How Can I Reduce My Baby’s Exposure to Germs While in Public?
If you weren’t really concerned about germs before, you probably are now. Being a parent does that to you. And while you can’t be a hermit or avoid every germ out there, you don’t want to intentionally expose your baby to viruses and bacteria. Here’s how you can go out and keep your baby protected.
Be mindful of what you touch
There are several ways germs spread, but when you’re out in public, the most common way germs spread is through the air via tiny droplets, such as when someone sneezes, and by touching infected surfaces. So while your baby may not necessarily get sick because you took her to a restaurant, she may get sick because you opened the door and then touched her face. If you don’t have to touch a surface that other people have touched, don’t. If you do, wipe it down with a disinfecting wipe before touching it, or wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before touching your baby.
Rub and scrub-a-dub-dub
You can’t just rinse your hands off under water to remove germs. You have to use soap and vigorously scrub your hands together to get them clean. If you can’t wash your hands before touching or holding your baby, then rub your hands on your pants or shirt – this helps rub off some of those germs – and then use hand sanitizer.
Keep your baby covered
When your baby is really young, typically 3 months and younger, experts recommend keeping your baby away from crowds. But we know sometimes that’s just not possible. What is possible is keeping your baby covered to help limit his exposure to germs and sick people who may want to touch your adorable baby. You can wear your baby in a baby carrier or use a car seat cover; just be sure to regularly check on your baby to make sure he’s breathing fine and not getting too hot.
Use a shopping cart cover
Whether at the supermarket or Target, you’ll need a shopping cart. Some moms wear their babies while shopping. But if your baby is big enough to sit up on her own, it’s a lot easier for you to shop if she sits in the shopping cart seat. Even with the extra sanitizing precautions stores are taking nowadays, your baby will still be exposed to lots of germs when she sits on the seat and touches the handle. You can wipe down the cart yourself to be extra cautious, but even then you’d need to wait 5-10 minutes for it to eliminate bacteria and viruses before setting your baby down. You don’t have time to do that. What you do have time for is to put a shopping cart cover over a cart’s seat and handle. Soft and safe, a cart cover acts as a 360-degree germ barrier to protect your baby’s hands, body, and mouth from touching any bacteria or viruses lurking on a cart.
Check out these other ways to prevent your baby from getting sick.
