No Family To See Newborn

Having a new baby is nerve wracking and exciting. Giving birth to a human is a pretty incredible part of life, and it is amazing how a human grows and is born. Parents are ready after a long wait for their newborn to finally arrive. You may not know exactly what is ahead, but that is part of parenting and you will learn over time. Enjoy every moment as much as you can - you will look back fondly on many of them.

While having a baby is exciting for the parents, other family members are also excited, especially grandparents. They went through very similar experiences with you as you’re now going through with your baby. They loved you when you first showed up, and then spent the next two decades raising you. Seeing you now go through the same experience is quite rewarding for them.

It’s natural that they’re excited to meet their new grandchild. New life is incredible, and it’s even more incredible when the baby is related to you. Often your parents can become set on meeting the newborn as soon as possible. It’s quite natural that they’d want to. They may be pretty adamant that they be allowed to see the new baby - that decision is between you and your partner though.

You absolutely need to make sure that both you and your partner are in agreement on when to allow the family to see your newborn baby. Just because your parents (or their parents) are excited to meet the newest member of the family, that doesn’t mean you have to let them do it immediately. You know your situation best, and you know your parents. Don’t be afraid to tell them they have to wait a bit of time.

As we’ve come out of a global pandemic, it may seem natural to simply let family and friends come to the hospital to see the new baby. However, not everyone is comfortable with allowing that. Just because we don’t have an uncontrolled virus on our hands, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other sicknesses out there that your child could catch. Your baby needs time to build up antibodies against many of these illnesses.

Your parents have waited for several months for the baby to arrive, same as you, but they didn’t experience all of the long nights and hard work it was to bring that baby into the world. There’s nothing that requires you to let them come to the hospital or your home right after the birth. You may make your parents upset, but the health of your baby, and your mental wellness are by far the most important pieces after giving birth.

Your parents may throw a fit having to wait a few more weeks before they can meet their new grandchild, but they will survive. Ultimately, they should be able to relate to your desires, but if they don’t, now is the time to set the precedent for who is in charge of your baby. If you let them walk all over your wishes right now, then be prepared for them to do the same in the future until you take a stand for what you want.

You’re not required to let family and friends come see your newborn immediately. When you’re comfortable, then you can let them come.