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May 2016 Moms
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Friends who are teachers (nursery - age 7 level) - meet the baby?

CharissadeatsCharissadeats member
in May 2016 Moms
Hello ladies.

Need some STMs, or those who feel like they might know, to help me out please.

I have lots of friends who are teachers. Now, as a lot of you know, I am from South Africa. I am saying this for two reasons only: 1. it is winter time when baby is born and people get the flu (a different strain than the one in the US) and colds each winter. 2. Lots of my friends actually teach the underprivileged (parents don't necessarily make use of pre-emptive measures to keep their kids healthy).

My concern is, is it safe for my baby to meet these teachers, if we know that there is some risk, even if it's small, that they could have picked up something from the kids (they are constantly sick)? 

I don't want to be that friend who keeps my baby away like a mad person, but I feel like this is a legit concern. Like, please correct me if I am crazy! 

Should we wait until our baby is vaccinated and a bit older? Or should we not be so strict on them? 

I am seeing my doc this afternoon and will ask his opinion, but it's always helpful to hear from you ladies! 

I am, of course, afraid of offending these ladies, but my baby comes before their feelings! 
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Re: Friends who are teachers (nursery - age 7 level) - meet the baby?

  • lalala2004lalala2004 member
    I think it's reasonable to wait a couple of months (after major vaccines) to have the baby around too many people. Obviously it's difficult to keep the baby away from everyone, but it's also reasonable to expect people to use hand sanitizer and keep their kisses to themselves as well.

    Personally my baby will not be meeting my students, but I'll bring him to meet the teachers after the students go home. But of course it won't be cold/flu season here.
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  • kami09kami09 member
    I have personally gotten the flu 3 times this winter...my 16 mo old has gotten it twice...because of preschool. I don't think it's crazy to wait a bit until baby is older. The flu is miserable and dangerous for someone so small.

    I've waited a couple months to meet friends babies when I've had a lingering cold--I never wanted to be the one to give it to a baby. I feel like your friends should understand.
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  • finnybooboofinnybooboo member
    I think your friends should understand! Maybe just mention that if they're sick or been sick recently that they won't be allowed to hold the baby. And make sure everyone washes hands/sanitizes before holding. 

    One of of my best friends had a baby 4 weeks premature and he's had a tough go so far (spent about 2 months in NICU, etc) and since I have a germy 2 year old at home I refuse to hold him yet out of an abundance of caution.  He's 4 months old but was so fragile and mommy was so paranoid about him getting sick (rightfully so in their situation) that I MIGHT feel comfortable holding him sometime before he's a year ;) 
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  • kbrands7kbrands7 member
    I think it's prudent to either delay them meeting your LO until he has a stronger immune system and some vaccines, or at the very least, make sure that he doesn't meet them all in a large group or while there is something being passed around at school. I teach in a district where many families have incomes at or below the poverty line and sickness is absolutely even more of a concern within those districts because there are many more instances of students who are ill, or even very ill still coming to school for a variety of reasons (free breakfast/lunch, inaccessible back-up childcare for child to stay home, uncertainty of what medical services will/won't be covered). A lot of times, our students don't miss unless they are hospitalized. Add large classes/tight classrooms to that-- and in the case of the age group you have mentioned, likely poor or developing hygiene, and you have a recipe for lots of illness. 

    Generally too, I had people wash their hands before holding DS when he was very small-- or if I knew there was an active virus in the area. He didn't meet my teacher friends all at once, and I didn't bring him to my school to meet anyone because it's just not a clean environment. Even once I went back to work, I'd shower, flush my sinuses, and change my clothes as soon as I got home to try to minimize the really nasty germs he was exposed to. Between those precautions, bf, and good old-fashioned playing in the yard, etc. he seems to have developed a very healthy immune system-- his is actually much better than mine.
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