Rules for friends and family when visiting our newborn

Dear friends and family,

Thank you for sharing our joy and excitement as we welcome Miss Raegan Jade to our family! We want to insure that every one feels included and welcome, however we do ask that a few guidelines are followed in order to allow our family time to adjust and settle into our new normal as easily as possible.

We will not be making a public announcement of labor/birth until we are home from the hospital, please allow us time to make our announcement before you do so.

Once active labor has begun there will be no visitors in the delivery room.

If you are one of the few notified of labor and delivery, and choose to come to the hospital you are welcome to sit in the public waiting room, you will be updated when ever possible and you may catch a glimpse of baby as she goes to the nursery for evaluation after birth, however you should be prepared for the possibility of not seeing or holding her until the following day.

Some may have forgotten but we have went through a lot in order to conceive and deliver our babies and we ask that you please allow us to have our time with our newborn before asking to hold/visit with her immediately after delivery. We will let you know when we are ready for visitors.

Please call or text before you come to our home or the hospital to visit. If we do not answer/respond right away it is safe to assume that it is not and good time, and we will let you know when we are ready to receive your company.

When you come to our home please knock softly so as not to disrupt possible naptime.

If any member of your household has any symptoms of illness What so ever, please wait until they are all better. Baby’s immune system is to week for your germs.

Everyone will be expected to wash their hands when they come in regardless if they plan to hold baby, children included. Hand sanitizer is not a suitable alternative.

Please ask before picking up baby, and return her to mom or dad if she starts to cry. We don’t doubt your ability to soothe but at this stage we prefer to do the care taking ourselves.

Do not kiss the baby, put your face in hers, or put your hands on her face or mouth. Again her immune system is practically nonexistent.

Please keep your visit short 20-30 minutes. This is a big adjustment for our family and we are trying to maintain as much normalcy as possible.

We will be breastfeeding, baby’s nurse often, and for long periods of time. I will nurse where ever and when ever needed in my home so chances are if you visit you will see a boob. If this makes you uncomfortable..... well sorry, it’s just a boob.

We are not having a baby shower, and we do not expect gifts. However, if you want to bring something diapers and wipes are always great (size 2 and up) or providing our family with a meal is also welcome.

This may be untraditional, but as a mother that has went through 9 months of pregnancy, countless hours or labor, still recovering from delivery and adjusting to life with a newborn, I reserve the right to have a few rules of those visiting our home during this time. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Thanks for reading please comment with your thoughts! Some of our family members were inconsiderate after the birth or our first child so I will be posting this on fb right before my due date as a reminder of proper newborn etiquette. Some my be offended, especially if they were the offenders last time, but I believe our comfort is more important that theirs.