KISSING MY NEWBORN

[Hollie257]

I have a 10 day old newborn and know it is not safe for others to kiss him but how about us as the parents? I’ve kissed his head but not his lips as I’m so scared! Also he tries to suck on my fingers when hungry is this okay?

Yes of course kiss your newborn! And as long as your close family don't have coldsores then it's fine for them to kiss the baby too!

And the finger sucking is very normal and okay x

Yes it’s probably fine, but check with your midwife in case he is vulnerable in a way we can’t see in this message.
so many places to kiss that aren’t the lips, if you’re in doubt!

Please try not to worry, your little newborn willl LOVE your kisses and love - it’s exactly what they need. For what it’s worth, I didn’t mind close family kissing my baby (a kiss on the head isn’t going to do much and none of them would be odd enough to kiss close to her mouth!) but I did ask that they didn’t if they had a cold etc

Absolutely fine for you -and anyone who hasn’t got an illness or cold sores- to kiss your baby.

Of course it is ok, just don't let anyone with an active cold sore kiss your baby. Think about all the parents in the world who have / had cold sores, they still have to parent their babies. Dh gets them and never passed one on to ds. Congratulations 😊

Yes, though safest for anyone who’s not you to avoid kissing him on his face/mouth/hands or near eyes, in case of the cold sore virus. Enjoy your lovely baby!

Oh also, on the finger sucking, I guess just be conscious of how your baby likes to do it so do usual hand washing practices. Mine enjoyed it too. It won’t be long until your baby will be dashing round licking the floor or shoes or banister or dog bowl or whatever random gross things they can get to!

OP this isn't popular on mumsnet so you'll get lots of snarky responses, but if you read on here (the lullabys trust was recommended in my antenatal classes) https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/over-half-of-uk-parents-unaware-of-risk-kissing-poses-to-newborns/ "Do not kiss a baby unless you are their parent or main carer – and even then, avoid kissing if you have an infection or are unwell." I think the no kissing advice is only for people other than the parents ❤️

Re finger sucking, I'd just wash your hands regularly, especially when you leave the house and maybe disinfect your phone if you handle it a lot. Other than that you should be fine :) hope you're doing OK

Check with your midwife?

What on earth are they going to say? People have smothered their newborns in kisses since humans were invented.