Introducing newborn to family - tier 2 area

[Paris2019]

Hi, I'm 36+2 and the reality of the covid situation and post-birth implications are starting to depress me. We live in a tier 2 area so we can't mix indoors with other households. And of course, with social distancing, even if we meet people outdoors, they can't get too close to the baby. Plus if it's terrible weather we won't fancy being outdoors too much anyway. How is everyone else dealing with the restrictions? How are you introducing your newborns to family? It's my parents first (long-awaited) grandchild and it's just depressing not knowing when they'll be able to hold him etc :(

Posts like this will receive a range of answers from those who are fully staying away from family to those who are allowing all family to meet baby, do what is right for you- its a decision that only you can make based on your own risk factors etc

I’m 37+4 and also live in a tier 2 area. I actually don’t have any family except my dad who I don’t really get on with but who lives quite close by - he will most likely come round and see his new granddaughter at a distance from the doorstep or with us socially distanced in garden if weather ok. My DH’s family live 200 miles away currently in a tier 1 area though very likely to go to tier 2 soon. They won’t be coming down so will have to use Skype or something similar. Unfortunately both myself do my baby girl will be immunocompromised due to an underlying condition I have so need to be extra careful

I posted about this yesterday - got such a range of answers! I think I’m going to go with social distanced, outdoor meetings only until after the first jabs. I might let them hold baby/ be mixing indoors if they have isolated for 2 weeks first...but I am still contemplating that, and depends on rules etc. It’s horrible though - it’s the first on both sides for us and I feel so mean saying they can’t hold - but it’s up to me to put baby’s safety first. When this is all over they won’t remember, after all!

@Carabu1 I've seen a lot of people say they will wait till after first jabs...you do realise they don't give the baby any extra immunity against COVID- if COVID wasn't around and causing all these extra restrictions would you have still waited till after first jabs? Probably not so waiting for first jabs is irrelevant because those diseases still exist just like they did pre-covid

@EllieJai44 - yes it’s really very arbitrary...! I guess in my mind they will be less vulnerable then as older, some immunity etc. But really you’re right - I guess I just need some hope to cling to!

@Carabu1 the one thing I've looked at in regards of the COVID risk to newborns is its very low and the few cases that have been reported have been mild- it doesn't mean I'm going to take my baby to a pub and pass them round but I will be letting family meet them up close, just make sure they wash their hands, no kissing and if they have had even just a sniffle to wait till its cleared up - same as what we did with my firstborn in non-covid times

I've just had to do this. We met outside in beer garden and kept about a meter away. I let them hold baby (grandparents only) with a mask and hand wash etc. Have done this with both sets of grandparents. I can't not let them as this virus is going to be around forever so I'm not gonna have it that they never hold their grandchild.

Thanks for your responses! Similar to what I'm thinking... meet outdoors, perhaps let grandparents hold him after washing hands, wearing a mask etc. It's so hard though isn't it. The no mixing indoors is actually the law (in tier 2 anyway) so I won't be flouting that... but it's so depressing not knowing how long it will be before normality returns!!