Fingers in 6wk old mouth

[riverofjordan]

My 6 week old EBF baby roots around looking like she is hungry when she is tired/overtired, looking for comfort I guess. She won't take a dummy. If she is swaddled and held / rocked at this point she'll go off to sleep no probs. But when my family see her doing this rooting and I say she's not hungry she's tired, they will stick a finger in her mouth for her to suck on. This totally grosses me out but they all act like it's normal?? I think someone must have started it and everyone thought oh baby likes that, I'll do the same... and it's suddenly become quite a 'thing baby likes' that several of them do!

I'm no hygiene freak but it terrifies me a bit how fragile newborns are tbh, after everything I've been through to get her here I'm probably inclined to be over protective. Aibu to ask everyone to stop getting baby to suck on their unwashed fingers?? (Especially as this doesn't even settle her to sleep anyway🤦🏽‍♀️) Or is it realistically unlikely to do any harm?

The thing with being a mother is that you must, very quickly, learn to speak up and assert yourself, for your baby’s sake. Use your words and tell them to stop. You don’t need us to validate your feelings, don’t doubt your instincts, put your foot down.

You're not overreacting at all! Just tell them that the health visitor advised that it's not okay and they can't do it anymore.

Yeah it's my second kid so you'd think I'd have learned wouldn't you! I just feel so rude saying basically 'who knows where those fingers have been!' . This is in laws / extended family , if it was my own parents/siblings I couldn't care less to say please don't do that, but I'm not really close to these people, most of them have raised their own families and I just feel so daft like am I just imagining a problem here. What's the worst that happens, she gets a cold?? I can't imagine any of them have been handling raw meat or wiping their fingers round the toilet seat....

Well she could get a cold sore/flu/virus etc all which could be extremely dangerous for a little newborn. Your inlaws/extended family should already know this. Honestly you aren't over reacting and you really need to tell them to stop. Would you want their finger in your mouth? Don't be afraid to offend anyone - they are being disgusting

Politely ask the relatives not to do that. Your baby. Your rules. Smile nicely and thank them when they do so. Rinse and repeat as necessary.