I remember how excited my friends and family were to come and visit our new baby when our oldest daughter was born. I was just getting the hang of nursing her in the hospital room when we got our first wave of visitors. After we were discharged from the hospital, family from out of town came to visit and stay with us. Luckily, I had worked with my doula before the birth to figure out what kinds of boundaries I wanted to set for these exact circumstances. I told family and friends when they could come and wasn’t afraid to ask for help. That resulted in respectful visitors who stayed for short visits, brought food and gifts. It also produced helpful in-laws and parents who stayed at our home to help with cooking, cleaning, and watching our newborn so we could sleep.
When we’re on the other side of childbirth–that is, we are the ones knocking on the door to meet a newborn–it…
