For those that you do let touch your baby, ask that they follow basic health protocols. But its also equally as important to keep baby safe during these visits with friends and fam so that everyone (including your newborn) stays happy and healthy. by AKerkhoven. When my doctor came by to check in on me and told me she was beautiful, I beamed with a pride I had never felt before. Reasons Why Parents May Prevent Grandparents From Seeing a Newborn. RSV Cases Surge Across the U.S., What To Know and How To Protect Your Kids, How to Prepare for Your First Day Home With Your New Baby, The Best Infant Car Seats for Your Precious Cargo, The 11 Best Baby Wraps and Slings of 2023, A Complete Guide To Your Baby's Five Senses, The 7 Best Pacifiers for Newborns of 2023. unless otherwise stated. Grandparents must understand that these decisions aren't something that parents are doing to the grandparents. posts, comments and submissions available. Many times when I wanted to take her back people would tell me "but she's not crying." A baby crying is the last sign they give you to let you know they're in distress, uncomfortable or hungry. Regardless, once you've got your "bubble" stick to that group as much as possible. Scientists suspect that lack of bonding in human babies can cause similar problems. Some parents will be more than happy to hand off the baby for a while. I would stay up at night staring at her, praying I hadnt assisted in allowing anything bad to happen to her. Is it true that people should wash their hands before holding a newborn? As eager as grandparents may be to get acquainted with their newborn grandchild, they should understand that it is equally important to get off on the right foot with the new parents. The #1 app for tracking pregnancy and baby growth. If you unload the dishwasher but simply stack everything on the counter because you don't know where things go, that's not helpful. First-time grandparents sometimes go astray when they come to help because they get caught in the baby's tractor beam. That may mean reducing their exposure to people whose health status is unknown or anyone who seems unwell. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Police leading the search for a missing two-month-old baby have sought an extension of 36 hours to continue questioning their parents. All Rights Reserved. Well, maybe not for the new mum or dad. One reason is that newborn babies are not tuned into day and night yet. Sometimes parents who restricted visitors with a first child are completely fine with visitors for subsequent births, especially since there is an older sibling to be cared for. I don't mind family holding baby. Mariana Sifrit contracted viral meningitis . Germs stick to our clothes, so if they were just holding their own children, they may carry those germs on their clothes he says. We actually had a scare on his second day that put him in the NICU with a possible infection and he already had a spinal tap because of it. Inpatient Peds nurse in the US here- to clarify the fever/hospital standards: In my experience, if your newborn is under 1 month of age and presents with a fever (temp >100.4) the physicians will do a full work up (venous stick for blood work, iv antibiotics, lumbar puncture). You just develop an instinct that connects you with your baby. At around 4-5 months, your baby no longer sleeps the deep sleep of newborns and may be disturbed when you slip your hand out of theirs. Recent posts in July 2021 Birth Club. I love her so much and I would do anything in the world for her. Arriving unannounced. Ive heard people say it but never truly understood it and now I do. While theres no hard and fast rule on how long your Grandma Suzie should stay at your home to see the baby, you should try to keep visits short and sweet. 1. Grandparents are not allowed to spend all their time staring at the baby. Grandparents may not understand such decisions, but they should at least grant that the parents are acting out of the best of motives. Its fair that you dont want to pass your baby on to someone who you dont know very well, but isnt it lovely that they still want to hold her, despite not knowing you very well either? I really dont like it when other people hold my baby. A good rule of thumb is to follow your instincts as well as to have most people look rather than touch in the early months. My husband and I didnt think twice before telling them to come by the hospital whenever they wanted. Nobody smokes. Hold your baby to your shoulder or chest. All rights reserved. alone. Another smart strategy, says Dr. Ahmed, is to let someone hold your baby for just a few minutes, thereby limiting your baby's potential exposure. Should you let them? It's just common sense. You also acknowledge that owing to the limited nature of communication possible on Flu. Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested on Monday . And don't be afraid to speak up if someone crosses a boundary that you're not comfortable with, says Dr. Hasson. Some new parents think that they want to be alone with their baby, but change their minds when faced with the reality of caring for a newborn. A new baby is most vulnerable during its first six weeks of life. Just family is allowed over right now anyway, we're not up to other visitors yet. 36 hours of labor and a rough delivery later and our baby girl Sophia came exactly one week early this was the hardest thing I have ever gone through in my life and I didnt think I could do it but it was all worth it in the end when they handed me my little bean. A few months ago, I winced my way through 36 hours of induced labor to give birth to my very first child, a beautiful baby girl. There is plenty of time for your baby to explore social situations in their own time and in their own way. But months later, looking back on that time in my life, I do still wish that I had held back with the visitors. At no time do they replace the diagnosis, advice, or treatment . It's something that they are doing for the newborn and for themselves. There are no hard and fast rules about whether and when to let people touch or hold your newborn, saysAmina Ahmed, MD, professor of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology at Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital. Start by selecting which of these best describes you! As an alternative to in-person meet and greets, try a virtual option. Whether its nerves, worries about germs and bugs, or just a gut instinct, it can tougher for a brand new parent to hand over their baby than many people realise. Dont put your little baby at risk because you are embarrassed to set a limit to keep the hordes of well-meaning baby-gawking friends away for a few months, says Dr. Karp. Should I cut down on her baths. Baby gate ideas help ! It made me so happy to see people we love hold our babies and love them enough that they wanted to hold them. Then she passes by that little baby face, and . I in fact never asked to hold him, only GM and GF did. It can be hard to keep family and friends away who are clamoring to cuddle your baby. The mother may not want visitors when she is not looking or feeling her best, as may be the case after childbirth. The information on this website is of a general nature and available for educational purposes only and We always ask people to wash and sanitize before they hold her. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. My personal opinion is that it is ridiculous to not let healthy family members hold a new baby. I don't want a sick baby. A newborns immune system is its strongest in that first week. MEL73104 December 2009 My little girl was born Dec. 15th, so she's 8 days old. It can be both tempting and scary to let people touch your newborn baby. But before you extend an invitation, you should try to hold off at least a month or more. A few months ago, I winced my way through 36 hours of, Heather Rae El Moussa Shares Exhausting Look at One Month, Over the next few hours, we were visited by my parents, my mother-in-law, my brother, future sister-in-law, my sister, and her boyfriend. Third-handsmoke (that which sticks to the hair and clothes) is just as dangerous as first andsecond-handsmoke. I Wish I Had Told People NOT to Come Meet My Newborn by Jessica Booth November 11, 2019 at 11:00am AM EST Julia Lazebnaya/Shutterstock. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide who gets to touch your newbornand even who gets to be close enough to breath on them. I didnt know what to say. Hattie Gladwell Tuesday 25 Aug 2020 1:42 pm. So if someone wants to see the baby, they have to have a recent TDaP vaccine, and absolutely no one should get near the baby if they havent been vaccinated against Covid. Dr. Alexander adds: Very serious infections such as sepsis or meningitis are possible during the first few months of life. You know what's best for the safety and health of your baby. Hold your baby. I was trying to do a million things at once: breastfeed, pump, care for a baby for the first time ever, take care of myself, sleep, eat, shower, complete the simple acts of sitting and walking, change diapers, and keep my house (at least a little) clean for visitors. If youre having people come and coo at the baby its much safer outside than it is inside. Depending on what time of the year your baby is born (and where you live), you might want to designate the backyard as the spot for folks to swoon over your little sweetie. Were very close with our families, and we wanted them nearby. advertising. Have a parenting question you want answered? Make a polite post on either Facebook or Instagram letting people know the few guidelines you would like them to follow when they visit you. Plus there are a lot of people in our family and almost all of Yes, you read right; wear your baby. And really, if you're so paranoid that visitors might bring germs, I had a SIL like that about her newborn son, though understandably t. First all thanks for all of the responses. As recently as the 1970s, postpartum hospital stays averaged four days. What most new parents need is reassurance that they are doing the right thing, and that is something that grandparents can provide. Physical distancing is one of the most important ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Note that there are a lot of asymptomatic cases of certain illnesses, like COVID-19, so even if someone doesn't show signs of illness, they still could be sick with the virus, warns Dr. Ahmed. I resisted the urge to be rude and demand to have my baby back. Thanks! Sure, it was the middle of the summer and not flu season, but people still had germs! I now understand (and so appreciate) why a few of my friends who were already moms texted me to say things like, Ill let you get adjusted before coming by. 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