Stressing about visitors after birth already!

[Indadhanu]

Hi SJ,

I've skimmed this post and there have been some great ones!

I was very much like you (not was, still am, but YKWIM!) that I didn't want everyone intruding and playing pass the parcel when it was Shel and my time to be a family.

I needed Shel on my side (which I had) absolutely and completely as I knew I wouldn't be able to actually say "ok, time to leave" to any visitors. We were lucky in that Jazz was born late afternoon so we didn't tell anyone until about 8-9pm and then it was too late for any visitors We had a cue (which we used for her family as they were the only idiots who overstayed their welcome) and Shel would say "are you ok? You look a bit funny? Maybe you should rest... why don't you lay down with Jazz for a bit" to which most people will say "we'll leave and let you get some rest". Works every time

To be honest though, and someone told me this when i was pregnant and I didn't believe them but for me it was so true. On the day after she was born I wanted visitors! LOL! I know, crazy, but I couldn't wait to show her off to my parents (who came up at lunch time).
Didn't have the same enthusiasm to see my ILs of course, but who does

I didn't want her to be parcelled around though so we just said that the midwives didn't want Jazz to be moved around too much because we had a tricky birth (again, very circumstantial, so you will probably have to adjust). But that was good so Jazz didn't have a million and one people pawing at her. Of course, i always liked being able to say "ok, she needs a feed now", and just holding her myself. No one is going to take a feeding baby or a baby who isn't "quite finished, she's just having a break and letting her tummy settle"

The best advice I have is when you don't want visitors, shut the front door and put a sign up that says "we are resting, please come back later". Anyone who disrespectfully ignores that, well you have permission to let new-mummy hormones take over