Protecting Your Newborn from Touchy People

As a new mother you constantly worry about your newborn and how to keep them safe and healthy. Often times mothers worry about going out in public because the one thing you can't control is whether or not a person is sick or keeps clean. Often times when going out mothers are working hard to keep adults and children from touching their babies. Here are some tips to keep your newborn safe without having to stay in your home for eight weeks.

1. Keep them covered up.

People when they see a baby want to automatically touch a baby. This is especially true for smaller children. Small children do not understand that they should not touch and it seems that some adults don't understand this as well.

So keep your newborn out of sight. If you have an infant carrier keep the baby in the carrier and under the shade so she can't be seen. If someone approaches and asks about the baby, be polite and answer any questions but don't offer to show the baby to the person. If the person asks to see, politely decline to do so. It's okay to say no.

If you don't have an infant carrier and instead are deciding to use a wrap, keep the baby covered as best you can. Using a wrap actually makes it easier to say no to people and you don't have to worry about children at all because most aren't tall enough to even reach the baby. Once again if a person asks to see the baby, just politely decline to allow it, you can make up any excuse why if you wish, and turn the baby away from the stranger.

If you have neither a carrier or wrap and are just holding the baby, make sure to have the baby in some sort of blanket. This allows you to cover their head and gives less touchable area should an offending adult get through and touch your child.

In a stroller it becomes a little harder to keep hands off your child, especially smaller hands of a child. You can cover the stroller with a light weight blanket and just decline to allow anyone to see the baby.

2. Post a sign.

Some may believe it to be rude to post a sign that says "Do Not Touch" but as a mother you aren't supposed to worry about whether or not you are offending someone, you are supposed to be protecting your child.

A sign can be posted on the stroller or on the carrier or anywhere you may have the baby at, for instance if the baby is in a bassinet at a family gathering and you'd not like her to be touched, attach the sign to the bassinet.

Signs can say things like, "Do Not Touch," "Please Wash Hands Before Touching," or "Ask Before Touching."

3. Carry Hand Sanitizer with you.

If you are okay with people touching your baby but want to at least make sure people have clean hands, carry hand sanitizer with you. Even if you aren't okay with people touching your child, make sure to have hand sanitizer on hand so that if someone does reach in you can pull it out and ask them to wash their hands.

Once again some may believe this to be rude but when it comes to the health of your child, nothing is rude to ask.

4. Say No!

It's okay, just say it! Don't worry about offending people. It's your baby, not theirs and you have the right to say no.

So say it!

5. Never make eye contact.

Last is perhaps the most extreme of methods to keeping people from touching your child. If you never look someone in the eye they will most likely not feel comfortable approaching you. This could backfire if you're looking to make friends, but if you're not this method works well. If you don't acknowledge that someone is there, then they probably won't acknowledge you.

Hopefully these methods help you keep your newborn safe during those first few weeks when trips made outside have to be done. Putting into practice some of these tips will allow you to leave the house without being too worried. Remember in the end, it's okay to so NO!