Hello all. It is tough when others don't understand - or at least, annoying, depending on how they go about things. I think it is a common experience for people with chronic illness, that we will say, "Yes, I'm fine" or just get on with some things, even though underneath we might be achey, sore, tired, needing rest etc, or worse, because I think most people don't want to be the person that always says, "Oh well, I feel rough, and my muscles hurt, and I can't manage the washing today..." etc every time someone asks how we are.
I have implemented some new rules though, for managing the home in terms of visitors. We don't often have people here but because we're expecting DC2 soon we've already had a number of visits and this will continue until at least 1 or 2 months after the birth, I think. Some people just don't understand that by bringing all of this stuff - like chocolates and drinks - or 'helping' - like bringing food and cooking a huge meal with every pot and pan that we own - is actually just a burden for us. We have slightly restricted diets anyway. We have a small kitchen and no dishwasher so we have to wash all of that stuff by hand (they don't wash, they just cook). And when they bring bottles of stuff (which we don't even drink!) and generate lots of waste in food packaging and peelings and such, our bin fills immediately and we end up with bags of heavy rubbish to carry down the two flights of stairs.
So basically everyone is banned from bringing pretty much anything. Okay maybe that's a bit extreme 
but no food, no cooking, just stay away from the kitchen! If they bring a bottle or several it has to go out with them. If they really want to eat whilst they're here (we don't even have a dining table so it's not like it's even easy but anyway...), then they can either join us with what we make, or get takeaway. And takeaway rubbish goes out immediately.
It sounds so miserable but I can't hack it, we've already been hugely set back in maintaining things with some of the recent visits, I'm not doing that with a newborn and toddler, it's just not happening.
Honestly, if visitors just come, hug the cute little bundle, drink tea, eat biscuits, take it easy, that would be all fine. The best gift would be helping with some dishes or taking out the bins. DH has already started laying down some rules for his family too, as it hit him the hardest when we had DC1, neither of us realised just what the impact of other people would be. The baby part was comparatively fine!