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

[Lostinspace1]

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?

NO!

Because that person will just have arrived in the house/blown their toddlers nose etc. if everyone wahes their hands before touching the newborn then there is less chance the baby gets sick.

I guess it's the same as washing your hands before dinner etc... Less chance of consuming daily grime!

No.
I did insist on no smoking though.

LifeofPo

Never did i think that a MN thread such as this would prove so divisive! Honestly, i had never even heard of people asking others to wash their hands before holding a baby (unless in SCBU)! I must clearly have led a sheltered life. Or my family and everyone i am surrounded by are a bunch of filthy, careless monkeys. Perhaps so, as we also go by the 3 second rule in this house, providing the food hasn't landed in something really disgusting like wee, poo or vomit.

No, and I've never been asked to either.

Ps fingers in mouths don't bother mr either, babies love a good suck or chew on a finger