Touching a stranger's baby

Did you?

The answer is NO . Another of my pet peeves is someone, often one who is barely known, stroking a pregnant woman's stomach. You wouldn't stroke it is she wasn't pregnant so why is it ok when she is ( I'm aware I ended the sentence with a preposition ) ?.

What! Rubbed the baby’s chest and abdomen?!? I’m sorry but what would the reaction have been if an adult male had touched a baby or child in this way? He’d be on a list by now. If someone touched my gd like that I’d have broken his arm. As for criticising the parents when baby was safe, well and content in her pram?
I can understand how this woman came back into your life when she spotted her chance, but I think that’s just low cunning.
You sound like a good person, just remember that no friends are better than the toxic kind.

Oh dear, we're on Twitter!!

Saying what she said, and touching the baby was totally unacceptable. We all have toxic people in our lives. We have the choice of managing them (e.g.if maybe its family), or not having them in our lives at all. I do understand she is a long standing 'friend'....but is she a friend?? Only you can decide, but she sounds very unpleasant x

Oh and merlotgran?yes hotfoot it to opticians asap!

No she shouldnt touch someone elses baby! Also why does she feel the need to do so,or question how late the baby is out at all? I often took out my children past an early bedtime in holidays and such so if we had one as a ' babe in arms' at the time i would let him/her sleep in the pram while the older ones had fun.the baby still got fresh air and older kids enjoyed their holidays.In fact my eldest son often needed a walk out in his pram before he would go to sleep at night.I wouldnt have liked anyone, especially some stranger commenting on this nor touching my baby.if you and she have nothing more in common than the past maybe youve 'outgrown' each other?stick to meeting up less often if she embarresses you like this regularly.

I would not touch a stranger's baby.

I would be likely to admire somebody's baby though and, whenever I have done this, people have not objected.

I adore babies, chat to them and make them smile, but touch, no no.

He he Merlotgran!

MissA

I promise NOT to squeeze your baby's knee Muffin

I don't think there is a friend I have whose behaviour hasn't worried me at some time or another.
I wouldn't consider dumping them though.
There would be nobody left if I only wanted people to be just like me.

I had someone (a stranger) touch bump once, during second pregnancy.

I reached out in response and gave her tummy a good feel.

She squawked and I replied, “Is that not what we’re doing, dear?”

She scurried off. I hope she was cured of her habit of touching strangers without asking.

If it had been a boob she would have committed a criminal offence. Is it so hard to keep your hands to yourself?

My daughter has a new baby and for anyone that thinks this is ok it is not, some days she just cries because she is made to feel like a bad mother by people practically older people coming up to her to tell her baby is hungry, too hot, suffocating chocking, wants to be at home and so on, she has had people touch her bump before he was born then touch him , stroke him hold his hand, try to take him away and hold him . A one off may be but when it’s the 10th person to have come up in just one shopping trip when the baby is crying is very stressful.
Your friend sounds a bit much to me and you sound sensitive and thoughtful do you need someone that makes you feel so uncomfortable in your life?

Oh god no. A wee comment is always lovely but I would be horrified if someone touched mine - my youngest girl had RSV at only weeks old and honestly I prefer folk to wash hands before touching very small babies. I always wash mine before holding someone else’s.

I babywore a lot when out and about when they were very small partly because it does put off the “touchy” folk.

I know I sound a little paranoid but my girl was so unwell

I hate when this happens grrrr! .......(Apologies for repeated post)

When people get to a certain age, it's hard to change. Should your friend be touching a stranger's baby, dog, (even a car) etc. without asking first?.....NO! Should you say something? Probably not (what good would that do?).

Having said that, old friends are not easy to give up. She sounds like a caring person, albeit a very pushy and opinionated one....but,....nobody's perfect anyway!

My feeling is that sooner or later, she'll transgress yet again and someone else is bound to tell her off. She probably won't like it, but she'll get the gist.

In the meantime, no need to trash your old friendship yet..... you can always nod in agreement and then go do as you please.

When people get to a certain age, it's hard to change. Should your friend be touching a stranger's baby, dog, (even a car) etc. without asking first?.....NO! Should you say something? Probably not (what good would that do?).

Having said that, old friends are not easy to give up. She sounds like a caring person, albeit a very pushy and opinionated one....but,....nobody's perfect anyway!

My feeling is that sooner or later, she'll transgress yet again and someone else is bound to tell her off. She probably won't like it, but she'll get the gist.

In the meantime, no need to trash your old friendship yet..... you can always nod in agreement and then go do as you please.

Not on at all. Would she do that to say a person in a wheelchair with learning or physical disabilities. Lucky she hasn't been put in her place by an upset parent. Most folk would enjoy someone looking in a pram and commenting on how cute/new or the likes but not touching or making such a comment as she did. Tell her to mind her own business unless she wants to be accused of assault. Hopefully she will take heed.

Yes, Seakay, I would be honest if she asks my opinion.
nipsmum I know what you mean about causing a fuss when out!

MissAdventure I don't think even my friend would do what your neighbour did in the supermarket!
luluaugust and Pat1949 and Brismum We probably see each other about four times a year, for a weekend either at mine or at hers, or meeting halfway for the day.
ajanela I tend to do what Nitpick48 said about walking or turning away.
Nitpick48 I've looked for Facebook pages for the schools I attended, but there isn't one.
luzdoh Thank you.

I find being complementary to other people's children gets a much better response. Saying things like love your shoes, what nice hair you have, that's a nice toy. With a smile helps a lot and usually brings a good response from parents. Never touch, and try to involve the parents in the conversation. I have a very good friend who causes so much fuss when you are out for even a coffee that I don't go out with her anymore. She is very welcome to come and see me and I will happily spend time with her but not if here are other people involved. She is so boastfull of all her many attributes that it becomes quickly embarrassing.

her behaviour re the baby is entirely wrong, but she is not your responsibility to police, nor to protect should anyone react loudly and aggressively to her interference, as they well might.
Pregnant women and their children are finally not generally regarded as being available for petting by strangers, but it was commonplace and unremarkable previously. If your friend has chosen not to learn then let her take whatever results arise from her actions.
Plenty of people have friends who remain so more by association with previous times then because of a great deal of personality in common. I don't think you should drop her because of her behaviour in this instance, but if she ever asks your opinion don't hesitate to be honest

Oh I don’t get this at all are you saying don’t offer a finger or touch a baby’s hand without asking permission what a strange lot we have become I would never never touch a small baby, or a sleeping baby and I would never make remarks to a parent, and I would never touch a baby of the face tummy body or anything like that but the thought of not accepting a little hand held out to me , fills me with cold dread
As for dogs the only reason I d ask permission is cos I don’t want to get bitten ?

I hink its very wrong of your friend to do this and comment on the baby being out with its parents none of her business to be honest.
When we go to visit my DGD or GGS both 3 months old now I would never dream of picking them up or going near their cribs without the permission of their mummy.