Don't Kiss the Baby!
There’s something in the water. This pregnancy I have four friends joining me as our bellies get bigger, the heartburn appears, and the countless trips to the bathroom to pee roll on. In a few short months there will be five new babies to love on! It’s going to be so, so fun, but there are a few things you should know before going to visit new babies…
These first three are the biggest…
Wash your hands. You would think this would go without saying, but I had to ask quite a few people to wash their hands before holding Grady when he was a newborn. This isn’t a quick wash so you can run and hold the baby… do a good wash up to your elbows. Babies are extremely susceptible to every little illness; let’s keep them safe.
Don’t kiss the baby and if you have a cold sore, stay away. This one is hard; you see a cute little baby and of course you want to kiss him or her, but you MUST resist the urge. Again, babies are extremely susceptible to illness. Their skin is extremely porous which makes kissing extra dangerous and cold sores terrifying. You see, a baby won’t just end up with the cold sore on their lips, it can spread, causing blindness or lifelong issues. You can read an article about this by clicking here.
If you have any symptoms of being sick, even if it’s “just allergies” don’t visit! I think you’re noticing a theme in these first few. Remember, the new parents are going to be paranoid about keeping their little baby safe, so what is just a little allergy sniffle to you is a world of unknown to them.
Now onto the rest…
Lend a helping hand. Chances are the parents of this sweet little baby you’re visiting haven’t been sleeping, getting fully ready for the day or eating true meals. Help out by bringing a meal, offering to let the parents run upstairs for a quick shower, playing with any other children in the house, vacuuming, dropping off some diapers, really anything! If you want to do something really special for a couple who just had a baby, offer to create a meal train.
Don’t assume your kids can hold the baby. Some parents just aren’t comfortable with children holding their baby and that is okay. If the parents are okay with your kids holding the baby, they will likely ask if they would like to.
Support the neck. Newborns have no control of their heads, so be certain to support their heads/necks. The best thing to do is allow the parents to hand you the baby in the arm cradle position.
So go ahead and love on your friends’ and family members’ babies, but don’t forget these few guidelines. Did I miss one? Let me know in the comments.
