Visitors straight after birth

[Algebraic]

Quite a few friends have had babies recently, and I'm seeing quite a few in-hospital shots with the grandparents.

I've checked on the website for my hospital and there's fairly limited visiting hours (2 x 2hr slots - max 2 + partner).

I suppose it could be that these friends live very close to their parents so they can swing by, but mine are 2.5 hrs away and DH's 1.5.

I was thinking that we would just let them know once baby has arrived and then they will visit once I am back home.

How soon did you have visitors? Were you in hospital for awhile after the birth?

I went into hospital on Friday, had DS via CS on Monday (5pm) and left hospital on Thursday (3 days after birth). All that time, only DH was with me. We didn't have any visitors in hospital.
Family came to visit a week after we got home... I preferred it that way to be honest. I was sore, tired and overwhelmed to begin with. I was much more relaxed once we had settled into some sort of "routine".

I had my son at just after 7am and my parents came at evening visiting time. I knew my mom was coming but my dad was working away so I was chuffed to bits when he walked through the door too. They were only allowed to stay two hours and they came the following day too. I was really excited to see them and for them to meet our boy.

I had thought that I didn't want to stay the night in hospital but in the end I stayed two nights and I was glad I did.

I had my little boy at 4 am and just had my parents to visit in hospital at about 3/4 pm that day. We stayed in another night then was discharged on the Monday. My DH had to insist my PIL didn't arrive on our doorstep the second we got home which didn't go down well... they came the next day for what felt like forever! Clearly it was an excellent time for FIL to trim all the hedges in the back garden and take up all the room on the sofa so the person with the freshly stitched episiostomy had a dining chair to perch on.... MIL did bring lunch, to give her her due. I they came for BIL for another long visit (think 6 hours or so) a few days later - have a strong memory of DH insisting I came downstairs from bf the baby (where I had escaped for peace and quiet) or else they would never leave without saying goodbye! We didn't see them for a while after that... Both SIL and my parents managed to limit themselves to visits of an hour over this period.

This time: having a home birth (hopefully) and PIL more than welcome to come BUT totally limited duration. Not staying all day and randomly getting my DH to do the gardening. or insisting the baby "has to learn" to be put down and that bf is a fools' game

My mil showed up to the delivery not much more than an hour after ds was born, no one asked me if this was ok. It was 10 pm on a Thursday night fgs, still sitting in bloody sheets, no undies on, just had episiotomy / ventous delivery and stitches etc. Oh and 12 yo Bro in law came with her. Talk about hijacking the special first moments with baby. Personally, next day would have been fine for them to come. My parents drove up the next day and came to the ward to visit.

Delivery room, that should be.

I had DD in hospital at midday. My parents came for evening visiting hours at around 7:30pm. Other than that, we didn't have any other visitors until DD was about a week old.
DS was born at home, and my mum was in the house looking after DD. For some reason, when DS was born, all I wanted was my Mum! So I called her into the room and she met him when he was about 10 seconds old

DS was born by EMCS at 4am I had already been in hospital for 3.5 days at this point after being induced. My parents and two sisters came at the 2pm visiting hours until 4pm when they were chucked out. I hadn't had a shower in 4 days just a sponge bath from nurses after op, my hair was greasy and still had catheter in with a bag of wee hanging over the side of my bed. Couldn't move from bed and was very uncomfortable.

PIL came for 6pm visiting by which time I was up, had showered and felt a bit more human.

With hindsight no visitors until the following day would have been far better.

If having a ELCS as I hope this time I will be insisting that only DH and DS visit on day of birth and parents day after if we're still in hospital. Different hospital this time and visiting only between 4 and 7pm. Hoping to be discharged day after birth again, so may manage to avoid hospital visitors all together.

Must say I am quite shocked at the gall of some of these parents!! Who would think 'oh I bet they'd love a visitor' when they haven't even been stitched yet... have these MILs and DMs all forgotten their own birth experiences?!

I'm most definitely going to be firm. And also stick with not telling them til the baby is born and what visiting slot they can come to. That's if birth is uncomplicated. If there's any issues then they can all bugger awwwwf

DS was born by EMCS at about 2 pm. DM was already at the hospital as she was my other birth partner so met him as soon as I'd been sewn shut. My Auntie came at about 6 pm and my Dad brought dsis at 7am. I was only in 24 hours after my section though so nobody else would have had chance to visit us in hospital if they'd wanted.