'My mother-in-law is banned from kissing my baby – she thinks I'm being unfair'

A mum-to-be has said she wants to put a rule in place when her baby is born next month to stop any family member from kissing the newborn - but her mother-in-law has kicked up a fuss

The boundaries you establish when your newborn arrives are entirely up to you.

Every parent has their own set of rules when it comes to inviting family and friends to visit after the birth of their baby. Some parents prefer no visitors until several months post-birth, while others welcome the support and company as soon as both mum and baby are fit enough.

An expectant mum has revealed that one rule she wishes to implement has been causing friction with her mother-in-law. The woman expressed her desire to enforce a strict no-kissing policy on any family member towards her baby, who is due next month, but her husband's mum believes it's unjust to ask her not to kiss her grandchild.

In a Reddit post, the mum shared that she's attempted to remain "level-headed" about the situation so far, but seeing her husband having to justify why they don't want people kissing their baby in the family group chat made her "blood boil".

She further added: "The first thing my mother-in-law responds is 'Wow no kisses :( :(' and then how her co-workers who just had kids did not mention they won't be allowing anyone to kiss their baby.

"Just the fact that my husband had to semi-explain WHY we'd be having this rule made my blood boil. I know her responses could've been much worse since she was just expressing disappointment. I just can't help but get the ick that she even felt the need to kiss the baby enough to say how her work friends didn't tell her about this 'new' rule."

The mother doesn't believe the no-kissing directive is a new trend among parents; however, her mother-in-law's response has sparked concerns that future parenting choices may also lead to conflicts.

She explained: "It could be hormones but I can't stop thinking about how angry I am and how I'm now worried about having to explain myself for other things such as not being ready for visits right away. My husband says we knew she was going to be upset about the no-kissing rule (she has expressed how excited she is to kiss the baby) but that doesn't mean she's suddenly going to be like this about everything."

Support poured in from commenters on the post, with many reinforcing that it is entirely within the right of the mum and her husband to set their own rules for their child.

One supporter stated: "I will say this again after having said it many times; leave the damn baby alone! No! You don't need to kiss the baby! You'll survive!" Another said: "You're not overreacting. I'm 36 and even back when I was a teenager I knew not to touch a baby's hands or kiss them. It's not a new concept."

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