The request that left one grandmother crying in bathroom for three hours
By Naomi White|
T?here is nothing as strong as the protective impulse new parents feel after welcoming their baby into the world. When that tiny little human is put in your arms, the realisation hits that they're wholly dependent on you for survival.
And with that understanding comes the need to protect them against any threats, regardless of any awkward conversations this may involve.
For some new parents, this may mean asking all visitors get the whooping cough vaccine, for example, for others it may be asking smokers to change into a fresh shirt before any cuddles.?
So when one new mum asked her own mother to wash her hands before a hold, it seemed like an innocuous request.
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The grandmother, however, did not take this well, instead locking herself in a bathroom and crying for three hours.
"I just had a new baby and my mum had a mental breakdown because I asked her to wash her hands, she sat in my bathroom for three hours crying," the new mum captioned the post.
In a text exchange between the pair, posted to Reddit, the mum outlines how her mother quickly turned snarky.
"I've made everyone wash their hands before they hold her. I'm just trying to keep her safe," the mum wrote.
When the grandmother shot back she should ask people to wear masks, too, the mum admits she was considering that, too.
"I almost have because of how serious RSV has been here. She's also really sick with jaundice and is still getting over it. I'm trying to protect her little immune system," she continued.
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"I wasn't planning on putting my hands in her mouth," the grandmother replied.
Fellow Redditors shared the mum's dismay.
"My brother made me wash my hands twice (he didn't see me wash them the first time, because I'd pre-empted his request) before holding his baby. I thought it was a little ridiculous because I knew they were clean the first time but I just shut up and washed them again. It's not that big an ask," argued one.
"It took me nine months to make this little nugget. I'm not risking all that work over something that could've been prevented with a little soap and water," agreed another.
"This is something completely normal to request," a third chimed in.
"Hiding in the bathroom for three hours is an overreaction. I get she is excited but she won't be so excited if your baby is in the NICU on a ventilator because of her," added another.
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