Strangers and babies

 I don’t know how you feel about strangers touching your baby but I am, for the most part, quite ok with it. That is as long as it is a touch of the hand or the cheek and most of the time it’s just little old dears who just want to coo over your baby. 

We decided as parents we were going to have Layla held by as many family members and friends as we wanted her to not get too attached to one of us as I thought this would lead to problems in the future of her being too clingy.

Although I am ok with strangers having the odd touch of Layla's cheek or hand but I wouldn’t go as far as my OH. When Layla was about 2 weeks old we went shopping for a new fridge and the lady who was serving us was cooing over Layla and he handed her over for her to hold! I was a bit taken a back but with him being the Dad I couldn’t undermine him but I would never go that far.
 However, there was one instance that I felt went too far. I was shopping in boots and had taken Layla out of the pram because she was getting whingy, I got to the till with my shopping and the lady behind was cooing over Layla and holding her hand which was fine but when I went to the till to pay I suddenly felt someone try and take Layla off me and it was the lady! She had her arms under Layla’s armpits and was physically pulling her off me! As I turned and held Layla tighter she said ‘Oh I’ll have her while you pay.’ She must have seen my face because she quickly followed up with. ‘What?! It’s not like I’m going to steal her or anything!’ when I politely declined she tutted and walked off! I was in shock. Surely she could understand why I would be wary about a stranger holding my baby while I had my back turned paying.


As well as strangers touching and cooing over Layla, another thing I wasn't prepared for was people thinking they had the right to comment on her especially when she happened to be crying. On a particularly tough day I was walking around Tesco with Layla wailing in my arms ‘she’s hungry her.’ ‘ooo is someone hungry?’ ‘does someone need feeding?’ Were just some of the comments I was met with. In fact she had just been fed and was being cranky just because she was being a pain in the ass that day! It really annoys me that people feel like they can pass comment on your baby and what your baby needs just because they hear them crying. Is it just me? 

I was also in Sainburys feeding Layla once and was speaking to someone with a baby about our children and I had to give Layla her medicine. Once I had medicated her she leaned over to inform me that I am supposed to wait half an hour before I feed my baby and that is why my baby was being sick. I was a bit taken aback after all I would never feel it appropriate to comment on how someone is medicating their own child?!

Has anyone else had any unwanted encounters with strangers?


Mummuddlingthrough



2 comments:

  1. If it's another new mum of ten think they are just so nervous that they say things almost as a way of reminding themselves what they think they should do. People don't usually mean harm but I think I'd definitely think more than twice about handbag my baby to a stranger in a queue that was a bit too eager to hold! #coolmumclub

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  2. Thank you for reading and commenting on my post. I'm sure everyone has the best intentions but its hard to see on so little sleep! Glad you agree that the woman was a bit to eager to grab my baby!

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