Babies systems are so fragile and of course you want to do all you can to protect your child so I think you need to find articles that you can print to support you and give them to your mother in law. Perhaps you could even go so far as to say “We all love you and would really support you if you opt to try giving up. It would be so much better for your health and allow your grandchildren to have you with us for longer which we would all love”

Absolutely 100% agree with this! Smoking is disgusting and so bad for kids and newborns to be around. If anyone I knew smoked there’s no way they would hold my baby before washing up and changing clothes!

I can see that this could be sensitive, but I’m on her side.

Most definitely!

I would think it would be common sense that you would wash hands etc after having had a cigarette. I understand her concern.

I wouldn’t want smokers touching my bub after a cigarette.

Totally agree with this mum, in fact, the MIL should automatically wash her hands after a cigarette.

I loathe the smell of cigarette smoke and thankfully we never faced this issue.
I don’t blame the mum for not wanting bub to smell of cigarette smoke or be in contact with cigarette smoke.

Interesting that her husband is supportive of this too, so it should be on him!! I can totally understand you wanting that, but I cannot imagine MIL agreeing to it.

Could be hard to make this happen even with husband’s support – she is after all his mum and therefore thinks she knows best.

I wish I had had the guts to make my mother in law do this but with her strong personality and without hubby’s full support I didn’t. She tends to get away with whatever she likes.

I do think she has the right to ask her MIL to not smoke before she has a cuddle. Explain this to her privately so no one else knows. Give her your reasons and ask her to please understand. Make sure her husband is with her as well. Hopefully she will understand

The smell of cigarette smoke is easily noticed by some people who never smoke. One of my bosses was a heavy smoker. I distinctly remember coming home from work and my Aunty noticing the smoke smell before I even reached the room she was in. When I took my clothes off to have a shower I noticed they did smell of the smoke. My Mum said my hair did too. I suppose working with smoke around me I got used to it, not that I enjoyed it.

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  • • mom93821 replied
    • 26 Mar 2019 , 6:07 am

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  The smell of cigarette smoke actually makes me gag and feel ill!

Seems a bit extreme, but her child, her choices. I know I didnt like the thought of it when I had my son, but luckily we didn’t know many people who smoked

I support her asking her MIL not to smoke and change her clothes.
I told my dad he could not have a smoke before coming to visit both my kids.
Smoke smell lingers and rubs off on to clothing. Why would you want to expose your new baby to this.
Our job is to protect our babies, and if people get offended by this, tough

My mil used to smile around my kids when they were babies but never around a friend’s baby when she visited.
I think this mil could hold off having a anime until after she’s had a cuddle, and wash hands after smoking to. I did feel it’s a little much but it’s her choice, her baby

To be fair, I think that sounds extreme but then the baby will be held very closely to her clothes. Smoke definitely gets into clothes and hair, skin etc. If she can’t wait to smoke until after she’s seen the baby then I think this is reasonable

I think washing hands should be enough and maybe rinse the mouth and take a chewing gum and of course smoke outside, away from baby

It’s a bit extreme. Maybe it will help convince her MIL to quit.

Going overboard, just wash hands and face and any other skin that might touch, there are a lot of toxic chemicals in body products, shampoos and perfumes, household products etc that are just as or more harmful than the lingering smells of a person who has just had a smoke. Of course don’t smoke near baby and maybe refresh your breath too though.