As a new mother, one of the most exciting and wonderful feelings in the world is holding your little one.
But seeing your baby being carried by someone else can make you feel a bit worried about your baby being dropped or contracting germs or infections.
One mother has shared how she asked her relatives to take a shower first before holding her baby to make sure that they were clean enough but her mother-in-law was not impressed by the rule.
In a letter to advice columnist Carvell Wallace, the woman wrote that her mother-in-law was a heavy smoker.
While she was not concerned about her MIL smoking in front of them, she was worried about her baby’s exposure to thirdhand smoke.
“After researching thirdhand smoke, I am very concerned about her holding the baby after she has a cigarette,” she wrote.
“My husband and I have decided that after she smokes, she needs to shower and change her clothes before she can pick up the baby.”
The mom also said that she did not want her MIL to feel excluded so she asked for advice on how to set firm boundaries with her relative.
Wallace replied to the letter and praised the mother for taking it seriously.
The advice columnist said that she is ‘perfectly within (her) rights’ to ask her MIL to take a shower first , adding that she may have to be more lenient when it is her turn to visit her in-laws.
“With any luck, this will spur her to take a second look at her relationship with smoking and maybe even cause her to let go of something that is clearly standing in the way of being with her grandbaby,” he added.
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