6 Unhelpful Things People Will Do After You Give Birth
You just gave birth and are exhausted, on edge with hormones, and also blissfully, blissfully in love with your brand-new baby. Family and friends have been coming to your and your family's side to help you through this wonderful yet stressful change in your life, though you didn't expect any of the things they would do for you to be unhelpful. But it happens, and it's enough to make you a little bit crazy and a little bit antisocial.
Read through for six unhelpful things people will do after you give birth.
1. Come Over and Eat Your Food
Ever have family come by to see the baby and somehow, they just get hungry? Suddenly they're raiding your fridge. It would be no problem typically, but since you did just have a baby and haven't cooked in days it might be nice if instead of having the munchies they might bring you food to eat and leftovers for your fridge.
Just sayin'.
2. Come Over With the Sniffles
Gotta love the person who visits your newborn with "allergies," or so he says. You have a sudden urge to sanitize this person's hands every two minutes, especially after they blow into a tissue 50 million times. Many times it probably is allergies, but we all know a few who make that vague allergy claim and then days later, you're all sick.
3. Give Unsolicited Instructional Advice
Nope, this individual doesn't want to let you nap or change the baby's diaper, but she suddenly has become a parenting guru overnight! This genius has the answer to every single thing your newborn does, including blinking. You spend the visit listening to the genius expand on all of his or her theories wishing silently that this person would go home already.
4. Appear and Reappear at the Door Every Five Minutes
You want a little peace and quiet in order to get nursing down pat or feel somewhat like you're in control of this whole motherhood thing when your visitor shows up again . . . and again . . . and again.
They can't help it, and you wouldn't mind except every time you go to shut your eyes while the baby is sleeping — or attempt to try to sleep when really you're just going to end up doing chores — this person comes over.
You're beginning to feel like your visitor is a stage-five clinger and you're really just desiring some personal space.
5. Act as a Feeding Referee
The one visitor who loves to give you her feeding or nursing tips ad nauseam? You begin to feel like she's narrating your every nursing or feeding. You almost feel as if she's going to score you on latch and hold, how often you burp the baby, or how you prep a bottle. Most likely she's just reminiscing about her feeding and newborn days, but you feel like you're getting a constant thumbs up or thumbs down on your feeding style.
6. Be at Your House as Soon as You Get Home From the Hospital
You, your partner, and your little bundle are on your way home from the hospital, ready to face that first daunting but exciting day at home. You asked everyone to give you a day to get settled — or maybe two — and everyone understood. Besides a few people. Or one person.
The second you pull up, there's a visitor already waiting. You would love to be excited except you're wearing a diaper the size of a Cadillac, your breasts are sore, and your hormones make you want to cry when anyone breathes near you. And if you had a C-section, you're in a ton of pain.
Before you even get to say "Hello," the person is breathing down you and your heavily maxi-padded butt. Fun times.