Are you gonna ask people to wash hands before holding baby?

[Ice Cold Cube]

Hi girls

Have seen a few threads about people holding babies at first and I've not really thought about it yet to be honest.

I'm just wondering if is it the done thing to ask people to wash their hands before holding a newborn? I assume in the hospital people will have already used the antibacterial gel stuff, so is it really necessary then? And what about when people visit at home? I don't remember anyone ever asking me to wash my hands before holding a baby before.

Like all of us I'll want to protect my little one from any nasty colds and viruses when he's so tiny, but I don't want to be neurotic about his healthcare either because germs are literally everywhere and obviously do help to build immune system too.

Interested to get people's opinions and learn a bit about this.

Cheers

Laura x

 

[stacey01]

it would be nice if visitors would wash their hands, but they didnt for me, infact my partners dad came to the hospital with a cold . i was fuming.

the first thing visitors do is hold your babys hands , i suppose its worth having some gel arounds just incase they want to

 

[AP]

I'm adamant, ive had a preemie and hygeine was crucial, washing hands and alcohol gel became the norm. If this ones a full term, the same rules will go

 

[MrsNovBaby]

I don't know - if their hygiene is good and you know they wash hands after toilet/prepping food should be OK. If not I don't think there is anything wrong with asking peeps to wash hands for at least a couple of weeks x

 

[kellis]

No i won't, i won't be washing mine every time i pick lo up, i think it's a bit excessive unless there is a medical need.

 

[Ice Cold Cube]

it would be nice if visitors would wash their hands, but they didnt for me, infact my partners dad came to the hospital with a cold . i was fuming.

the first thing visitors do is hold your babys hands , i suppose its worth having some gel arounds just incase they want to

O I'd be raging too if someone came to the hospital with a cold - that is so selfish.

Laura x

 

[chocolate]

I really wanted to ask people to last time, but this time Im hoping I can relax over it a bit. I dont think Id ask them too, but may feel a bit annoyed inside for people not offering to do it anyway.
I will leave it up to my OH to inisist that smokers wash their hands first.

I have DS this time so even if they washed their hands, I know DS would be straight in there with the baby spreading the germs.

It does annoy me though when people are inconsiderate about seeing others without checking when ill, my MIL wanted to see us last weekend and my OH and I knew she had a heavy cold by the way she sounded on the phone so said no not if your ill, you know that. You just know they are like 'but colds are everywhere for goodness sake' but its not the point, Im pregnant and have to work and have DS, also trying to get DIY so a simple cold isnt the same for us as her, it would mess up an entire week for us.

I will however, be checking that no one is ill before they come visit - even if they do think we are being anal! Sleepless nights are hard enough without any of us being ill too

 

[SaskySprite]

I was thinking about doing this before no1 arrived but then when it came down to it it seemed a bit too overboard.

Plenty of babies have survived people holding them without washing their hands. I imagine its only the minority that do this.

 

[pichi]

i don't think ill be asking people to wash their hands every time they hold little one. ok - if they've been handling money or whatever then yeah ok - but you can only protect them from so much. there is icky bugs floating about in the atmosphere constantly

 

[Carlyp1990]

most of my family smoke, and so with any baby they always wash their hands first - my best friend asked people to use anti bac gel on their hands and nobody seemed to mind, its not hard for people to put a squirt on their hands and rub it in. Its your baby if you want people to wash their hands then im sure they will hun, surely nobody will object if they get to cuddle a newborn baby

 

[emmi26]

yes definately my daughter got a norovirus at 2 weeks thanks to a relative who hadn't washed hands after they had been ill all week !! hand gel time people !!

 

[Ice Cold Cube]

yes definately my daughter got a norovirus at 2 weeks thanks to a relative who hadn't washed hands after they had been ill all week !! hand gel time people !!

That's awful - tha last thing you both needed.

Laura x

 

[KittyVentura]

I will, where it's reasonable. Eg home visits etc I'd as them to while he's still small. If we're out I'm not going to carry gel etc and ask people to use it. xx

 

[MissMamma]

i would feel like a freak asking people to wash before they touched my baby! i didn't realise this was even a factor, i've never been asked to wash hands before holding someone elses baby i just seem to be discovering new things everyday i didn't know about..xx

 

[upsybetsy]

Absoutely not and never in a million years would it even occur to me! Babies need germs in my opinion... it makes them strong.

And this is coming from someone whose child has been ill just twice (both times with a bug) in 2 1/2 years of life. Obviously if you have a preemie or a baby with health concerns, it may be a factor but otherwise I'd relax and allow nature to build up a healthy child.

 

[iwanta8a8y]

Im a nightmare with sanitizer myself, use it ALL the time, so i am sure there will be a bottle around me at all times anyway , i know it is not good to protect them from every germ, but when they are so vunerable i think i will be very careful, but no, not each time someone wants to touch baby, i think that is going a little too far in my opinion...

 

[Kirst264]

I am definitely gonna ask people to do this, midwife suggested it. Espesh MIL who is a heavy smoker and i'm not wanting her stinky mitts all over my precious little baby lol x

 

[Eskimobabys]

Yes! im already cringing at the thought of Christmas! strangers (DH has big family and i dont know them so yes there strangers to me) are gonna want to get there dirty paws all over my newborn baby girl! i WILL keep hand gel with me at all times bc she not gonna have all her shots and its cold weather and if she gets sick i'll get sick and we'll all get less sleep than normal and be a hott miserable mess i would actually like to skip ppl holding her altogether and just stick her in a clear case for all to view but NOT touch hahah. yes i might be a wee bit neurotic

 

[xemmax]

absolutely not unless that person had been smoking. i'd quite like my baby to be exposed to germs in the same way that i was when i was newborn and be able to develop a healthy immune system.

i can totally understand why premature/poorly babies need to be protected, but not every single baby to the same degree. there's absolutely no way i'll be letting everyone and anyone have a hold of him anyway! x

 

[aob1013]

I used to want people to wash their hands and be shiny clean, but now Leni is here it is actually quite hard to enforce.