Protecting a newborn

[Waiting4baby2]

My due date is a couple of days before Christmas and I’m getting more and more stressed about the pressure to see family. I’ve made it clear that they need to count us out of any celebrations/ gatherings this year but it’s falling on deaf ears…
I’ve been looking for advice about what to do with a newborn in the house to protect them, particularly now from omicron and I can’t find anything. Some American sites say get people to test and wear masks or even not let anyone else hold the baby for the first month or so, does anyone have any advice? I don’t want to offend people but it’s more important that I don’t take any unnecessary risks for both me and the baby, whether it’s Christmas or not…

@firstimemamma

I'm due a baby and couldn't care less about he or she getting covid and neither could my medical dh.

This is a badly written joke surely!

Had first baby in summer 2020. Tests weren’t widely available and even if they were I wouldn’t have asked people to take them. I would also never ask anyone to wear a mask in my home. We had visitors, people held the baby, we went out and about as normal. Midwife/ HV had no concerns with this approach. All my NCT group did the same. People have gone OTT in my opinion, but I have never been in the slightest bit worried about covid.

Op who in their right mind would want to risk a new born health for their own incredibly selfish needs to get joy out of a new born?
Even with a nasty cold who wants a baby having to go near medics /hospital at the moment.

I think you may need to lie and say you have something and are isolating at home, then dh and then baby to buy you a few weeks.

No new mum needs this pressure it's so selfish and makes me so cross. People will survive by not seeing the new born. But the new born will be put under pressure by seeing selfish people who knows what state they are happy to visit in

I had a baby in the february lockdown this year.

I too felt horrendous pressure.

We allowed our immediate family to hold our baby, with masks on and after washing hands for the first few days. After that we did allow then to remove masks. I didn't let anyone else hold our baby until he was about 6 weeks old and then we gradually started allowing close friends to.

Tbh I'm glad we did this. It meant I had an excuse to not have to pass my baby round!

I had covid last month. I am still suffering from the effects of it now. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. How you could speak so callously about a newborns health is beyond me.

@Notbluepeter

I had covid last month. I am still suffering from the effects of it now. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. How you could speak so callously about a newborns health is beyond me.

@firstimemamma above directed at your reply.