Health visitor put finger in 4 week old’s mouth

[zeena83]

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

Oh dearie me. While you're at the GP tomorrow have a chat with him/her about your anxiety. If you're truly spiralling and thinking of your baby as being hospitalised over something as inconsequential as this, then you best seek help for yourself now. I tend to be an over protective parent but to get in this state of a finger in your wee ones mouth is really not good for you or the gaby who'll pick up on your stress.

As someone said earlier, I no time they'll be likcing next doors dog and touching and eating goodness knows what. The fact that you're beast feeding will give a lot of protection from your antibodies at the minute in case that helps a bit.

@RobinPenguins

No, but the idea the benefits are great enough to make sticking a dirty finger in a breastfed baby’s mouth perfectly safe but sticking a dirty finger in a formula fed baby’s mouth a death sentence is a complete nonsense.

Please do show me the posts which imply this, because I’m mostly seeing balanced comments like “Your baby will be fine. It sounds like you're breastfeeding too, which will help protect your baby. But even if you're not, your baby will be fine!”

@RobinPenguins

No, but the idea the benefits are great enough to make sticking a dirty finger in a breastfed baby’s mouth perfectly safe but sticking a dirty finger in a formula fed baby’s mouth a death sentence is a complete nonsense.

Of course it's nonsense and literally no-one has implied this, let alone stated it. Defensive much?

He'll be fine.At 4 weeks, your baby has a high load of antibodies from when he was in you.

In six months time he'll be crawling about in who knows what, putting in his moth, stuff you never thought a baby would think of chewing . The cats tail. A dead fly he found. Licking the kitchen floor tiles. Strengthening his immune system. He'll be crawling outdoors before long...

Honestly, the worst thing we do for childrens longterm health is wrap them in sterile cotton wool. Relax.

@RobinPenguins

No, but the idea the benefits are great enough to make sticking a dirty finger in a breastfed baby’s mouth perfectly safe but sticking a dirty finger in a formula fed baby’s mouth a death sentence is a complete nonsense.

no one has said (or even implied) anything of the sort? big formula shaped chip on your shoulder there

Please do show me the posts which imply this, because I’m mostly seeing balanced comments like “Your baby will be fine. It sounds like you're breastfeeding too, which will help protect your baby. But even if you're not, your baby will be fine!”

The post my post quoted says “You’re breastfeeding and are providing baby with everything they need. Try not to worry!” Literally the only way that breastfeeding is relevant in this sentence is if it’s by breastfeeding that she’s providing baby with everything they need, ergo if she wasn’t breastfeeding then she wouldn’t be, and would deserve to worry.

To the other poster, yes the implication that formula feeding mothers aren’t properly providing for their children is, indeed, something which I get defensive about.

But this is off topic and I apologise to the OP for derailing, I’m out. I hope you get some reassuring support soon.

@RobinPenguins

Please do show me the posts which imply this, because I’m mostly seeing balanced comments like “Your baby will be fine. It sounds like you're breastfeeding too, which will help protect your baby. But even if you're not, your baby will be fine!”

The post my post quoted says “You’re breastfeeding and are providing baby with everything they need. Try not to worry!” Literally the only way that breastfeeding is relevant in this sentence is if it’s by breastfeeding that she’s providing baby with everything they need, ergo if she wasn’t breastfeeding then she wouldn’t be, and would deserve to worry.

To the other poster, yes the implication that formula feeding mothers aren’t properly providing for their children is, indeed, something which I get defensive about.

But this is off topic and I apologise to the OP for derailing, I’m out. I hope you get some reassuring support soon.

OP told us she was breastfeeding. 'You're breastfeeding' is a simple statement of fact and 'providing baby with everything they need' is a kind reassurance for an OP who is clearly clinically anxious.

I'm really sorry that at some point you were made to feel that the way you fed your child wasn't good enough but this is completely your issue and you have inferred a subtext that simply isn't there. It's gracious of you to apologise for the derail.

Many babies born during lockdown have struggled with basic immunity - I know my GDD seems to catch everything going - she wasn’t exposed to germs as a baby because of isolation. She’s definitely not as robust as her brother!

The first thing the hv should’ve done when you entered the room was wash her hands and if she’d touched anything prior to sticking her finger in your baby’s mouth she should have re washed. All bins in our health centres and hospitals are classed as clinical waste now we used to have waste and clinical but they are all now clinical and all are non touch however there are guidelines about touching patients and hv are nurses so should know to wash hands prior to direct patient contact.

4 week old babies are not yet immunised so yes they may have antibodies from their mother but she’s potentially been mixing with many other children that day so I’d want an apron on and washed hands before handling tiny newborns. I’m sure nothing will happen with baby op. I wouldn’t complain but I’d also ask anyone to wash hands prior to handling your baby and I wouldn’t feel bad about asking.

@RobinPenguins

No, but the idea the benefits are great enough to make sticking a dirty finger in a breastfed baby’s mouth perfectly safe but sticking a dirty finger in a formula fed baby’s mouth a death sentence is a complete nonsense.

Amazing way to take offence when not needed!