Taking Your New Baby Around Family Members
Taking your new baby around family members can be stressful. Your baby is getting used to their environment, and bringing new family members into the mix can be a cause for disaster. Fear not, there are several things you can do as a parent to prepare your baby for being around all of these new people! Communicate with your family members how you want them to handle your baby to avoid any potential problems or hard feelings. According to this article from PennMedicine, these are the most important things to consider!
Germs
This is the most obvious concern (for good reason!). Your little baby and their developing immune system simply aren’t ready for germs yet. In fact, a newborn’s immune system isn’t considered to have adequate function until 2 months old! Feel free to be the boss! It’s up to you what you ask of your visitors. And if they can’t follow your rules, they don’t get the privilege of meeting your little one just yet. Consider asking your guests to make sure they…
- Are up-to-date on vaccines: Newborns don’t have fully developed immune systems, making them particularly vulnerable to infections. Because of this, anyone who is around babies (including parents and siblings) should be sure to receive the following routine vaccines at least two weeks before meeting baby:
- Flu vaccine during flu season
- Whooping Cough (Pertussis) vaccine (called DTaP for children and Tdap for older children and adults)
- Stay away if they’re sick: Visitors with symptoms of any illness (cough, cold, fever or flu symptoms) should keep their distance from your house until they’re fully recovered.
- Wash hands frequently: It’s always a good idea to ask visitors to wash their hands upon arrival, and before holding your newborn. Follow your instincts on when and how often to ask guests to wash up
- Let your baby have some space: Maybe you feel comfortable with certain visitors coming to see your baby, but aren’t sure about letting everyone hold your little one just yet. And that’s fine, mama! Feel free to set limits. You can ask them to avoid close proximity to your baby’s face, and it’s up to you whether or not you want visitors to hold your baby. Be sure that if you have a partner, they’re on the same page about the rules.
- Bring/wear a mask: During flu season, or a pandemic, anyone holding your baby should wear a mask.
Your Own R&R
Don’t put your own rest and recovery aside for the sake of guests; you’ve been through the ringer! Make sure you’re feeling good physically and emotionally before welcoming visitors. The last thing a sleep-deprived new parent needs is to feel overwhelmed with people in their home.
And even if you’re excited for your loved ones to come meet your baby, visits can still be tiring. Don’t hesitate to set limits. When you’re ready for guests to leave, a simple “I think baby and I need to go take a nap now; thank you for coming to visit us!” should be more than enough to wrap up a visit.
Work With Us
Here at Happy Family After, our goal is to help new parents find peace of mind and confidence. The peace of mind that comes from knowing someone is in YOUR corner at all times, supporting and advising, but never {EVER} judging. Honoring YOUR choices and helping you figure out YOUR way of doing things. We’re here to help with a combination of in-person visits, calls, texts, emails, overnight stays, and just being there. Start by contacting us, here!