Taking Babies on Walks Safe?

[SLMater]

Hello,

I wanted to canvas opinion as to whether I should intervene and say something to my friend about the fact she is still is taking her five-month-old baby out for a walk everyday in London despite the Coronavirus lockdown.

She has a large house and garden, no other children (so she's not accompanying older kids to the park or anything) and a husband she could leave the baby with if she felt she still wanted to take the risk and go out for a walk. Instead, she insists on taking the baby with her every day.

I am a parent myself of teenage offspring, so I have been there and I do sympathise with people who have toddlers/young children and are living in a flat without a garden who need to burn off some steam. But to take a small innocent baby outside who has no say in the matter just seems unnecessarily selfish.

Studies have proven the virus is airborne, can stay in the air for up to three hours, is worse in urban areas, attaches to air pollution and can be spread by people jogging as far as five metres away. It's surely no coincidence that the U.K. tragically has one of the highest death counts per capita in the world when the government is still allowing people to go out every day to shops and parks? (By comparison, in Greece, for instance, people have to text the local police station for permission to leave the house for any reason whatsoever and, as a result, there have been only 150 deaths from Covid 19.)

I feel so worried that my friend keeps putting her baby at risk like this. I've sent her articles on studies about the dangers of going out, which she seemingly has chosen to ignore. Do you think I should say something more direct to her or do I just have to stand back and watch her do this?

Thanks for your thoughts!

I think you sound like you are overly anxious. It's perfectly fine for her to take the baby on walks.

You sound deranged.

The evidence suggests babies and young children aren’t severely affected by the virus.

Going out for a walk is permitted and good for mental health.

If you don’t like our lockdown rules take it up with the government.

Leave her be, it’s perfectly fine do her to take a walk with the baby, and likely good for both of them to get out for a bit.

Studies have proven the virus is airborne, can stay in the air for up to three hours, is worse in urban areas....

You do realise houses aren’t airtight . The risk of going out and when away from people is infinitesimal... and babies are exceptionally unlikely to be in danger even if they are exposed. You’re worrying about what is literally a 1 in a billion risk. The baby is far more likely to die in a house fire or by a car on her walk than of the virus in the circumstances you outline.

It's not great for a baby to be stuck indoors all of the time either, guessing they are in a pram or in a sling rather than licking surfaces whilst out and about.

By comparison, in Greece, for instance, people have to text the local police station for permission to leave the house for any reason whatsoever and, as a result, there have been only 150 deaths from Covid 19.

Greece has lower deaths because they locked down before Covid got a foothold, not because people are inhaling virus that was exhaled by a jogger and three hours previously.

It is safe. I saw a doctor say on tv this morning!

What the fuck are you doing?

I think that you are completely in the wrong. I also think that you should mind your own business.

As well as that, you should check your sources and I formation as to how the virus is spread.

You need to mind your own business.
She is doing nothing wrong and if you say anything like you've said on here I would be surprised if she ever wants to talk to you again.

In the nicest possible way please stop sending her info and links that she clearly doesn't want. If she's old enough to have a baby she's old enough to do her own reading and come to a decision. No-one has said healthy babies need to stay indoors.

I really wouldn't interfere. Shes doing nothing wrong at all.

I agree with the above posters... you are seriously overreacting and overstepping the mark. I'm about to have DC3 and any friend who was harassing me about taking the baby out for a walk the way you are doing, would be asked not to contact me again.

You really need to mind your own business otherwise I doubt she’ll be your friend for much longer. I take my 18 MO DD for a walk in the pram everyday. Absolutely ridiculous over reaction on your part.

If it was that easy to catch by it staying in the air for 3 hours we'd have all had it by now and would have all caught and spread it by early March. 😂

Some of the stuff posted on here is genius. I hope it's being recorded for analysis of when society officially lost the plot.

Please leave your poor friend alone and stop judging her when she has a small baby! Stay out of her business, stop sending her articles and if you’re that bothered stay in your own house and be anxious.

As PP said if it was that dangerous and airborne for 3 hours in fresh air we would have so many more cases.

You are over reacting and being stupid.

Wow. I'm surprised she hasn't blocked your number.

Please seek help for your anxiety.

You sound insane. I live in NYC, global epicenter of the virus right now, and my friends and I all take our babies out every day .

Studies have proven the virus is airborne, can stay in the air for up to three hours, is worse in urban areas, attaches to air pollution and can be spread by people jogging as far as five metres away - where are these studies?

If this was case, surely we would all had it? Until the advice was that pregnant women were to wfh I was working in a hospital (in a non-clinical role) with confirmed COVID patients. I was using the cafe, restaurants, toilets as the members of the public and other staff. I didn’t get it and none of my colleagues did (as far as I am aware).

If I had a newborn I’d do exactly the same . It’s perfectly safe . Leave her be - you’ve forwarded stuff to her , presumably she’s read it and as we all do when we’re forwarded stuff make a value judgement on whether to pay any attention or not . She’s clearly done just that .

Even if all you say is true , then there is a balance . If I had had to stay in the house when I had a baby I would have lost my mind. I was also in the depths of suffering dv.

It’s so important not to judge at this time. I’ve learnt that myself, I was very judgy at the beginning but am trying very hard not to be now, it’s a definite improvement in my character!!

I feel so worried that my friend keeps putting her baby at risk like this. I've sent her articles on studies about the dangers of going out, which she seemingly has chosen to ignore.

I don’t blame her for ignoring you. You really have crossed some big lines here OP. Your friend has had a baby during a really tricky time and is trying to make the best of it - harassing her like this when she is trying to enjoy time with her new baby is a horrific thing to do. You’re not a friend. As a pp said you sound deranged and I’d be more afraid of you than Covid 19 because you sound very unstable and a bit too obsessed with someone else’s baby. I sure had hell wouldn’t let you near me and my baby when this is all over.

I have a 5 month old and take him for a walk each day. If I had a 'friend' who did what you're doing, you'd never hear from me again.

None of your business and safe. Find something else to fixate on.

Your friend is fine taking her baby out.