A new mum has expressed concerns over her mother-in-law touching her newborn after smoking a cigarette.
In an online letter, the new mum asked if her mother-in-law would be offended if she asked her to shower and change before touching her newborn.
“After researching thirdhand smoke, I am very concerned about her holding the baby after she has had a cigarette,” she wrote, in a post published on Slate.
“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.”
Thirdhand smoke is a growing concern and it’s something many new parents aren’t aware of. It can occur when somebody inhales smoke that is left lingering on a person’s clothes or hands.
The new mum is also worried her mother-in-law will feel “ostracised” by her decision.
“We don’t want to hurt her feelings, but obviously, those are likely potential outcomes. How can we still be welcoming and let her know we are excited to have her around while still setting these boundaries?”
The mum was advised that she was perfectly within her rights to ask for what she wants; “her response to that is her business, not yours. When she’s visiting you, I think you can be strict about this. When you are visiting them, I think you have to, for necessity’s sake, be less so.”
Do you think she has a right to ask her MIL not to smoke before touching her baby?
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