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Original poster

Health visitor put finger in 4 week old’s mouth

160 replies

zeena83 · 07/02/2022 22:04

And she didn’t wash her hands. I was too busy being freaked out by her talking about my baby’s failure to gain enough weight and before I could say anything she was checking him for tongue tie and had her finger in his mouth. She had also been putting things in the clinical waste bin and did not wash her hands although I don’t think there was anything too gross in it, it wasn’t a room where anything particularly clinical happens. What should I do? All I can do is sit here worrying about what he might have caught, I am so so desperately upset by this

OP posts:
prediction500 · 07/02/2022 22:06

I know it's not ideal but please don't worry about him catching anything as I can't imagine he would.

MartinMartinMarti · 07/02/2022 22:07

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Sciurus83 · 07/02/2022 22:08

Chill. It's fine Flowers

legalseagull · 07/02/2022 22:08

It's a bit gross but you're being dramatic.

cdba88 · 07/02/2022 22:10

You have 2 threads on this?

Not great practice. Also not the end of the world.

Keeva2017 · 07/02/2022 22:11

Take a moment, calm down and move on. There will be plenty about parenthood that will make you desperately upset and this is nothing in comparison.

With kindness, you’re unreasonable.

ThinWomansBrain · 07/02/2022 22:12

wait until is crawling and otherwise getting about under his own steam - putting an unwashed finger in his mouth will be the least of your worries.

Trolleedollee · 07/02/2022 22:13

Not great but not a tragedy. I’m sure mine prob did that too. Can’t get worked up.

notsohippychick · 07/02/2022 22:19

Please just take a breath. With respect this is way over the top.

Are you quite an anxious person in general?

RaginaPhalange · 07/02/2022 22:24

You need to chill.

Wait till he's crawling and able to pick up everything and anything to put it in his mouth.

Goawayangryman · 07/02/2022 22:24

Well, that HV might have saved you a load of heartache if she knew how to palpate a tongue tie. I'd imagine she washes her hands between patients. Honestly, this is nothing. Babies are designed to resist all manner of less-than-ideal substances. If you're fixating on this thing can I gently suggest that you might be feeling quite anxious? This is really common at around the age your baby is. You're knackered, you've been through a huge physical upheaval, and you're now responsible for this tiny creature.

Meadowblossom · 07/02/2022 22:25

It will be good to build the babies immune system.

SonicBroom · 07/02/2022 22:26

If this is the biggest thing you have to worry about in respect of your baby then please count your lucky stars. And chill TF out.

Mischance · 07/02/2022 22:26

Not ideal but don't panic.

I remember a midwife arriving with two dogs in her car, whom she stroked and slobbered over before getting out and coming in to pick my brand new first baby up! ... and checking my stiches!!!

I was too bone tired to protest!

3Daddy31982 · 07/02/2022 22:28

I'd be more bothered about his weight gain. How's he at eating? Bf? What was her advice?

labyrinthlaziness · 07/02/2022 22:30

I would complain about this personally, that is very bad practice. I wouldn't be rude or aggressive but I would drop a note out of 'concern'.

Cuck00soup · 07/02/2022 22:30

Are you able to think about this the other way round? Your child isn't gaining weight so imagine if your HV didn't check for a tongue tie?

Did she make any other suggestions that could help?

Sundayrain · 07/02/2022 22:32

I'd have been really upset about that too, but every time I have worried myself about these things it's never come to anything! It's not ideal but please try to put it out of your mind, I'm sure it'll be fine and there is nothing you can do about it now anyway so the worry isn't useful, it's only upsetting for you.

SomePosters · 07/02/2022 22:34

Clinical waste bins have foot pedals so you don’t have to touch them

thisismadness77 · 07/02/2022 22:34

Someone did this to my newborn in Morrisons….

Gettingusedtothelimelight · 07/02/2022 22:37

@SonicBroom

Wow that's so harsh

ladydimitrescu · 07/02/2022 22:37

It's fine honestly. Don't give it another thought.

TheKeatingFive · 07/02/2022 22:38

My cousins baby, aged about 9 months, fished a chicken carcass out of the bin and was found happily sucking on it. She was fine.

It's all ahead of you. Well hopefully not that specific example (😂) but babies being exposed to germs.

HeddaGarbled · 07/02/2022 22:44

I expect she washed her hands in between appointments and before you were in the room, and I expect things in the room are sterilised regularly.

FortniteBoysMum · 07/02/2022 22:44

In a couple months once baby is moving about you will find far worse in their mouth.