When you first learn that your friend or family member has finally brought their newborn home from the hospital, you’re just so happy for them and so excited to snuggle the new member of the family! However, extra visitors are not always welcomed by new parents. Sometimes the time of the year or concerns for communicable diseases like Covid-19 are the biggest factors and we have to keep our distance for a while.
In today’s article, we’re going to cover some best practices and actionable tips for keeping your newborn infant as germ free as is realistically possible. Please chime in at the comment section with your personal tips, experiences, and insight into this important topic. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Tips For Visitors And Family Members Coming Over To See Baby
As parents of a newborn, you want to have people come by and see your new child and to even possibly help with assorted things around the house. Of top priority, a much needed nap for mom or dad! Here are some things that you can have visitors do before they snuggle your new bundle of cuteness.
- Have all visitors wash their hands before touching baby or things that the baby will touch or eat.
- Tell visitors to avoid touching the child’s face with their hands even after washing.
- Have visitors avoid kissing the baby (we understand that it’s so tempting! But it will have to wait until they are a little older and their immune system is more developed.)
- Avoid contact between toddlers and the newborn, especially if they are in daycare or similar program. All older children should immediately wash hands upon arriving home and directly before they are going to interact with baby.
- Anyone who has been sick recently should avoid coming over entirely until they have been symptom free (especially fevers) for 7 days.
- Anyone who has recently come back from a vacation, especially one overseas should wait at least 7 days before seeing baby.
- Consider common vaccines. This may not be right for your family. Please research each one carefully.
Keeping Baby Germ Free When Out Of The House
When you are on walks or out running errands and your newborn is with you, it is equally if not more important to help shield them from germs. Here are a few quick tips you can deploy today in order to help your little one stay disease free during those crucial first few weeks and months.
- Buy a cover for your carseat and carriers that prevent strangers from touching or handling baby.
- Buy a sign or tag to place on your stroller that will give a friendly reminder to strangers to keep their distance, like this: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/295619163046763686/
- Carry baby on your person in a pack or type of carrier (like a chest rig) that will deter others from touching them without permission. I personally like different carriers for different weight and ages of babies.
Carrier We Like:
Newborn to 10-12lbs – Baby K’Tan: https://amzn.to/46HWtNj
1-4 months – Bjorn Baby: https://amzn.to/46HWtNj
4+ months – Egro Baby: https://amzn.to/46HWtNj
Before You Go
We hope you enjoyed learning about tips for keeping your newborn infant free from germs (as much as is realistically possible). If you would like to know more about this, our sleep programs or any of our excellent newborn care services, we are happy to help. Just contact us and we can go over your options and help you find the best path for your little one. We hope these tips have helped you along your journey. If you have any questions about helping your baby to sleep better, or about your baby in general, please reach out to us HERE. We are experts in all things baby and sleep and would love to help!
If you have questions about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help. Please reach out to us here! We always look forward to hearing from you.
