If you were meeting someone in a cafe and your baby was asleep…

[parttimeworks]

And the relative wanted a cuddle, would you get a sleeping baby out of the pram and risk waking them up for this- they’re in a bit of a phase of fighting daytime naps and rarely have a non contact nap, but the family member hasn’t seen baby in a few weeks and is sad about it

We have different opinions so I’d just be interested to know what the consensus is!

Babies need their sleep, anyone asking to disrupt that so they can play mummy is incredibly selfish.

Of course not. Let the baby nap.

No, the baby will be awake soon enough

I’d laugh and say ‘absolutely not. if I wake her now, she’ll scream for the next half hour.’

Absolutely not. I wouldn't wake a sleeping baby.

Yes, possibly at the end though so if baby did get upset then we would be going shortly. Babies love human contact.

Although tbf none of mine would have slept in the buggy while I met someone in a café for a drink. If they slept in the buggy, first sign of me getting comfy/sitting down/arriving home and they'd be wide awake.

Advice given to me as a new mum by a friend who was a mum of 3;

You NEVER wake a sleeping baby. EVER!!

I’d pretend to assume they hadn’t realised and say oh sorry baby is actually asleep - what a shame, but hopefully they’ll wake before you go or the next time. They are entitled to their feelings, but really not entitled to wake a baby - completely oblivious to general social norms to ask!

Not if you're struggling with it. I have always let friends and family cuddle my sleeping babies though as it's not been an issue.

Absolutely not, wouldn't dream of it! I'd be shocked if they asked.

No. I can easily spend an hour and a half at a cafe so inevitable baby would wake at some point! But in this instance no.
No @JollyViper of course you can wake a baby. I often did if sleeping too long during the day. But that's not the case here.

I think that's dogs..'Never wake a sleeping dog' - at least by suddenly touching as they can have a thing called ''sleep startle'' where they react by snapping before fully awake- It's a protective thing, but if you call their name gently first to wake them, it's les likely to occur.

However...No WAY would I have woken son up when he was asleep just so someone could have a hold..I don't get the wanting to hold and touch other people's babies - look, but don't touch.

Of course not

@oakleaffy googled for first time.... It auto filled, no mention of dogs

No way jose. Let sleeping dogs lie and let sleeping babies lie.

In my books we never, never, never wake a sleeping baby!!! Exactly because I only seem to make bad sleepers, so when they finally fucking sleep, I do not wake them up for all the money in the world! (Sorry, I'm triggered, I'm in the thick of it rn, my baby wakes me up hourly at nights these days 😭😭😭)

Let sleeping babies lie.

Arrange meet ups at times they’re likely to be awake.

No ! Absolutely not nor would I ever expect anyone to
wake their sleeping baby for my sake !

No!!

NO! Any decent, respectful relative or friend would not even ask, but wait until baby woke. If baby didn't wake they'd say "never mind, next time".

I sympathise! I had two like this! Arghhhhh

If it was just a look, I would ignore it. If they said something, I would say that my baby isn't a toy (if I was pissed off with them) or that my baby needs her sleep (if I were feeling more forgiving towards the relative).

General rule, I didn't say never.
Of course you can wake a sleeping baby.
Your baby your choice.
Pointless nitpicking.

No

Nope.

The extremely mild non-event disappointment will be easy for an adult to recover from.