Any new mum is hyper-aware of that fact that germs bring sickness, and people bring germs.
From the time you leave hospital, strangers and family members alike are likely going to want to want some sort of interaction with your new bub.
Maybe they want a hit of that new baby smell.
Or maybe they want to do that gross thing where the whip out a grotty finger and put it in bub’s mouth.
Either way, a new baby means you’re going to be accosted by family and friends far less concerned about germs than you are.
And Mothercraft for Babies founder, Beth Barclay, has some tips to fend them off:
“Keep your baby in a pram.”
Barclay suggests keeping your baby strapped or laying in a pram, and sliding a muslin over the top.
If someone stops you because they want to have a look at the baby, that way you can pull up the muslin to reveal the baby, and let it drop back down.
Keeping bub out of arms reach is the biggest deterrent for strangers who may want to make contact, or spread germs.
“Have a conversation.”
“She’s very new at the moment and hasn’t had all her immunisations,” is a good excuse to keep people away, Barclay says on Mamamia’s Year One podcast.
“Ask them to wash their hands.”
If you’re at home and you’ve got family or friends visiting, this is the first thing you should ask them to do because it’s blanket way to reduce the chance of anyone spreading germs via direct contact.
Washing hands, however, doesn’t protect from things like coughing or sneezing, and is obviously only sensible when at home.
“Hand sanitiser is your friend.”
Whether at home or out and about, hand sanitiser is always available. This is an ace way to kill bacteria, and Barclay suggests new mums carry sanitiser in their baby bag, everywhere they go.
What are your tips for keeping germs away from your baby?
Listen to the full episode of our podcast for brand new parents, below.
This podcast is made possible by Philips Avent.
Top Comments
So I’ve asked my mother in law to wash her hands prior to touching my newborn when she has come to my house, and she says ‘I’ve just washed them at home’ right, what can I say to that? Well it would be good if you washed them again as you’ve just got out of your car which everyone knows are filthy and touched every gate and door along the way. And she probably wonders why I twitch when she drops in unannounced.
My biggest pet peeve is sick people going near newborns, immunocompromised people or the elderly. It’s absolutley selfish. I know someone who thinks it’s their god given right to not avoid other people when theyre sick. It’s disgusting.