To worry about winter baby and germs?

[rhu22]

Ive mentioned a couple things to my husband and he's given me the 'that's a bit over the top they need to be exposed to germs'.

All I've mentioned is that we should get back into the habit of washing our hands when we come in from being out be it shopping or whatever and when stepdaughter comes in from secondary school. Also that I don't want anyone coming over if they have a cough or sniffle let alone a full blown cold.

Depending on when he arrives baby will be having first vaccines just before or after Xmas

Thanks, this is what I'd heard and it's a bit scary to think a normal cold can make a new baby so ill. I just wanted to know if it was sensible precautions or over the top due to husband disagreeing.

I know little about newborns tbh and thought this would be a good place for asking questions as a pregnant woman but I am more than a little put off doing so again haha

I don’t understand all this ‘germs are good’ stuff. Why is it better for a 2 week old to catch a cold than a 4 month old? When the data shows they’ll handle it worse and are much more likely to end up in hospital?

Not letting anyone see the baby would be unreasonable, hand washing and ‘please don’t visit if you have a hacking cough’ isn’t.

Oh that sounds horrible! I'd also like to avoid colds and bugs then ha sleep deprivation will be enough for me I think!
I find the breast milk thing fascinating, hopefully it works out for us but open to whatever

In winter paediatric units are full of babies with rsv/bronchiolitis so because people on here babies were ‘ok’ doesn’t mean all babies are, some can be quite poorly. So makes sense to watch out for hand hygiene and avoid colds etc if you can.

Op sounds sensible I don’t see anything wrong with trying to protect a newborn from being very poorly - as someone who has cared for more tiny babies who can’t breathe and feed and on oxygen etc it’s not a bad thing to be aware and try to take precautions. It can still happen of course. Your health visitor will go over the vaccinations in initial visits so you know what is covered in them. You should also get vaccinated whilst pregnant for whooping cough, something I used to see a lot of but don’t much now which is great as it’s bloody horrible.

I had December and February babies. I have no idea who washed their hands specifically before holding them. Never occurred to me to ask anyone.

Yeah we were told after school or at least before dinner when kids, but I'm relaxed with it now - only thinking of the baby made me realise our hand hygiene isn't the best. Just some of the recent things stepdaughter has said that's made me think ew - she's put her friends earring in for her, picked chewing gum off her trousers, put makeup testers on - all without washing hands after. I know that's just kids but thought asking if she could do it after school was reasonable whilst he's small. X

100% people should be washing their hands before touching/holding the baby. I made sure everyone had when I had my son x

Washing hands after being out is sensible, but not every time someone touches baby, that’s unrealistic. The vaccines thing is a bit irrelevant, they’re not vaccinated against colds etc. germs are good, sooner the better in my opinion so they build immunity

I had two November babies. I don’t recall any illnesses kicking in until the spring tbh and then it was a sickness bug and chicken pox, not coughs/ colds. My last Nov baby I had two dc in primary plus a dh that worked in a school so lots of germs floating about. Obviously wash your hands but try not to stress too much

Babies aren't puppies. As other posters have already pointed out, vaccinating a baby against MMR, polio and diphtheria won't stop them catching colds.

Washing your hands when you come in from outside and before you prepare food and drink is good hygiene. It won't stop the spread of colds and flu though as these are mostly spread by droplet infection.

If you can, breast feed your baby, eat a good diet yourself, and keep your baby away from people with colds.

I hope all goes well for you OP, but if you are feeling anxious about this, please talk to your midwife or GP.

Op ignore the idiots on here encouraging you to shove a baby infront of a sick person

take it from people who’ve had their very tiny baby in hospital bcos a minor cold has turned into a baby going blue and not being able to breath and having to be rushed into a&e.

all the docs whilst I was in the hospital for 1 week said the same thing, try to avoid older children or people with coughs or colds especially with a newborn. They are not yet able to tolerate a respiratory illness as well as say a 1 year old.

yes to all washing hands and not kissing baby etc ignore the dumb lot on here!

I had a winter baby. Who caught rsv and was fighting for his life at 3 weeks. I would be ensuring people washed there hands and stayed away if even a sniffle x

I would up the hand washing. Washing hands when you get home from being out us a good habit to get in to. And yes I’d keep away from people with colds for the first few weeks. Newborns can really suffer with respiratory illnesses plus if they can’t breathe, feeding can be slower/trickier and exhausting for everyone.

yes tiny babies might catch something from a sniffy toddler sibling but if you can avoid them do so. There’s plenty of time for ‘good’ germs when they are crawling round at 9 months sucking toys.

@Dinopawus Yes thank you, I don't know much but do know they are not puppies luckily. I was misinformed thinking first jabs were for whooping cough and flu too. I also thought babies were viewed as more robust around the time they have them but there's so much I don't know and happy to admit that.

I am not overly anxious about it. Only posted because I thought the hand hygiene and staying away if feeling under the weather were what you were 'meant' to do and husband disagreed. I do actually agree with him about exposure just not in the early days. I had heard stories of babies struggling to breathe from common cold, sometimes it's those ones that stick in the mind but sounds rare.

@Antihistamine62 sorry to hear that! I'd be devastated to see my baby struggling to breathe. Hope he recovered quickly. X

@OneAtATime well hopefully I'll get the rest of my household on board with handwashing haha good luck to me!!

That's what I thought, I expect him to be mucky and sticky and into all sorts when he's a bit older - that's how I want him to be! X

It was awful. But he has recovered well thankfully. 18 days in hospital in total.
just remember, your baby your rules. Tell people to wash their hands, no kissing etc x

@Letterposter sorry you experienced that, must have been scary. I think I'll speak up when/if I feel it's necessary at the time. It'll only be with certain people anyway. X

I don't think you're being unreasonable. I had a winter baby and it's peak cold and flu season. I had a section and was dreading catching a cold off anyone because it hurt to cough. I didn't ask anyone to wash their hands before touching ds but I did specifically ask them not to come if feeling under the weather. Dh had to tell a number of his relatives to stop kissing ds. I was shocked at how many people tried to do that even who I'd thought would know better. But if I went to someone's house and was asked to wash my hands I'd just go with it. Their house, their baby, their rules.

@DappledThings the handwashing thing is something that came up within my own household tbh, I wouldn't ask everyone every time! There's a couple of people I can think of who have gross habits imo - think tissue up sleeve, coughing up and spitting - that I know won't be bothered about handwashing and things. So wondered if it's unreasonable to mention it and what others did or didn't do..
I've got my answer now - go with my own instincts and thoughts at the time!

@rhu22 I've always washed my hands when coming into my house even before covid. It's just good practice.

My pfb was born in December and bottle fed (I was physically unable to breastfeed), he didn't get any more illnesses than any other child. But what he did have was a very nutritious varied diet, from being weaned, all homemade and nothing from jars or packets.

All of mine were winter babies and there were no problems even though we are not very hand-washy etc.

In fact, when DS3 was 6 weeks old, he, myself and his brothers all remained asymptomatic when my DH broke out in full blown Hand Foot and Mouth and had all the skin peel off the palms of his hands and soles of his feet!

@Lavender14 thanks! Ouch I didn't even think of that, would be awful!

The thing is I already know there's people who don't know better. I hate confrontation but would have to say something.

I would too and I'd understand in the early days and respect their wishes. I think I'll just do what feels right at the time, I was just interested if I was being OTT as husband suggested, as I thought it was meant to be common practice. Tbh I don't think we'll have that many visitors until Xmas anyway. Looking forward to the baby bubble with fingers crossed no colds! X

I would expect people to wash hands when they come in. That's what everybody did without us even mentioning it when we had a young baby.