Saw this on a pram today! 😀

[Netcurtainnelly]

A man pushing obviously a young baby along in its pram in the town today.

You couldn't see the baby but there was a sign on the pushchair saying please don't touch or kiss the baby, then words I couldn't read. Then it said Thanks .

Reminded me of MN. I know its been discussed.
Never seen a sign on the pram though, telling people, has anyone else?
Did even know they made them.

I turned around in a shop once to look at something and an older lady was nearby, I turned back around and she jumped back from the pram where she'd stuck her hand in and stroked DDs face. And this was not long after Covid.

Ahh, I haven't seen that sign since my DD was in the NNU because she was so tiny and prem and had zero fat on her tiny little body. Her face was perfect but below that was just bones and hanging skin. I wish I'd thought to get one of those signs. Her body was definitely too small for big germs for at least the next 3 years of her life (and I had a mum acquaintance try to come over with chickenpox to see her the second we got out of NNU! I was so panicked that the wonderful nurses told me exactly what to say to get her to stay away).

It's a good idea, it keeps politicians away.

I think I might wear a similar one myself.

Never experienced any of those things and as far as I know, none of my friends did either (it would definitely come up in conversation if it had). It can't be that common, surely?!

Good on them, so many unhinged people around thinking it’s ok to touch other people’s babies. Meningitis from a kiss can kill a baby.

I also never had this with DD (now 3.5). People would smile at her and tell me how lovely she was but nobody ever attempted to touch or kiss her.
If I saw a sign I would assume parents were being extra careful with an unwell or very prem baby.

Sick babies excluded, I bet the type of parents that display these signs also don’t let anyone visit for a month after birth (especially if it’s the mother in law).

Well they do. There are many examples on this thread where exactly that has happened.

I know. Just imagine being a parent to a baby who maybe even more vunerable than the average baby. It’s a scary thought.

It would never even occur to me to touch, let alone kiss some random person’s baby. Some people are crazy!

My friend was advised to get one of the signs from hospital staff and other parents of seriously ill babies that she knew from hospital, so I’m guessing it’s not uncommon if those in the know feel they needed them.

I would NEVER touch a person's baby without permission, nor would I ask permission to touch someone's baby. However, I have, on occasion, seen a person walking a baby in a pram where you could easily see there was a baby in there and said "can I take a peek at your baby?" If they are covered by a blanket I would not ask to peek. I don't walk up to the pram or get near the baby but I have been known to take a look and then make the "oh, look at the wee one" or something similar. Go, ahead. Commence with the internet flogging. Don't forget, I am an old woman! 😂

I realise this is normal now not to touch babies, but it hasn't always been so. Many older ladies will go to touch a babies hand or cheek, because that was normal in their day. My son is nearly 23 and it was perfectly normal when he was a baby and it never occurred to me to be offended. I wouldn't touch any babies, however tempting they are!

I had one on the pram of all my newborns. I don't want strangers touching my baby? Hardly unreasonable.

I’m in the midlands and it happened to me quite a few times when I took DD for walks in her pram at national trust sites.

I honestly felt like a pram ninja in the end, swerving it and manoeuvring it as they tried to swoop in 😆

My DD was due surgery at 3 months old and I was so frightened of her getting ill and having the surgery delayed because an elderly lady couldnt resist a touch.

DD had her surgery in the end and is now almost 8 months old, I dont mind the cooing now obviously!

I always thought this sort of thing was a bit bonkers… then a lady put her fucking finger IN my 6 month olds mouth while talking to her last week and quite frankly sent my head spinning 😂 like I’ve had endless people cooing over DD and DS too when he was wee but that… crikey.

Exactly. If anyone does attempt it, you can always tell.them.

What if they couldn't or didn't read the sign either.

I had one for my 6th. Didn't think it was necessary at first, but where we live it's very common for people to put money in the pram and after the second time her tubes were disturbed while I was checking in at the doctors reception I did put one on.

What I found incredibly frustrating was that the two most common places for people to put their hands in or get super close was the doctors surgery or the hospital!

Some people don’t find it easy to tell people this sort of thing, and let’s be honest, the sort of person that goes around touching strangers isn’t the type of person that is going to take being told not too very well, so the signs can avoid the issue.

Either way, the issue isn’t the parents, it’s the weirdos that think they can go around touching others.

Imagine being this much of a dick.

I nanny a 13 month old who was born alongside his twin at 23 + 6, his twin died after contracting RSV 3 months ago, he himself is 2 WEEKS off of oxygen, entering cold and flu season is fucking terrifying for his family, he has 2 older siblings who attend school and there are times when there is no choice but to leave the house to go somewhere so yes he has one of those signs on his pram because well meaning people look at his gorgeous eyes and shock of red hair and can't help but hold his hand or touch his face so this stops them so he doesn't catch something and be seriously ill or y'know, die.

Maybe if you've been through the trauma of NICU you don't feel like explaining yourself to every entitled twat who exclaims 'ooh what a tiny baby!' while sticking their hands into the pram?

If they bothered to make a sign there was clearly a need for it.

Wish I'd have thought of it.

My SIL had a sign. Tiny prem twins, you would be amazed at the amount of people who stopped and touched them, stroking their faces.

The sign worked though !

hold your judgment.

Christ in our family there is a baby with a severe medical condition and they have this sign as people are ignorant and still touch the baby without asking. If the baby catches a simple cold it could put her in hospital as she is severely immunosuppressed. The sign makes it less awkward as stops a lot of the unwanted interactions. If I saw another sign like that I’d assume a similar situation.

If anyone does attempt it, you can always tell.them.

You don't always get the chance. Happened twice while I was checking in with the Dr's receptionist, and another time I was loading shopping onto the belt at the supermarket. Literally glanced away from the pram for a few seconds and someone's hand was in.

People can also be incredibly rude when you ask them not to. I had a woman try and take DDs hand while she was in her car seat at the hospital door, DH had gone for the car, and when I said "oh please don't, she's been very unwell" I got a volley of abuse and a rant about how ridiculous I was.
Some people might be strong enough to deal with that regularly, but leaving hospital after two months, having been told on three occasions that if she made it through the night she had a chance, with a child who was going to have health problems for her whole life I got the sign because, to be frank, I wasn't strong enough. At least with a sign they just roll their eyes and stay away.

Agree

So sad that they actually HAD to use a sign because of the way people behave. It's depressing.