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Parenting

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Original poster

Do you ask people to wash their hands before holding baby?

83 replies

Lostinspace1 · 16/09/2013 12:58

Just curious as I've read a couple of threads about people putting their fingers in baby's mouths...ew.

According to NHS guidelines its reasonable to ask people to wash their hands before handing a newborn, so it's something I can imagine asking my family...bit trickier with family-in law though...

Also, when is it ok for people to not wash their hands before holding baby? A month later, after the baby has built up a bit of an immune system?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Sirzy · 16/09/2013 12:59

Can't say it ever crossed my mind to do that.

The only restriction I had was about smoking.

SirChenjin · 16/09/2013 13:00

No, I didn't

SavoyCabbage · 16/09/2013 13:03

No, it never crossed my mind.

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Sparklysilversequins · 16/09/2013 13:04

No but I wanted to .

googietheegg · 16/09/2013 13:04

Yes I did. Nobody minded at all. Except my mil, who laughed at me.

IslaValargeone · 16/09/2013 13:04

Not unless they've been smoking or something.

sis · 16/09/2013 13:06

I was once asked to do this whilst the family dog lay next to baby and the parents touched baby after touching the dog but without washing their hands.

stargirl1701 · 16/09/2013 13:08

No, but I wanted to. I only saw one visitor put a finger in DD's mouth. Ewww! I was not happy.

MultipleMama · 16/09/2013 13:15

Yes. Anyone who wanted to hold my newborns had either wash their hands or use alcohol gel, to be honest I would expect them to do it without being asked. I'm slightly paranoid about germs when they're newborns however after a few months (when non family members can visit) I don't demand it. Also anyone who has/had a cold etc cannot visit until a week after... god, I sound like a clean freak and a nut, honestly I'm not! Haha.

Original poster

Lostinspace1 · 16/09/2013 13:16

Thanks - I really don't understand this desire to put your finger in a baby's mouth!

OP posts:

Cuddlydragon · 16/09/2013 14:31

I did. Nobody had any issue with it. If they did, they wouldn't have held the baby in the tiny days.

dingledongle · 16/09/2013 14:36

No I never did- bacteria all over the place not just on your hands!

matana · 16/09/2013 14:44

I heard that if a baby is kept in too sterile an environment its immune system just can't cope when it is exposed to germs and bugs outside of the hone. I can understand people not wanting dirty gingers shoved in their baby's mouth, but honestly can't see the harm in just holding it. It has never, ever occurred to me to think about it tbh. Ds was held by everyone for the first few weeks, in the middle of winter when germs were rife. He didn't get his first cold until he wad several months old.

Flicktheswitch · 16/09/2013 14:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumofboyo · 16/09/2013 14:55

I didn't wash my own hands before handling my babies (unless of course I'd been to the loo or changed a nappy etc) so didn't ask or expect other people to do so. As has already been said upthread, babies shouldn't be brought up in an environment that's too clean. I'm not saying that it's ok for someone with a cough or cold or raging d&v to handle them, obviously, but babies do need to build up their immunity by being exposed to germs present in normal surroundings.

tywysogesgymraeg · 16/09/2013 14:58

No, of course not. What a silly question. How do you think babies develop immunity to bugs and diseases? (in case you don't know, it's by being exposed to them).
I might draw the line at handing a pet, or something like putting the bin out, and then handling the baby, but would always wash my hands after doing something like that before putting them (my hands that is), near my own face too.
Don't be too precious about the baby - they are tough little buggers!

OTheHugeManatee · 16/09/2013 15:00

Dirty gingers shoved in a baby's mouth

Flossie82 · 16/09/2013 15:02

No! They can cope with 'normal' germs. (perm baby / otherwise I'll would be different)

if hands particularly dirty for some reason I would...but never needed to as my friends / family would realise this for themselves

nicelyneurotic · 16/09/2013 15:05

Yes we did. But my FIL is particularly grubby looking so you would too!

UriGeller · 16/09/2013 15:07

I wouldn't need to be asked.

I have asked visitors to wash their hands when my dcs were newborns, actually I think I just said, "if you want to have a cuddle, there's soap and water in the kitchen".

But people know me and know what I'm like with new babies. I've had ds hospitalised with norovirus, I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Thurlow · 16/09/2013 15:07

No, not unless they had been smoking or preparing meat or been gardening or something like that. As other people have said, I wasn't manic on the handwashing for myself unless it was after one of the above. I wouldn't wash my hands to hold my baby after getting out of the car and touching the front gate, so it seems a little odd to ask a guest to do it after they've probably got out of their car and touched the front gate.

bigkidsdidit · 16/09/2013 15:09

No, it didn't occur to me and I would find it odd if asked.

Fenton · 16/09/2013 15:10

I wish I had when my work colleagues visited me and my 1 week old during their lunch hour and one of them gave him their finger to suck

Andcake · 16/09/2013 15:14

It didn't really cross my mind (except in smoking cases) but i did keep a big bottle of that hand gel on the table in the living room at the time when ds was v small as I would use it occasionally to check everything was clean. and many/most visitors would pick it up and use it.

however i would have been upset if DP or myself put there finger in babies mouth!!!

ZenGardener · 16/09/2013 15:20

I won't but I already have three little kids and a cat. I suspect adult visitors will be the least of her problems.

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