After they come...how did you handle guests?

If your children were born healthy, how did you handle the guests and inlaws that wanted to hold them? Did you have any rules set in place for when they came or what?

I'm really worried about this if you didn't notice..lol

 

I didn't allow any guests for a while as mine were born in RSV season and the NICU nurses scared the daylights out of me.

BUT....the people (IL's and family) that WERE there all knew they had to wash their hands and I had no shame in saying "Did you wash your hands?" and they always would or did. Or they would say "Let me wash my hands and hold one" etc.... They KNEW I was paranoid! Especially with a DD born with breathing issues at first. I wasn't taking any chances and if you got your feelings hurt, NOT MY PROBLEM. I was not shy about it and they knew it!!!

Good luck!! You'll be happy to have the extra arms if you can figure out how to convey your message clearly!

 

I was pretty lax about it. Mostly my family came to the hospital. I blamed it on my pediatrician and told people no kids until after the kids received their 2 month shots (which my pedi never said, but I thought it sounded pretty good.) So that stopped people for coming with their kids. I had the hand sanitized and asked people initially to use it, but to be honest, I was a pretty relaxed mom, and the sanitizer went away with in the first few weeks.

I obviously asked people if they were healthy, but my whole family was great about it. My cousin was going to come visit, but one of her sons got a cold, so even though she was fine, she said she didn't want to risk it. It's really up to you to set rules that you feel comfortable with.

 

My girls were 12 weeks early and spent a significant amount of time in the NICU...but when they came home I always made sure people washed their hands before they held them. Hand washing goes a long way.

After they were stronger and healthier I was much more relaxed about it, in fact I welcomed people coming to help me as I was very overwhelmed because my DH worked a lot.

 

We just made sure everyone washed their hands & used hand sani ~
I would have preferred no kids around them in the first month or so, but that was impossible with our families

 

Mine were born w/ no nicu time… but like other pp… I blamed it on the pedi (who didn’t say anything)… I didn’t even let my sisters girls see them (my poor nieces didn’t get to see them until they were 4 m old)

Elizabeth

 

Mine were also early and were in the NICU for a bit, but after they came home we did have visitors. We just made sure they washed their hands, and like Diane, I had no problem asking and making sure that they did!! We didn't worry about kids because we already had a kid here at our house, our oldest DD. We just would ask that people be sure they were healthy and not have a cold or anything like that before coming over. People were pretty receptive and respectful since our twins were preemies.

 

My problem is I have a huge family, on both sides. I barely got to hold my DD the day she was born because she was being passed around to EVERYONE in my room that night..even with holidays I didn't like playing 'pass the baby', if you get my drift. I was a first time mom but I hated my child going through that, especially with her having reflux...

I'm not sure how I want to handle guests when they come to the hospital or if I should have them wait until I come home.

 

Set ground rules. When I was in the recovery room after my c-section, the nurses said... they'd be the bad guys and scoot people out if it was too much. Washing hands was a must. Have your dh help curtail any visitors until YOU are feeling up to it.. and even then, set ground rules. There is no way that anyone would hold any of my kids more than me! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

 

Lots of Purell!

 

I'm not the type who likes to hole up at home after having a baby so we just took precautions. We had containers of Purell scattered throughout the house and I also carried them in the diaper bag. Everyone coming into the house had to wash their hands and not have any symptoms of a cold within the last week.

We also all got our flu shots before the baby arrived and will be doing so for this pregnancy as well.

 

I made sure and insisted on sanitizer and I lysoled everything even at the hospital LOL I still make everyone use sanitizer when they come to the house to visit

 

Mine were born at 37 weeks (scheduled c-section) and had no NICU time. I let pretty much anyone hold them as long as they (the guests) weren't sick. We did make everyone wash their hands as soon as they walked into our house. Honestly I was just desperate for help (I had a rough c-section recovery) and the more people who were willing to hold a baby (and especially feed a baby!) the better. Within about 4 weeks, I could no longer remember all the people who had held them at one point or another.

 

I'm not sure if this is appropriate for this post - but what do you tell a father-in-law (who isn't too concern about his personal hygiene) to be more hygienic when the babies come and esp if he wants to carry the babies? Mind you, I'm in an Asian context, and telling your elderly what to or not to do isn't exactly the 'nicest' thing to do! I've been pretty worried about this, and esp when hubby told me that both my in-laws will be popping over to help out while I recover from my c-section!! :umm:

 

Mine were in the NICU for 12 days, but when they came home we accepted visitors.

 

Mine were a month early and came home with me. We had a lot of visitors. We bought a huge bottle of sanitizer and set it on a table in the living room. Each guess had to sanitize their hands before they held the girls. My DH would just pick up the bottle and say, "here get some of this and hold the girls." It was just no big deal and no one took offense. Everyone seem to understand. It was flu and RSV season when the girls came and our pedi told us that we must keep them inside and away from those that were sick and we really presented it as a no option kind of thing. So, we just took matters into our own hands and made sure that people were sanitized before holding. I think you will find that most people will be very understanding to your requests.

 

My babies (di/di girls) are due anytime. (I'm 36+ weeks). our pediatrician is extremely concerned about flu season and the babies being too young to get flu shots. At Texas Childrens' hosptial in Houston, they highly recommend cocooning over flu season. Which means: anyone who comes in contact with the babies must have the flu shot. All persons who will have more contact such as grandma and grandpa as well as DH and I need the pertussis booster as well (whooping cough).
So, we definately won't be going out with them very much for the first 6 months or so. We have a DD who is 2 and she had the flu shot. Definately no other kids in the house, and anyone who comes over must have the flu shot. We are going to put a note on the door. I am not a first time mom with these twins, but I am going to be a stickler about this!! I do not want babies in the hosptial over flu season and twins are more prone to be hospitalized for RSV/flu. Luckily my motherinlaw is a huge help and she's already gone ahead and got her shots. I'm a bit of a home-body anyway, so it won't bother me to not go out with the twins frequently.

 

Mine were born at 37+2, and only Connor was in the NICU the first night and released the next day. They came home healthy (well, Chase still had jaundice.) I kept hand sanitizer around but honestly wasn't too worried about it. We didn't have any visitors other than close family, though.