Handwashing and Babies

Yeah...I wasn't super vigilant about it.
When I see people actually posting signs on the door, etc., I can't help but think that's over the top.
I expected others to use reasonable care, as I did myself. I wash (and have washed) my hands when they needed it. My son was VERY healthy....he's now 8.5 and has had more allergy/sinus issues than ear infections, etc. I could probably count 3 ear infections in his whole life.

I never asked anyone to wash their hands before holding my babies, I guess I just assumed everyone had the same good hygiene as I did, lol!
All three were healthy and very rarely sick with anything other than a cold, though I imagine a full 18 months of breastfeeding probably had something to do with that :)

Mine was a bit of a preemie & that's what the hosp suggested so I did it.
I made everyone wash their hands when they came into the house & use
that Purell hand sanitizer right before holding the baby.
We did this for about 6 mos (hospital recommendation) and he did not get sick.
They even told us to have my stepdaughter wash her face when she got
home from school. While she did not like this, I think it helped.
He wasn't sick at all until he got much older.
I used one of those shopping cart things in the beginning, would cover his car seat w/a blanket when taking him into stores etc.
Hey, better safe than sorry. I was happier for it and more relaxed.
He's older now and of course colds come w/the territory.

The only time I cared was if they had just handled raw meats, blood, or poop. Other than that I didn't much care. Each of my kids got sick about 1 time every 6 months, and usually I had it before they did so I figured I gave it to them.

I was only careful with my first (who is now 16) and he was always sick. I have had 3 more since then...ages 14, 2 1/2 and 11 months, I do not worry too much about germs and they are only sick 2-3 times a year. I think they became immune to germs at an early age then it was not as hard on there systems as they got older.

We washed our hands as soon as we entered the house, but not every time we picked our children up. I also asked everyone who came over to wash their hands for the first six months or so. But again, it was upon entering the house, not every time they wanted to touch the baby.

I never washed my hands before handling my baby unless I had just changed a soiled diaper and I usually just used sanitizer at that. Unless I know someone had just smoked I let it go. My daughter turns 1 on Wednesday and has only had one cold that lasted 3 days. It was more sniffles than anything else. She has never had a fever or anything besides those sniffles.
I will also say she is been breastfed since day one so she does get my antibodies.

Mine is 11mo. Yes, everybody washed. I did not take him around visiting until he was older than 6mo. I still wash my hands when I get home from work, before taking over baby duty. I disinfect my phone at the end of each day, too, and periodically disinfect the laptop keyboard and the remote controls.

When my kids were under 2 months old - I had a bottle of hand sanitizer in the living room and if anyone asked to hold them, I would say sure and pass them the hand sanitizer if they didn't first wash their hands.

As their mother - I washed my hands after the bathroom, changing them, being outside, etc. but not just 'in general' before holding them.

I am not sure if it made a difference in how sick they were though?

I have a 5 yo and a 8 yo. It is impossible to inspect their hands every time they pick up the baby, and kiss the baby. I think my 5 yo was more well as a baby because he was exposed to everything the 8 yo brought home from preschool. We aren't hyper vigilant but I don't let people touch her if I know they are covered in germs.

I washed my hands after I went to the bathroom, after I handled raw meat and if I cleaned up after one of my other kids. Other than that I never really paid any attention to whether or not people washed their hands. My kids (I have 3) were rarely sick with more than a cold.
L.

I wasn't hyper vigilant. Most of our visitors were family, and we live out of town from everybody. So anybody who visited, stayed a few DAYS in our home.
I never washed before picking up my babies, unless I needed to wash my hands in general. (After using the bathroom, cooking, dirty laundry, cleaning, using any kind of chemicals, being outside, coming home from a store).

I never even thought of it. My daughter was hardly ever sick as a baby and still isn't.

I washed my hands as I would normally do after cleaning up, getting up in the mornings etc. I never over did it. Babies up to 3months dont' catch anything, its' after this that they can. As I said I didn't over-do it, babies, toddlers and children have to build their immune systems, if not they get sick quite quickly as their immune system hasn't had a chance to build up. I'm not saying dont' wash your hands however you have to give them the chance to build up their systems. They play with toys, rattles, teething rings, soothers etc. You can never keep your home completely germ free.
If you are nursing "yes" make sure you wash your hands as well as the breast area. I had 3 children and I can say that not one of them even caught a cold until around 18mos. Hand sanitizer I feel is one of the best things they have come out with and I use it all of the time, however you have to remember the alcohol content that is in it. You wouldn't want to use it and then right away put your fingers' into babys' mouth. When you bring your "newborn" home people should wash their hands prior to holding your little one. You know yourself what is on your hands' but you dont' know where your visitor was prior to coming to your home. Always leave a hand sanitizer in your bathroom, as well as at your front door. Your visitors' will get the hint and use it. ppl. see it they will use it, even if this means' putting up a sign. Its' for babies benefit as well as your own.

We made all of our guests wash their hands. I never did (unless I had used the restroom or changed a diaper - in those cases I always do). My babies were never sick. I think hand-washing is VERY important, especially when it comes to people who do not live in your house. :)

I never did ask. I started taking my kids out and about around 2 weeks old. No problems here. We get sick maybe once or twice a year with a slight cold and that's it. We also take lots of vitamins too. My kids wash their hands at school. We don't really do it at home though. Honestly I never wash my hands unless I am touching raw meat. I hate the feeling of wet hands.

We were fairly diligent as our 2nd was born at the height of flu season. We made sure our 3 year old son washed his hands after coming home from day care. Other than that, we practiced common sense - wash your hands after the bathroom or diaper changes, after sneezing. We didn't have everyone visiting wash their hands, because seriously - not many of them were going to put their hands in the baby's mouth or hold her newborn hand. And our baby wasn't much of a thumb sucker, so she didn't really put her hands in her mouth either.

I never asked people to wash their hands, some did it on their own and I do it when I visit other new babies. But my babies were all term and healthy (and breastfed which boosted their immunity), I think that makes a difference in how protective you need to be. They all continue to be quite healthy, and I actually think part of it is not being too paranoid about germs. As others have said, wash after the bathroom (or diaper change), handling raw meat, visibly dirty/playing outside. But nothing excessive, no sanitizing wipes all over every surface, etc, etc.