Hand washing etiquette for those handling baby

[Asiago]

My son is now 11 weeks old, my husband and I have been very careful to ask friends and family members to wash hands before contact with him. It's the northeast, and it seems illness is everywhere during these winter months, so we have been especially vigilent.

Our last ped appointment was 3 weeks ago, at which time the doctor reccomended everyone wash hands before contact with the baby and of course avoid anyone who is ill.

At what age did you no longer ask people to wash hands before contact?

Generally speaking, I recall years ago we kids were asked to wash up before eating meals and now it seems to be a bygone. We all see the adults that leave the public restrooms with no washing or just a two second rinse.
Now with a young baby I really am not sure when to stop requesting people to wash hands before touching him (they love to grab his hands) and then those hands go right in the mouth
Eww, those hands of the adults that may just skip the bathroom hand washing. Yuck, let me stop myself, it's making me ill (!)

Thoughts?

[Chamomile Girl]

I never insisted on handwashing personally. My family is huge and when we have gatherings the baby gets passed around. I am much more concerned that the people holding him be sober...not always easy actually.

Every time your babe gets sick it strengthens their immune system. I guess I just hope that his sicknesses remain minor. After all if someone is sick they are still going to breathe on the kid and there is nothing you can do about that.

[BarnMomma]

I believe in handwashing. I think it prevents illness better than most things.

When DS was born everyone had to wash their hands before contact. Period.

When he was older and people went to grab his little hands I would always turn him away or hold HIS hands so they were not available. Drives me crazy that people do this. (I always touch feet or not at all, if it's a stranger and I keep a distance...stangers breathign down on babies is a whoel other can of worms)

I think I relaxed the handwashing around 6 months when I felt confident his immune system was strong and developed.

But sick people still must stay far far away.

And I handwash before I eat, after being in public places, after going to kid places, before and after bathroom use, after touching raw meat, after touching th egarbage can, ...I wash my hands frequently.

[Norasmomma]

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl

I never insisted on handwashing personally. My family is huge and when we have gatherings the baby gets passed around.

Mine too-we have a giant extended family and the baby gets passed around. My son is 14 weeks-I'm pretty much over the obsessive hand washing phase, that said I do use those cart wipes at the grocery store and hand sanitizer. I have a 3 y/old too, so germs will get in even if I'm am crazy diligent. FWIW mt DD got a nasty cold when our son was a week old-everyone turned out ok.

[lifeguard]

I'm in the never asked people to wash hands camp. But ds was not a newborn during flu season - I'm not sure if that would change how I would feel about it.

[wbg]

I was vigilant with my first child and it turns out, he was my most sick child. My last two I had given up on asking for hand washing after the first week. With older siblings at school and Dad going to work on public transport, I figured we were doomed. Guess who my two healthiest babies have been? Yup, the last two. DS2 is 6 and has barely seen a doc! DS1 was at the doctor constantly till he was 3 and is still more susceptible now to virus's at school. DD2 is still young but she is super healthy. I am not anti hand washing! Just a little more laid back about it I guess.

[BrittneyMarie]

We never really insisted on handwashing. We had hand sanitizer and insisted upon people who we know are bad at handwashing (my inlaws. yuck) use it, because we didnt want her exposed to too many germs, but people who wash their hands often enough don't typically carry an unhealthy amount of germs, imo. we do make sure that anyone that is around her hasnt been sick in the last week or so though

[ShadowMoon]

I never insisted on people washing/sanitizing their hands before handling the baby. But that's just me.

I would say if it makes you comfortable asking people to wash their hands before holding your babe, so be it. It wouldn't hurt, and I wouldn't be offended if a mamma requested I wash up before reaching for her baby.

[JL83]

DD was born in November and we never asked anyone to wash their hands. This baby is due soon and I wouldn't dream of asking people to wash their hands.

[Learning_Mum]

I've never asked anyone to wash their hands. It wouldn't have even crossed my mind. Both my boys were born in winter and neither got sick. Infact they're both pretty healthy kids. I'm not that vigilant about washing hands in general. If their hands look dirty they wash before a meal but basically kids get into a whole heap of yucky things and I think it's good for them to build up their immune systems.

Also, that's what BF is for!

[lmk1]

I don't think there's a specific age. I think it's how you feel. At some point your baby will get sick enough times and you won't be paranoid about it, and you'll just feel comfortable. By the time they start to crawl and EVERYTHING ends up in their mouth, it won't matter anyway.

[Jessy1019]

I never asked people to wash their hands before touching my babies. *I* didn't wash my hands before touching them (and I don't wash my hands after going to the bathroom either, not unless they actually get dirty, which seldom happens). Neither of my kids got more than a slight stuffy nose in the first year+ of their lives.

[Hesperia]

I'm in a funny mood and all I could think was threaten them if they don't wash their hands first, you'll give them a breastmilk rinse!

But really, I wouldn't even ask. I feel that if the person is sick, they might be more aware of it and think to wash hands (I always do, sick or not). But I wouldn't worry about it. The kisses are probably spreading more germs and you can't ask them not to kiss the baby! It is impossible not to.

[mumkimum]

We kept hand sanitizer out whenever we had baby-specific visitors. I don't remember being really crazy about asking people to make sure their hands were clean every time EXCEPT for any smokers we had visiting & handling the babe or anyone we knew was/had been sick recently.

[snoopy5386]

I don't ask people to wash hands either, I am really bad at it, my mom never made us do it, so it often never occurs to me, although I am trying to do better.
But I think it is fine that you do. By the time they are rolling/crawling/grabbing everything and stuffing it in there mouths, that would be a good time to stop.

[Kirsten]

I never asked people to wash their hands before holding my babies. I remember someone asking to hold one, and then hopping up saying "oh, let me wash my hands". I really didn't care.

It is smart. It makes sense. But it was never anything that bugged me either way. I think it depends on your comfort level.

However, not washing hands after using the restroom is just GROSS and I am continually amazed to see kids and even adults walk out without washing their hands sometimes....

[proudmomof4]

My babies are bigger now but I will wash my hands before handling someone's baby when there's a possiblilty.
For my own children, I didn't "obsess" about it but washed my hands before nursing, after bathroom visits and diaper changes. I also had my older child(ren) wash hands when coming home from school or preschool before saying hello to the baby brother. But then, you might be in the middle of ..., your child wants to nurse and you can't wash your hands. I tried to have some water "on board" in the car but didn't always remember to fill it up and I'm not into hand sanitizers.

[ElliesMomma]

i ask people to wash their hands; my husband works on public transportation, and i'm always asking/reminding him to wash his hands. i hear you all saying that it strengthens immune systems to get sick once in awhile; however, for me with two kids, i tell ya, everytime one or both of them are ill, it takes a significant toll on **me** to care for them through their illness. i hate when they are sick. so far, my baby hasn't been really sick; my daughter who is almost four has gone through several colds over the years. i really, really prefer her to be healthy versus sick -- for her own comfort, as well as for my convenience. i spend enough time and effort caring for her 24/7 every single day, than to add in waking up every half hour to soothe sore throat, or wipe big snotty boogers that she sneezes in the night, or even just "can't sleep" because she doesn't feel well.

yeah, i like to avoid illness if i can help it. and for a new baby, even though he's four months old now, i also don't want him getting sick if i can help it. i don't stay in to avoid colds, but i prefer that people wash their hands.

i'm a frequent hand washer, and i'm always the one who doesn't get ill around here.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Life with a Babe

[gbailey]

I ask everyone who enters our home to take off their shoes and wash their hands whether they're going to handle DH or not. It's something DH and I do when we ask other people to do it too. It's just our thing.