WWYD - Approach new mom with thick blanket over the top of carseat (not handlebar)/baby's face

[Anonymous]

Help - I am at a coffee shop and a mom with a newborn just sat down two tables away with her friend who is also with her newborn. First Mom's baby is in a carseat that is reclined in a stroller. She has a blanket - fleece on one side, cotton layer on the other, laying over the top of the carseat, providing about 3-4"s of clearance over the baby's face. It was so low that I was almost convinced that there wasn't a baby in there because I couldn't imagine laying a blanket that low to a baby's face, but then she pulled the blanket down, and there the baby was.

I know that personally I am very anxious about SIDs and took every precaution that you can with my own (think ceiling fan on low in November for room circulation), and, I know no Mom wants to be corrected on how she chooses to take care of her newborn, but this freaked me out. Also, I have no idea how long the blanket was pulled over the baby's face, it could've been two minutes (which I still wouldn't do for even one second).

So - would you approach a mom (who is undoubtedly exhausted) about the dangers of putting a heavy blanket over the top of a carseat (or at least put it over the top of the handle and not just flush to the top of the carseat)?

Again, I recognize that I am overly anxious when it comes to SIDs so I could be overreacting.

[Anonymous]

Leave her alone. You're a stranger, don't lecture her. Even if you mean well, it will come across terribly.

[Anonymous]

You could walk by and say in a very friendly tone of voice/smile a lot: "oh, you may not noticed that thick blanket must have fallen over baby's face. " almost the way you would point out that someone's jacket had fallen off their chair. Don't lecture on why it is bad.

[Anonymous]

You are overreacting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are overreacting.

OP here- You are probably right, but I approached. She was very thankful and touched that I showed concern for her baby.

[Anonymous]

Write a "to the mother at the coffee shop..." post? Maybe she is on DCUM on her cell phone. That's usually the way it works around here.

[Anonymous]

As it happens, we left at the same time and parked close to each other so I was able to talk to her in a casual way.

[Anonymous]

casual? how did you pull that off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could walk by and say in a very friendly tone of voice/smile a lot: "oh, you may not noticed that thick blanket must have fallen over baby's face. " almost the way you would point out that someone's jacket had fallen off their chair. Don't lecture on why it is bad.

I like this.

[Anonymous]

leave a note on the baby

[Anonymous]

For genuine safety issues, I would. And you did. So, yay.

(Though one time, I told a little boy (in my kindest voice) to stop sucking on a balloon, because I have known TWO families that lost small children when they choked on balloons, and the little boy's mother yelled at him and made him cry. Uncomfortable.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:leave a note on the baby

This made me lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Write a "to the mother at the coffee shop..." post? Maybe she is on DCUM on her cell phone. That's usually the way it works around here.

I'm actually not in the DC metro area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are overreacting.

OP here- You are probably right, but I approached. She was very thankful and touched that I showed concern for her baby.

Here we go again. OP, your writing style is so distinctive, I tecognize it immediately. Write your novel based on your personaliyu disorder. My siggesion for a working title. "The Troll(moil) within."

[Anonymous]

13:03 apologizes for typos but am on phone and looking fot babies covered in blanklets.