Can I hold her?

I always to anxious baby snatchers that my ds wasn't old enough to buy cigarettes yet, so he def. wasn't old enough to be exposed to it, no matter what the "hand" kind of smoke it is. Maybe a little snarly, but I'm a smart alec, and I think it's rude and inconsiderate to smoke around children.

Good for you! I dread this. My mom smokes, SIL smokes and most of DH's side of the family smokes, so unfortunately we won't be able to avoid this at times. I plan to wear baby as much as possible to avoid "can I hold her" questions. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Good for you!! It gets easier when you've been saying No for awhile

I don't let anyone touch our newborns, smokers or not, unless they're close close friends or family and I make everyone wash hands/use hand sanitizer, ask them if they've been around anyone sick, if they've been sick recently, etc. Just not worth exposing a newborn to make someone else feel good about holding a baby. And OMG the kids at school! Julia, I'm with you, why in the world do people NOT teach their kids to keep their hands off of other people's babies?? I've been rude to a few who would not step back from the baby after told once. My kids know- with animals and babies, you may look at other peoples' but you may not touch unless invited. And touching involves breathing near the baby's face, too

sorry to crash from March DDC. I just had to say good for the OP! One of the most dangerous aspects of smokers in terms of babies is all the toxins that they have in their skin. And that is why it is not recommended that smokers co-sleep with Baby.

Quote:
That was my reaction too. I'd never ask to hold a stranger's baby.

My FIL smokes and we asked him not to smoke in his own house when we are there. He doesn't. He still thinks it's ok to bring my dd out for a walk with him when he smokes, but we just make sure to go out too and remind her that hse is not allowed to get to close to him when he is smoking.

The smoke on his hands bugged me, but I still let him touch her and hold her when she was a baby. My brother's wife used to make her mom smoke outside, wash her hands and change her shirt before holding her babies. She did not visit her mom's house at all until the twins were about a year old.

It feels good to stand up for your kid!

Quote:
I do the same for smokers that come see a new baby in our house, however, my kids have never been to my MIL house and most likely never will, nor have they been to any other smokers house... (including my grandmother, friends and other family)

I have not visited my MIL since way before we had kids because I can't be in her house a few moments before having an allergic reaction... and she didn't even smoke when we were there, but just the residue on the furniture and walls was enough to make me sick... If that is my reaction, I know that it can only be harmful for my children.