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.

At least it should keep people who CAN and DID read the sign away.

Why should anyone have to tell anyone else about this?
Do I also need to tell random strangers not to touch me or kiss me? Or my teenager daughter?

How is it not the need for a sign that's shocking you?

There is an interesting character perambulating several very fat bulldogs around my area - hopefully he's got one of those inside.

What’s the point you’re trying to make with this thread OP? There are loads of posters telling you about their experiences of strangers touching their babies, sharing stories about premature or immunocompromised babies. You’ve not engaged with a single post from anyone giving you genuine reasons as to why someone may want to use one of these signs.

Maybe it was a reborn baby.

When I was about 3 and my cousin was a tiny baby, my aunt had him over her shoulder.
From behind, I reached up to him but there was a gap of about a foot (30cm?) from my cousin’s little hands. Far away, anyhow.
Out of nowhere, I received a stinging slap on the back of my little hand - it was from my arsehole uncle, who overstepped.
My dad wanted to slap my uncle for about a month afterwards. lol

This thread just makes me sad, illness aside and or premature babies (where I think the sign would be a good idea) I would always let generally older ladies and gentlemen have a look at the baby and they would invariably try and touch them. I wouldn’t personally touch another baby, but I didn’t even expect to be asked. Babies need interaction and to be communicated to.

Being part of a community has an important impact to longevity.

Also, as a new Mum you can often feel quite isolated and someone admiring your baby and chatting to you can help you manage your day.

I dont know whos touching or kissing strangers babies

I saw a few of these hanging on prams during COVID times. A friend had one. Healthy baby no issues but I think they might have become a thing around that time 🤔

I’m not really bothered by the sign but a little sadden that we need them. I never went around and touched or kissed other babies. Even my closest kids such as niece and nephews.

But that's great if you want the interaction, then you can encourage it.

For people that don't, whatever their reason, there's the sign option.

People with premature/ sick babies are capable of ensuring the baby has plenty of interactions with close family members who have washed their hands - i don't think their babies are going to miss out.

Being a new mum of a vulnerable preemie is incredibly isolating.

I was having Sunday lunch at a pub and an older man, after a short chat about her, leaned in and kissed my baby daughter on her forehead. This was very recently, so not a distant past type event.

I was too shocked to say anything. I can’t blame parents if they want to protect their child, especially if premature.

No thanks!

There needs to be a sign saying:

"Peek in the pram - 50p"
"Squeeze of the foot - £1"
"Pat on the hand - £5"

That would teach all those old ladies with their raspy knuckles.

Babies don't need to be touched by strangers and random people in the shop or doctors queue are not their community. Their community is their family and people they see regularly. Anyone other than their mother and father handling a tiny baby doesn't benefit them at all, it only benefits the people doing it.

God all those vile horrible plague ridden old people with their gnarled fingers wanting to be nice. Curse them, the evil fuckers.

This was us, youngest in and out of hospital after being a preemie, prior to op last year dc and I stayed with my parents for the week before to avoid picking anything up from older dc. So yep I'd have prob have used one of these.

It amazes me that people think it's ok. (Especially after covid and with measles outbreaks, plus big standard flu etc)

They're not being nice. They are being selfish and fulfilling their own wants. They're not thinking about the welfare of the baby at all.

I saw these quite often back in 2020, made me a little sad because I remember when my first daughter was a newborn in 2005 a few times older people would ask if they could look at her when she was in her pushchair and a little chat of a minute or two was lovely, they’d ask her name and how old she was. She was born quite early and only 5lb 2 so was tiny. I just feel like these little interactions are lost now and it’s a shame.

As one of "they parents" i'd like to make you think about things before you judge..

our baby has heart disease, spent the first 3 months in hospital having open heart surgeries etc and i'd rather offend random stranger with my pram sign that have my baby back in hospital because people overstep boundries.

I think I find it sad that people wouldn’t want interaction. I just feel that as a society we have become more and more insular. I really don’t think this is a great for anyone.

I get premature / ill babies can’t have that type of interaction.

A mum at the school gate had one of these. I didn't know her and had no desire to touch or kiss her baby or, indeed, any baby. I did roll my eyes every day at the twee 'your germs are too big for me' nonsense though. She also used to stand around telling anyone who would listen all about her baby's premature arrival which seemed to be at odds with the sign, as there was no one's ear she wouldn't bend at length about it.

You don't know what experiences people have had. This person may have had a run of people thinking they can touch his baby. I still remember having to tell off an old woman who was about to kiss my baby when we were out walking during Covid. And as PPs have already said, his baby may have some sort of condition that makes them more susceptible to getting sick.

I probably looked deranged and not to be trifled with. I did have to ask a lady not to.touch DD as she didn't like it.

My mum had to have a sign on my brother's pram/bag WAY past the newborn stage as he was coeliac, and apparently shoving gluten into kids you didn't know was a common pastime in the seventies.

And the sign only encouraged moany, know it all cunts who thought they knew better to try and give him treats because mummy was mean.

Imagine proudly announcing that you're on the side of moany, know it all cunts.

Embarrassed for you OP.