visitors to hospital after birth?

[redd82]

Assuming all goes to plan and after the birth I am in hospital for the standard overnight, should we let my family and my DH family visit in the hospital or wait til we are at home?
I personally think it'd be best for it to be just the 3 of us at the hospital and then immediate family come and see us when we get home.
But when I said this to my mum, she seemed a bit put out....

Any advice?

thanks

[catinthehat2]

home

they can wait, they've seen a baby before, you haven't. You need to work out what you want to do with it before the "experts" arrive and take over

[OnlyWantsOne]

Yea, enjoy the calm of the hospital (its hot, and noisy enough with out half of your nearest and dearest coming in!)

[Dinghy]

I'm in favour of no visitors in hospital tbh. You don't know how you'll feel, you don't know how the birth will go, and you definitely don't want a stream of visitors.

Stick to your guns.

[chimchar]

i think hospital..

the midwives will keep an eye on you and send visitors away if you are not well enough or too tired... and it gets the initial introductions to the baby done, so that rellies are prepared to give you a bit of space on the day you arrive home...

visits are timed, so you'll only have a short period of time in which to see everyone. i was very anti social after giving birth though, so it suited me just great!

plus, everyone else on the ward will have visitors, balloons, pressies, flowers etc and you'll feel left out if you dont!

good luck.

[mum2oneloudbaby]

i agree with chimchar get them done at the hospital where there is a time limit and they have to get their own drinks and you can are only allowed a set number of visitors at a time so you won't be overwhelmed with them all turning up at once. then you can get away with being more anti-social at home where they are more likely to linger when to be quite frank you will just want to sleep.

but go with the flow i was in for 3 days afterwards and needed the company.

[LittleSilver]

Bear in mind that overnight is not so standard any more, more like 6 hr discharge.

[lucybrad]

hospital - its boring in there! And it is your mum...

[japhrimel]

I'd leave it till you're there to see what you feel like. Visitors in hospital have the advantage that visiting is limited and you can't look after visitors at all.

If you end up only being overnight there may be no time for visitors in hospital. On the other hand, if you're in for 3 days you may be glad of the company.

[lizardqueenie]

Maybe just see how you feel, thats what I am planning on doing. My mum was also a bit put out when I told her that it wasnt automatic that she would get to come into the hospital - (particularly with the short time you are in there) but I think it really does depend upon how you feel after the birth. My family live fairly close by so its not like they will need to set off much before if I decide I would like them there. I can def see the benefits to both sides but think you should just do what feels right for you

[Marjee]

Just wait and see how you feel after the birth, maybe you could tell everyone your dh will call and tell them when you're feeling up to visitors. I had a ventouse delivery and episiotomy and was discharged within 8 hours so don't expect to be in for long. In hindsight I wish I'd had visitors in hospital because at least there are rules on how long they can stay there, at home we had a houseful within a few hours of getting back and they stayed for days!

[susiey]

I like hospital visitors as it can get quite boring on your own also they stay less time, bring snacks and go home quicker. If you wait for them to come to the house they stay longer expect tea and have more seats to sit on so less restrictions of say 2 at a time all of this is controlled in hospital and they can only visit in the afternoon and evening at my hospital which I like ( except partners and siblings ( of the baby not you!) who can come anytime after time in morning)