Please Don't Touch My Baby!! (Vent...and a question)

choogasian · June 2011

So today I stopped by my work to show my employees the baby and a customer (who knew my name, but I don't know who she is) grabbed Siena's hand!! She rushed up to the stroller as I had it open for my employees to see the baby and shoved her hand in and grabbed the baby's hand before I could realize what was happening!! I was so upset. I immediately asked her to remove her hand and she looked at me like I was a terrible person. She walked away, offended, but whatever. I immediately rubbed sanitizer gel all over Siena's hand. I know that stuff isn't ideal for baby's skin, but I didn't know what else to do. She LOVES to suck on that hand and I didn't want to give her a chance to do so before I could get to a bathroom. People are so rude, I would never touch a baby without asking!

My question is... The chances that the lady had some terrible disease are low, right? Please don't laugh, I kinda had a panic attack because of this. I freaked out completely once I left my workplace. Siena should be ok, right? I am looking for honest answers here. Please help ease my FTM worries, please.

fluffybuns · June 2011

I think I am sort of the opposite of you, I took my baby to work (a middle school) and passed her around to kids to hold and other teachers.

I know they say their immune systems are underdeveloped, but in my experience, babies are good at not getting sick.

For example, my 2 year old had the stomach bug a few weeks ago. I didn't know it until she walked up to the baby and vomited ALL OVER HER! I went into panic mode, but Avery came out of it fine! She seriously needed a bath after being puked on, but she never got sick.

And Addyson has had a stuffy nose since she's been born too, and Avery hasn't caught any of it.

Are you breastfeeding?? I think this really helps the baby with not getting sick. I'm sure not always, but a lot!

Jram85 · June 2011

I'm a FTM too and I understand your panic attack, but your LO is probably just fine. If you are BFing then she has all of the antibodies that you do and even though her immune system isn't super strong yet, she's well protected.

choogasian · June 2011

I am breastfeeding about 90% of the time (about 1 bottle of formula every other day or so.) I hope you're right, I have heard that about BFing, this was just a scary thing to happen. This just freaked me out!

sparkymcgeee · June 2011

I'm sorry you felt attacked but I think you are overreacting a bit. She'll be just fine and I would be very careful about that sanitizer. There is a LOT of alcohol in that.

Peejee · June 2011

The chance that she had contagious canceraidsebola is pretty low.

If I could dig up the studies again (the lazy is strong in me), breastfeeding is shown to actually have no impact on infant immune system as the immunity antibodies are passed through the blood before birth..but, she's pretty good. Matthew was 4 days old and being handed around to nurses in a CT ICU unit in a hospital. He was in my dad's ICU room, the whole deal. Heck, the day we were discharged we went out to dinner and when people said "oh how old?" I had to go "oh..uh..in 30 minutes he'll be 3 days!" and watch as they went all wide eyed.

Your baby is fine. Just don't use the sanitizer on her again. Really, you could have wiped her hand with a baby wipe and it would have been better.

kck329 · June 2011

It sounds like you need one of these:

https://www.mytinyhands.com/shopping/store.htm

Its a sign to hang on your carseat/stroller to help prevent people from touching your baby. Our NICU gives them to everyone and it seems to help a little. I do understand your panic--we don't even take LO out in public yet because of germs (doc's orders). But I am sure your DD is fine. Stick to baby wipes or baby-friendly sani wipes next time though

andigurl · July 2011

I tend the think the hand sanitizer would do more damage than the woman touching your babies hand.

kacelle · July 2011

andigurl:
I tend the think the hand sanitizer would do more damage than the woman touching your babies hand.

Agreed!

AnneShirleyBlythe · July 2011

Wow.

Talk about overreacting. You probably did more damage with the hand sanitizer.

theaustins05 · July 2011

Your cuckoo for coco puffs. Your baby didn't contract a dangerous disease because one person touched her had and you purelled it. She might get sick from the alcohol in the purell though.

pumpkinhead06 · July 2011

yes, your baby will survive the great trauma of someone touching her. (It's hard not to get a little snide here).

I can not believe you actually put hand sanitizer on a baby, and think that is ok, but that a person touched her HAND and that is not.

ummm.. do you live in a bubble? If not, I am sure your baby has been exposed to more germs, just by living.

and, IMHO, germs are good for babies. I never sheltered my son, heck like a pp wrote, I had my son at my elementary school when he was 6 weeks old, being passed around, and he survived, and never got sick. I had my daughter, as 2 weeks old in my sons daycare, where all the 2-3 year children, who are in my son's class touched her on a daily basis until the school year ended. She has survived so far. no boils have grown.

AnneShirleyBlythe · July 2011

BTW, lots of babies and toddlers eat their own poop at some point. I would get WAY over the germophobia if I were you. At least to this extent. If someone touching their hand gave you a panic attack a toddler with a code brown smeared on their face will render you catatonic.

(BTW, mine never did this, but my nephew did. I would say it goes 50/50)

choogasian · July 2011

Now I just feel like a horrible mom. I will never do that again. I know you all mean the best, but your reactions really made me feel terrible.

sparkymcgeee · July 2011

choogasian:
Now I just feel like a horrible mom. I will never do that again. I know you all mean the best, but your reactions really made me feel terrible.

You're not a terrible mom. Just don't do the sanitizer bit again. Also, relax just a little.

theaustins05 · July 2011

choogasian:
Now I just feel like a horrible mom. I will never do that again. I know you all mean the best, but your reactions really made me feel terrible.

You asked for honesty. Your honestly cuckoo, possibly OCD, and definitely over reacting. Your not, however, a horrible mom. Your just a new mom. Take a chill pill.

choogasian · July 2011

Unfortunately, I do deal with some anxiety and OCD. (I'd like to think that I am not cuckoo.) I love my baby very much and never meant to put her in any danger. Lesson learned.

theaustins05 · July 2011

choogasian:
Unfortunately, I do deal with some anxiety and OCD. (I'd like to think that I am not cuckoo.) I love my baby very much and never meant to put her in any danger. Lesson learned.

I was being silly. Trying to loosen you up.

choogasian · July 2011

theaustins05:
choogasian:
Unfortunately, I do deal with some anxiety and OCD. (I'd like to think that I am not cuckoo.) I love my baby very much and never meant to put her in any danger. Lesson learned.
I was being silly. Trying to loosen you up.

Ok, I get it. Sorry, I just need to relax. BTW, so far, baby has been totally fine. No reactions or anything to the sanitizer. Thank God! I think I need to get a little sleep and try to calm down.

theaustins05 · July 2011

choogasian:
theaustins05:
choogasian:
Unfortunately, I do deal with some anxiety and OCD. (I'd like to think that I am not cuckoo.) I love my baby very much and never meant to put her in any danger. Lesson learned.
I was being silly. Trying to loosen you up.
Ok, I get it. Sorry, I just need to relax. BTW, so far, baby has been totally fine. No reactions or anything to the sanitizer. Thank God! I think I need to get a little sleep and try to calm down.

I think you need an eHug.

amatistajoy · July 2011

Awwww. Yeah. I was out at Walmart and sitting on a bench in the lobby after feeding LO. I started to burp him on my lap. Before I knew it a lady had her hands on his cheeks! I could tell she was an employee. It wasn't until she walked by a few minutes later with gloves on her hands that I realized... she was the janitor for Walmart.

AnneShirleyBlythe · July 2011

amatistajoy:
Awwww. Yeah. I was out at Walmart and sitting on a bench in the lobby after feeding LO. I started to burp him on my lap. Before I knew it a lady had her hands on his cheeks! I could tell she was an employee. It wasn't until she walked by a few minutes later with gloves on her hands that I realized... she was the janitor for Walmart.

That means she probably has the cleanest hands of anyone at Walmart. The janitors really wash their hands a lot. Cashiers, not so much. Do you know how much crap (literally) is on money? Hell, her hands might have been cleaner than yours.

MissMommyMac · July 2011

andigurl:
I tend the think the hand sanitizer would do more damage than the woman touching your babies hand.

I absolutely agree! They are now saying sanitizer is bad for adults skin so I can only imagine what it does to a sensitive baby's skin.

SCasey32 · July 2011

When my first DD was about three weeks old I was in a grocery store with her waiting in the check out line when some lady Who I had NEVER seen before in my life tried unbuckling her seat straps to pick her up....
I lost my mind in the middle of a packed grocery store. I'm pretty sure that lady never went shopping in our small town's ONLY grocery store again.

I personally don't go around grabbing at strange babies, So strange people need to keep their hands off my kids. Sure talk to them when they make eye contact with you but if I don't know you and your hand comes anywhere near my girls I'm liable to break it off and beat you with it.

Callidryas · July 2011

SCasey32:
When my first DD was about three weeks old I was in a grocery store with her waiting in the check out line when some lady Who I had NEVER seen before in my life tried unbuckling her seat straps to pick her up....
I lost my mind in the middle of a packed grocery store. I'm pretty sure that lady never went shopping in our small town's ONLY grocery store again.

I personally don't go around grabbing at strange babies, So strange people need to keep their hands off my kids. Sure talk to them when they make eye contact with you but if I don't know you and your hand comes anywhere near my girls I'm liable to break it off and beat you with it.