'I've banned my mother-in-law from kissing my baby – it gives me the ick'

A mum-to-be has said she's banning her mother-in-law from kissing her baby once the little one arrives as the idea gives her 'the ick' - but her relatives think it's unreasonable

The rules you put in place for your baby are up to you.

Every parent will have different rules when it comes to having family and friends come to visit after their baby is born. Some parents don't want visitors at all until months after the birth, while others appreciate the support and the company as soon as mum and baby are well enough.

There is an endless list of rules and restrictions you can choose to follow or not, and there's no right or wrong way to go about laying boundaries for your new family. But one mum-to-be has said one guideline she wants to put in place has been causing issues with her mother-in-law.

The woman said she wants to put a blanket ban on any family member kissing her baby when they're born next month, but her husband's mum has said it's unfair to ask her not to kiss her grandchild.

In a post on Reddit, the mum said she's tried to be "level-headed" about things so far, but watching her husband have to explain why they don't want people to kiss their baby in the family group chat made her "blood boil".

She 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 mum said she doesn't think the no-kissing rule is a "new" thing in parenting, but her mother-in-law's reaction has made her worry that she'll also kick up a fuss about other parenting decisions the couple make.

MIL not happy about no kissing the baby rule
byu/Honest-Dog3033 inJUSTNOMIL

She detailed: "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."

Commenters on the post were quick to offer support to the new mum, with many saying it's up to her and her husband what rules they put in place for their little one, whether other people like them or not.

One person said: "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!"

And another added: "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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