Hygiene for Crocheted Baby Items

Hi everyone,
I might have a silly question. I like crocheting on the S-Bahn or in the doctor’s waiting room. I’m currently crocheting a baby blanket, and there are a lot of viruses going around right now. How do you handle baby items: treat them with disinfectant spray, or just wait and assume they’ll die off? ?? I’m feeling a little unsure right now!
Best regards,
Sandra

In general, I wash everything before it’s used.

That was very brief and to the point earlier—I wanted to add that this isn’t just something that applies to your baby blanket, but to everything you come into contact with. For example, the clothes you’re wearing would be just as affected. During flu season, it’s recommended to wash your hands often because infection mainly spreads through objects you touch that sick people have touched before. It can also spread through droplets when someone coughs, for example, but if someone really gets you that way, then all you can do is hope for a strong immune system :-)
So washing it would be my first piece of advice.

I know about washing hands and all that. I was just unsure because babies are so sensitive, after all

To be honest, I’d skip the disinfectant spray.
Strictly speaking, babies aren’t particularly sensitive at all. They’re actually pretty tough, if you compare them to us adults. ;-)

But their immune systems still need to develop. That’s probably what you mean by sensitive. The immune system can only “grow” by being exposed to viruses and bacteria. Of course, no one wants their baby to get sick. But if you wash the items before using them, they should be clean enough not to be immediately contagious. There will still be a few bacteria on them. Especially since wool shouldn’t exactly be washed at 60 or 90 degrees. But it’s these tiny amounts that allow the immune system to develop.

Disinfection kills all bacteria and viruses. The immune system isn’t actually challenged at all and therefore doesn’t develop as well. The result is that when a real, huge wave of pathogens comes along, it knocks the immune system right out of commission.

Best wishes, and enjoy making the baby blanket, Birgit 

Here’s another tip from my pediatrician: (no, I didn’t call him to ask about this *laughs*)

If you’re breastfeeding your baby, they have your immune system until they’re 5 months old. So, in principle, you don’t need to worry about outside viruses...

That said, washing the crocheted item makes sense in many ways, of course ;)

Best regards

Okay. Thank you. I’m just very unsure! It’s all very new to me: first child, and I’m only 13 weeks along. 
Thank you very much and kind regards!
Sandra

Also, viruses may not survive either, depending on where they are.
Don’t drive yourself crazy. When your little one is splashing around in the puddles after the rain, you’ll laugh at how anxious you were.

All the best to both of you.

Jana

Thanks, that’s kind of you!

Well then, first of all, congratulations and have a wonderful pregnancy!

The important thing is: do what feels right to you!
There’s no point in following advice from others or from so-called “wise” books if you still have that queasy feeling in your stomach.
Trust your instincts—you’ll be right 99% of the time!

LG

That’s wonderful news—congratulations!

Congratulations from me, too.

Nina is right. Your gut usually knows best what’s right.

I was the same way during my first pregnancy. But it’ll pass.

Best regards, Birgit 

Thanks, that’s very sweet of you. It’s not easy not to drive myself crazy. I had a miscarriage last year, and somehow I’m constantly anxious. But maybe it’ll get better. The first 3 months are over, after all. :-)

It gets better! (I speak from experience here, unfortunately.)
But the worries about your child never go away! Whether they’re still in the womb, just born, in preschool, in elementary school, or a teenager going through puberty (and I’ve been told, even when the kids have kids of their own)... :)

:-))) Yeah, that’s what Mom said, too :-)

@Arni, congratulations from me too :-).
My daughter is currently in her 14th week - now I know two women who are due around the same time :-).
I wish you a wonderful pregnancy too.
Best wishes

Great news. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

And I can only confirm that the little ones are really tough.

And here’s a quote from my mother-in-law that I can now confirm: “Little kids—little worries; big kids—big worries.” But you learn to deal with both the little and the big worries.


And I also wish you a pregnancy without morning sickness, without heartburn, and filled with pure bliss!

All the best!
Dagmar

Thank you all! The nausea is gone, but it wasn’t that severe for me either. My circulation is acting up more than before, and my breasts hurt. But otherwise I’m doing well.
And the anticipation outweighs everything, I have a really wonderful husband, great parents and parents-in-law.
The nesting instinct is in full swing. I have so many ideas for all the things I can still make.
...There are also so many great patterns here

Hello, and first of all, all the best to you too—I’d also like to share a quote from my grandma.
With your first child, you need help; with your second, you can manage on your own; and with your third, you can help your neighbor. I can say from experience that this is true. I can still picture that one mom who forbade her child from eating the super-sweet, perfectly ripe strawberries in a strawberry field—there’s no worse punishment than that. They’re lying on straw and are clean. That didn’t harm my kids at all; on the contrary, they always had a blast, and you don’t have to pay for the strawberries you eat anyway☺, so don’t let it drive you crazy.

Never hurt, I mean. My phone sometimes types whatever it wants too.