People touch my baby's face - rant

[qi]

I am always angry about this.

Today at M&S shop there was a woman (who works there) came from no where and start to touch DS's face.

I treat my DS as a little person not a toy, I'd expect others do the same. Besides, how do I know a random person's hand is clean or this person does not have disease?

I think it should be an offence to touch baby's face without asking the parent first.

"'I treat my DS as a little person not a toy' exactly! and human beings enjoy being touched, it's an essential part of how we communicate and grow."

I don't mind people touch his hand or feet, he is now over seven months. He drinks bath water sometime.

I don't want people touch his face and hair. Human being enjoy being touched but not in the face and hair by strangers.

Why not?
babies are human, but people do interact with babies diffierently from adults. Touch is a more central part of the interaction.
You don't squeeze and wiggle strange adults feet do you?

This is your problem, and fair enough he's your baby. But maybe have a think about why this is an issue to you?
Is it the germs thing?
Does it seem too intimate?
Do you not want to interact with these people?
Might make you slightly less pissed off with them then?

My ds is 12 now and is the smallest of his group of friends so still v cuddly!And a lot of his friends mums whose sons are already big lumps love to kiss and cuddle jesse and I love it as he has no brothers and sisters and not many relations either.Does your baby like it?I bet he does and that is what matters

I agree with smileys .. I think this is your problem .. and maybe you should examine the parts you are uncomfortable with and judge individually whether it is actually a sensible fear / rant or whether you can cognitively change your attitude .. if you wanted to that is

I stroke on the hair or face is a far more gentle human interaction and has a lot more love in it IMHO

Okay, good to talk to you all ladies. And I am surprised that some of us even enjoy their babies face been touch.

I wouldn't get angry if someone I know touch and hold him. A collegue touched his face and hair in the early days I just told him try not to for the germ reason. I was not angry.

I was angry because I did not know this woman. She came from behinf me while I was about to check out.

... DS just waken up..

Twiglett, it was me who said the sign thing. You worded it better than me. WHat you said is what I meant.

As well as what I said iyswim. Goes both ways.

I'm ok with people touching my baby's face...ok if it was a crackhead whore, I may steer DD out of the way, but in general protecting a baby in such an obsessive way can a) give then an obsession about cleanliness (I should know suffered with OCD for years) and b)actually make them more prone to disease. DD is my first born and I hope she is making mud pies next summer with glee

isn't part of the reason allergies and asthma are on the increase because so many children are not allowed to get dirty etc so they never get chance to build up an immunity to things?

Would you wash your breasts before feeding them?

v true dizzy

The baby that is not the breasts

pmsl @ nothercules

Oh shit, you know what I mean

I meant mainly when the breast touches the face too.

but qi, babies need to be exposed to as many germs as possible while they're little to boost their immunity, so asking a colleague to stop touching your baby is not only a bit mad but is having completely the opposite affect on your babies health than what you want!

sorry that's very badly phrased but ds is wriggling on my lap and helping me type, lol.

there is a huge difference between a finger IN the chops and a face stroke

I wouldn't like a stranger to touch DD's face (not because of the germs - she rolls around on the floor licking things all the time...) but because if a stranger came up to me and touched my face I would be pretty cross.
I think I could live with people touching her hair. I do think that babies are sort of communal property - everyone takes an interest - and that is really nice. It's one of the few times that people interact in London IME.

The community property exemption does not extend to people I have handed DD to then passing her on to others (who I don't know!). MIL did this once (took her for a walk and came back without her - left her outside with some third cousin I had never met), but she won't do it again [snarling first time mother emoticon].

I do think newborn is different to months old....I will conceed to that but I still feel it's a bad idea to wrap babies in anti germ cotton wool