Do babies count?

[hammeringinmyhead]

For the purposes of meeting one person at a distance, would you say that a woman with a baby in a pram can meet another adult?

@hammeringinmyhead we talked about this and concluded they don't count. DS is not quite 6 months but 21lb so I can't have him in a carrier that long - will take the pram. Practically speaking he's EBF and is my shadow so I'd never see anyone if he couldn't come!

You don't have to stand side on - just stay 2m apart! Where's all this bloody side on business come from suddenly! Provided the pram is 2m away from someone then fine surely!

I wouldn't count a baby in a pram /toddler in a pushchair, so long as they're 'contained' so not running up to people what difference could it make?

Yes what's the side on thing about?!

It's in the guidelines to stay side on if possible. A sling makes that possible a buggy doesn't. Therefore I suggest using a sling as it's safer. You might think a buggy is safe "enough". That's your decision. I think part of the change in emphasis is allowing people to use their own judgement in risk assessment. If you think the risk of a buggy is ok then you don't need to ask for advice on here.

Less risk of transmission is projecting your voice away from or perpendicular to another person. Speaking towards them is riskier.

Ok - but the guidelines say that side on is safer than face-to-face. A baby in a pram isn't face-to-face with an adult anyway.

Is it? Can you provide a link where it has been said you can sit down and have a picnic with someone but yet you have to be side on?

I'm not asking about risk, I'm asking if I could be fined for having a gathering of 3 people from different households.

Your friend would struggle to remain side on to a buggy and you at the same time. That's the point I'm making, its not complicated. Feel free to ignore it and carry on regardless.

I've no idea how the police will see it.

It just says this:

Avoid being face to face with people if they are outside your household. You are at higher risk of being directly exposed to respiratory droplets released by someone talking or coughing when you are within 2m of someone and have face-to-face contact with them. You can lower the risk of infection if you stay side-to-side rather than facing people.

It's about talking face-to-face. I wouldn't be talking in the face of a baby in a pram anyway.

I'm not being argumentative; I genuinely don't understand at what point someone walking along would not be side on to me and a buggy. It's not 8ft long.

www.runnersworld.com/uk/gear/a776348/best-running-buggies/

E.g. in the image at the top of the page there are 2 adults and a buggy. He's not even facing me, let alone the other adult.

My baby faces forward in his buggy and forward in his sling...

I don’t understand @Floatyboat. If you walk with someone who is pushing a pram you are side on same way as if you walk with someone without a pram don’t you?

Really can't understand what @Floatyboat is on about if you walk with someone pushing a pushchair you still walk next to the person pushing.. in this picture if they didn't have the pushchairs they would still be in the exact same configuration.

In that photo the adult is not side on to the opposing child. If they are facing away and have an awning then that reduces the risk I guess. I would worry about feeling the need to involve the child in the interaction somehow, turn the buggy etc. But if you are how that photo depicts at all times I don't think it particularly dangerous. You would be taking up a lot of path though, so make sure you go somewhere open so people can pass.

I take up a lot of path when I go out with my household anyway... me, DH, 6 and 4 year olds walking and baby in pushchair, plus a dog. We always manage to stay away from other people.

Sure but remember your household can bunch together. You can't do that when mixing a household.

Not sure why people are seeking to nitpick everything.

One of you must be sitting down, facing 167 degrees south-west, while the other stands on their head in the direction of the nearest river. 2m apart of course.

Floatyboat you are the one nitpicking.

Common sense would say babies don’t count. I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to do with my 8 week old when he sees my mum. I mean I can’t exactly just put him down on his own and have her sit 2m away from him. I have to be there to hold him so that she can see him.

I think a good guide is ‘if they’re old enough to meet a person on their own whilst maintaining a 2m distance’ they count.

So a baby is fine, a toddler is fine, pretty much under 11 you’d probably get away with as too young to be meeting anyone without parental supervision or someone who can intervene and touch them (if they stepped into the road etc).

11+ and they’re arguably old enough to go for a walk with a grandparent alone.

@floatyboat that is one of the most bizarre reasonings I've read on Mumsnet!

OP, yes I think that would be fine.

countrycasual I don’t agree - I think the point is with the pram that a toddler is restrained so by virtue of that observes social distancing (by the normal rules of physics as opposed to the weird ones floatyboat is applying).

A 4 year old not in a pram won’t know to keep away from the other person so it’s different.

@country

What about older children and adults with cognitive impairment or sen and would never walk alone. Do you think they count?