Do you want to hold the baby?

I really don't have any desire to hold anyone's baby, but I feel like I should make an excuse, so it's C. The excuse is always that holding a baby makes me hot and sweaty, which is true.

"A" all the way. I used to volunteer to go to a nursery and rock babies born to drug addicts. It was absolutely pitiful. Some babies were so lethargic, others wouldn't stop crying. They stopped the program during lockdown and have not started it up again.

I have also been known to offer to hold crying babies on airplanes so mom can get a break

I am the baby whisperer. Screaming, crying baby? Hand em over. They cuddle in and quiet down. I'm not sure why but I can put a baby to sleep instantly lol. My sister and sister in law lived it when the kids were babies.

In other settings I wait to be asked/offered and will happily hold until i get my fill. Then I will hand them back and continue on w my single, no kids life.

I love babies and will never turn down the chance to hold one. I don't ask unless I know the parents well.

This is timely, I just met my cousins baby last weekend. I did not hold him and that was what I planned all along. This baby has already had multiple heart surgeries and is on a feeding tube. He is just too delicate where I did not feel comfortable holding him. Plus I was warned that he throws up always after he's feed and sure enough he throw up all down the back of the person who was holding him at the time. For all he has been through in his short life so far he is always smiling and such a happy baby. I was very happy that I got to meet him but I didn't need to hold him.

Dani-Mani, bless your heart.  By the time you have your second child (if you do) they will be eating crackers off the kitchen floor, digging through kitty litter and wearing spit stained clothes.

I appreciate you.  Unfortunately, kids have a way of interfering with the best laid plans of parenting.  I am embarrassed to admit how many times I used to say, "My kid will never do that!".  He did that and much worse.  Oh Lord, much worse.  I have a sense of humor now about it but at the time, I wanted to crawl in a hole.

I felt redeemed when my dear DIL asked me seriously, "Were you ever glad when (my son) went to bed and you got quiet time?"  She was feeling guilty because she was so relieved.

the way I explain it is,  you know how some people go nuts over other people's dogs? Stopping to pat, and talk to any dog on the street? Like, I've seen it go on and on and on even when the owner clearly wants to move on. 

I'm like that with babies, only, I don't stop to pat. But I'll smile and if a baby is in front of me in a line at a store or something I'll always admire from afar, and if the parent is receptive, I'll interact and try to make them laugh. 

LOL! I’m totally *THAT* dog person and will happily pet any dog that comes up to me looking for affection. I carry my own little Velcro dog around a lot. People can mostly keep their babies to themselves though. Most dogs I’ve met don’t puke on the people petting them, though I have known a few that will roll over and pee on themselves or on your shoe, so there’s that. 🤣

I'm not a fan of holding babies. I loved my nephews and carried them around but other peoples'? Nope.

I'm just not a baby person until they are 1 or so. New ones are not appealing. I know people that are just crazy about holding babies and I don't get it.

I laughed at Sharla's "too ugly."

sharlag do you ever think about writing a book? Your posts are always so clever. I think you would write a wonderful book about random observations- (or a wonderful book about whatever you choose). I know they are mostly random musings but you do have a knack and if you enjoy writing, I'd definitely buy that book.

Please don’t make me hold the baby. 😬😬😬

I smile & say, "No, thanks. They're wiggly, & they leak."

I do not want to hold the baby and most people that I am close enough to that would offer me a baby know me well enough to know I am not interested. However, I was recently surprised when my friend's wife sort of randomly thrust her baby at me a few months back. I don't know her very well and I panicked. I stepped back out of reach and said "No thank you, I don't do babies". She seemed taken aback but then took a sec and said "I can totally respect that!" and that was that. She was very gracious and understood I was just surprised and wasn't trying to be rude.