The birth of a child is a big moment not only for their parents. New grandpas and grandmas, aunts and uncles, and pretty much all relatives and friends want to catch a glimpse of the little bundle of joy. However, in all of this chaos, people might forget the person they should be paying the most attention to. The mother. And it can really wear them down.
Katie Bowman, the "creator of twins and their big sister," recently wrote an incredibly touching text, explaining the importance of rest for new moms. Shared on her blog Living My Family Life, the post resonated with thousands of women and should become a must-read for everyone who wants to go to the hospital to visit the new family member.
Image credits: livingmyfamilylife
Katie thinks it's normal for people to be so excited to see a new baby. "It's a special moment and they want to be involved. I just think sometimes that overwhelming excitement can sometimes cloud their judgment, and they try to justify that seeing the new baby is more important than listening to what the new mum wants," she told Bored Panda.
She believes there are only 2 things you can do to get away from this unwanted attention. Either ask for space or demand it when people don't listen. It's a very sensitive time and unfortunately, you're normally made to feel like the bad guy no matter what you say.
"I was lucky to have people who wanted to celebrate the life of our daughter, I just had some a bit late, which left me feeling exhausted as shown in my picture, staring at everyone wishing they would leave so I could finally get some sleep. The whole post is not related specifically to my experience, but experiences in general for new mothers. I feel like it's a subject where mums feel like they have to just take a back seat and allow their newborn to feel like everyone's property. It's about reminding everyone that childbirth is a special moment, and they need to remember that with a new baby, there is a new mother. A new mother who is made to feel like she can't speak up about her own feelings, because apparently everyone else's feelings are more important at this time."
The next time she was pregnant, Katie decided to avoid the tricky situation altogether."For our second pregnancy, we said we probably wouldn't want visitors at the hospital this time, especially with there being 2 babies. If it was going to be anything like my first birth, I knew I wasn't going to want to put on a brave face to see anyone. As it was, the twins were a much easier delivery surprisingly and I felt great and ready to see family the next morning," the mom said.
People had a lot to say about Katie's powerful message
The responses her post has received taught Katie that there are loads of mothers who wished they could have had some alone time with their new baby. "It's a special moment, and it's something they will never get back. Then there were people who proved exactly what I said. They made it sound like I was a complete drama queen because I wanted some rest instead of visitors. Apparently it's got to be all or nothing."