to test or be vaccinated, but your choice that they don't then see your baby. If they are interested in seeing your baby, I think doing an LFT if a small ask.

wasthataburp · 28/10/2021 14:36

Totally up to you. It's a bit odd and I'd probably not do it myself if someone asked me to

GrandTheftWalrus · 28/10/2021 14:37

I never got tested before I went into hospital with dd2. But that may have been as I had her unexpectedly at home and was taken in by ambulance.

Strangevipers · 28/10/2021 14:38

Home test YES.
Irrelevant of my views on Covid and testing there is absolutely no chance in hell I would risk going to see a newborn without testing at home first if that's what the family have requested.

Your family deserve respect and so does your baby and it's not big issue or any issue at all to do a quick teat as a grown adult.

If it is an issue then that says everything about them and nothing about you.

toomuchlaundry · 28/10/2021 14:38

@wasthataburp does that mean you wouldn’t visit someone if they asked you to do a test?

wasthataburp · 28/10/2021 14:39

[quote toomuchlaundry]@wasthataburp does that mean you wouldn’t visit someone if they asked you to do a test?[/quote]
Yes. I'd rather stay away. If they were worried I'd wait and not put the stress on anything

334bu · 28/10/2021 14:41

Totally up to you. It's a bit odd and I'd probably not do it myself if someone asked me to

Why on earth not?

Angel2702 · 28/10/2021 14:41

@daisypond

Do people regularly do lateral flow tests? I’ve never done one. I’m double jabbed and had the booster jab, though. I’ve had a few PCR tests, though.

All secondary school pupils are asked to test twice a week, parents of school children are also asked to test. Many other workplaces require twice weekly testing so yes I’d say regular testing is part of routine for many people now. Especially before visiting vulnerable people.

wasthataburp · 28/10/2021 14:42

@334bu

*Totally up to you. It's a bit odd and I'd probably not do it myself if someone asked me to*

Why on earth not?

It's just my personal feeling on it. But id stay away for now until they felt it was less of a risk

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