Am I Wrong??

Actually making people wash their hands can actually cause problems. For the first few weeks you should, but after that the nonexposure to germs might make it worse when she does get exposed. There are probably less germs on your adult friends hands who maintain proper hygiene than there are in you dr.'s office. I have noticed that my friends who were obsessed (usuallly first child syndrome)with making everyone wash their hands did have babies who were sick a lot and the babies who were exposed to more germs were sick less often (usually comes with the second child). Don't get me wrong though, this is assuming your friends and family maintain proper hygiene like washing after the bathroom or taking out the trash and such. Good Luck with your new little girl.

Dear T.,

Washing hands isn't a bad idea but it turns out that kids who live in very clean environments get sicker more often then those who live in the real world. The immune system needs to be stimulated to operate at peak efficiency. If you give it challenges by exposing it to the real world rather then withholding all outside pathogens, it will be stronger rather then weaker. Hopefully, you are breast feeding which is the best way to stengthen you babies immune system.

Use of antibiotics on children is bad for them. It kills the good stuff in the intestines and allows yeast to over grow which will wreck her immune system and she will get sick all the time. Use vitamin supplements and if they get sick the natural stuff like Mono Lauren, zinc etc. Dairy products cause mucus which can lead to blocked ears. You are the best source of food for the baby. Soy stuff is touted as good but it is heavily chemically processed, contains a lot of aluminum and estrogen like chemicals which it the equivelent of giving your baby birth control pills.

Another little known fact is that kids playing in real dirt are healthier then those who don't. Dirt has stuff which is needed in the gut for correct functioning. Body works better if it is replenished occasionally. Don't freak out and keep your kid from the real world.

Being a good mom is hard but God made kids pretty tough and loving them doesn't mean you have to be a nut case with Clorox wipes :~).

Have fun. We are about to get granddaughter #1 in Sept.

God Bless,

S.

T. I have a 3 year old little girl and 7 month old little boy. They are my world, you can never protect them enough. You need to remind family and friends that more germs are passed by unwashed hand to a child by touching there feet and hands. What is the first thing a baby puts in there mouth? hands and feet. So you are not being overly drimatic. So just remind them if they would like to pay the doctor bills for your baby because she gets RSV, just because they didnt take two minutes to wash there hand then they should'nt touch the baby. It only protects her from Germs so why not do it for her saftey, and to just be clean. Good luck and dont back down. I make everyone wash there hands still before they even pick up one of my kids.
K.

You are absolutely NOT wrong! She is your child & people need to follow your rules. My stomach did a flip when you said a stranger touched her mouth. My son (who is 11) has severe food allergies. I fight the battle every day about getting people to wash their hands. Stand your ground!!

I don't think you are being over protective at all. I also plan on doing the same thing. I'm seven months pregnant with my second child and I have already told all my friends that if they expect to hold him they will have to wash their hands first. (I also can't stand when people put their fingers in a baby's mouth but that's another story.) For one, not everyone washes their hands after using the restroom or touching pets. Also, sometimes we forget what the last thing we touched is. I tend to say it like it is, so I tell people if they can tell me the last five items they touched since washing their hands and they can guarantee me that those items are clean, then they don't have to wash their hands. Bottom line is, if they are truly your friends they will respect your wishes.

Hi T.,

This is your baby. You are where the buck stops when it comes to her care or well-being, so I think at the end of the day you have to do what you feel is best to protect her. She is getting older and her immune system is getting stronger. We are also (I am pretty sure) past RSV season, which is a big reason for handwashing. So, I think she is probably safe with the germs. But really, it is most important what you think.

If you feel it's important to make sure people's hands are clean, then maybe you could carry around a little bottle of purell or bath and body works hand sanitizer (they are having a sell right now with 3/$15). You can lighten up the request by saying, "I'm sure this seems silly, but I would rather be sick a million days than for her to be sick one, so I have some hand sanitizer if you wouldn't mind me sharing it with you. It probably isn't necessary, but it makes me feel better."

That way you can get what you need without hurting feelings. Although, I have to say that hand washing shouldn't be that big a chore if you get to hold a sweet baby. And I really never wanted people touching my babies' faces. There are just to many places for germs to get in on the face.

Hi T.,
I don't think you're wrong at all. She is your daughter and you know what is best for her. You are doing what you feel is right and it is not for other people to judge. Your friends are way out of line for attacking you for the way you raise YOUR child.

That being said, people can be very dirty. You are simply protecting your child. And considering how few vaccines your infant has had, you have EVERY right to be concerned. Especially when so many people are skipping vaccines for their own kids. When you have an infant, it really is prudent to insist that people touching him/her have clean hands. Disregard those who say you are being overprotective. You are simply doing your job.

All my best!
A.

Hello T.!

I don't think there's anything wrong with your daughter sleeping with you (mine did for the first year and they're actually very secure now), or asking someone to not touch your child on the mouth.

Now that your daughter is three months old, though, I wouldn't be as concerned with normal hugs and touches (not on the mouth of course). If you're worried that the person has a cold or something like that you could excuse yourself to go check baby's diaper, and wash her hands then. That's actually what I did, and it kept the girls healthy and didn't offend anyone.

Best wishes, and enjoy the the time with your little one! She'll be grown up and wanting to sleep in her own bed soon enough, so just enjoy your snuggly time together!

K.