Asked to wash hands before handling newborn baby?

[AliciaJohns]

I am genuinely asking here. I went to see a friend the other day who has a week old baby. Her dh said (very politely) "would you mind washing your hands before you pick him up?"

I wasn't offended, just confused as I have never been asked to do this before nor would it have crossed my mind to ask people to wash their hands before handling my son!

My hands were clean by the way, in case you think they were caked in mud or something!!

Is this a bit weird? Or am I??!

I didn't insist other people washed hands but was a bit obsessive about the alcohol gel once home with dd, but she had been in SCBU and they badger you there. Didn't even enter my head with Ds although I did nearly punch some pissed up woman on the bus who was sticking her fingers near his face.

Think it's probably one of those pfb things, which is understandable, I was a right panic merchant with Dd, remember shouting at Dp not to breathe on her when in the hospital. Although in my defence she had just come back to the ward after 3 days in SCBU. My whole family were there and I wanted to beat them away with big sticks (Geroff my fecking baby lol)

I didn't ask anybody to wash their hands when my ds was born, the vast majority did so off their own backs, the few that didn't were the same ones who thought it okay to put their finger in my babys mouth and say awwh hes hungry.

I wouldn't feel insulted if I was asked but I would be doing it anyway.

fwiw - I now dont have a problem with DD eating food from our kitchen floor, or get stressed if she picks up mud and puts her hands in her mouth before I can clean then, and I dont wash her toys after going outside.

But she is now 20 months old, a lot stronger than she was, with a better immune system and able to cope much better with illness. Which, funnily enough she has had a lot more of recently !!

washing my hands that is.

exactly PAB can't stand those people who put their fingers in babys mouths!

never washed my hands before touching my kids or asked anyone elso to, dd is 5 and ds is 2 and neither of them have ever been ill or been to doctors apart for there imms and obviosly they have had the odd cold
my sil is a clean freak washes in anti back every few mins disinfects every serface ect ect and her two are always ill with various bugs

after my three month old cousin had open heart surgery, he was kept in isolation at home, ie, in a room where only his parents went, and i think my mom. his siblings were not allowed in that room either.
lots and lots and lots of people came to visit. (asian social thing) and when they werent allowed to see the baby, a very tiny minority were offended, but in this instance, their offence was their problem.

Blimey, newborns aren't that delicate really. I'm astonished at this thread. It never occurred to me to ask visitors to wash their hands when my twins were born and they were three weeks early.

Different for babies in special care, obviously, but not normal thriving babies. I just find it astonishing.

ELR, I agree that the whole obsessive anti-bac stuff is unnecessary, etc, but with a very new baby and esp a prem baby a bit of liquid soap and water is a good idea - exposure to germs can come a bit later.

habibu, premies in scbu are completely different to healthy newborns

Of course you should wash them -- pukka, you may say that you always would anyway, but obviously lots of people wouldn't, and that is why it is fair enough to politely request it. Cannot believe anyone could be so up themselves as to take offense and interpret it as some sort of insult. Like someone else said, get over yourself.

When DS was born we had to stay in hosp for several days (for me, not him) and at visiting hours the midwives were all despairing at visitors not stopping to wash their hands before grabbing the new babies. People just forget if they're not asked, and that is how MRSA gets a leg up.

Anyway, I asked a couple of people to scrub up at that stage myself, and I would again, but I am not germ-paranoid at all now that DS is older; he routinely eats food off the minging floor (kidding, but only just)

Why on earth would someone want to put their fingers in a babies mouth, is it some wierd cultural thing that has passed Liverpool by. Although I would never ask anyone to wash their hands before holding my newborn (unless of course they looked like they needed a good bath) I would be tempted to chin someone who tried to stick their fingers in my babies gob.

i am astounded t this thread

of course handwashing should be standard

Oh god I really hate the shoving bent finger into the mouth and proclaiming hunger. GRRRR.

Acually where I'm from putting money in the baby's hand/pram is traditional, imagine how many germs are on coins, never thought of that lol (just glad to have the money lol)

Sorry - assumed they were in SCBU, pukka. But a prem baby is still a bit more vulnerable, and the flu stuff I've been reading does make me quite keen on keeping clean hands (i.e. freshly washed) near those with compromised/very immature immune systems. I've talked to many people on SANDS whose babies died from infections very early. I think I'd take the risk of offending visitors if I had concerns about my baby.

I agree with comment made previously, it is a parents right to set the rules of behaviour of their own newborn babies, children in general, and if they wish to be 'anal' in order to protect their children, then their friends and family should respect their wishes, if they wish to hold the newborn in question.

As far as I was concerned, if someone did not automatically wash their hands, I would give them antibacterial stuff (not for obsessive reaons, but easier, and less intrusive than getting them to get up, go to the bathroom and wash their hands). It takes two second to squirt a bit on, for parents peice of mind. Not a single person questioned it. If they had of, they would not hold my newborn, simple as that.

Too many lol's . People were always shoving fingers into dd's mouth, god knows why babies will suck on anything, doesn't mean they are hungry.

I'm amazed at this thread.

I had no idea that so very many people do all this hand-washing thing, I've honestly never come across it.

No-one's ever done it with my 3, I've never been asked. The mw's didn't do it when they visited me at home.

What is this parallel universe?

cadelaide, its the same on ein which people put pcc, precious cream carpets down in their front hall, and then expect people to remove their shoes before walking into their house.
oh, and they also use antibacterial wipes on the soles of their shoes.

I have never been asked to wash my hands before picking up a baby; nor have I asked anyone else to wash their hands before handling my baby.

Never come across this before and TBh would assume PFB if I was asked!

I'm quite relaxed about these things and my two DDs (touch wood!) are very healthy, never off school etc. But I did get a bit upset and touchy when they were about 2 and sitting in a supermarket trolley sucking on an ice lolly and a filthy looking smelly lady came up, took one or their lollies, licked it and gave it back .

Surely for a healthy newborn this is not an issue? Seems very OTT.

cadelaide - i must live on the parallel universe with you! I didn't realise it was an expected thing and it would never have crossed my mind to ask anyone to wash their hands before touching ds.

Perfectly reasonable to be asked to wash hands before holding a newborn (and I think in defining 'newborn' I would go with the medical definition, up to 28 days/a month).

I am quite a handwasher - e.g. in this house everyone washes their hands after coming in after having been out (we livwe in a city) -, and convinced it has helped us stay norovirus-free this winter.