I was at a baby class/group thing last week and overheard two new mums talking about those first few weeks and how they were overrun with visitors. If they were to do it again they wouldn't invite so many people round ... I just don't get that. What else is there to do during the day times when your shattered but baby's awake and you could do with someone else holding the baby (literally)? Or someone adult to speak to as baby sucks the like out of you (for the tenth time that morning)? My opinion is this - at 38 weeks pregnant, go to Costco and buy a large jar of nescafe, a large box of biscuits (by anyone's standard, a large box of anything from Costco will last aaaaaaaages) and some teabags. Then just sit back and wait for the door bell to ring (unless you've turned it onto silent because you can't bear for the postie to wake up baby one more time just as you've put him down, in which wait for your phone to ping as people text that their waiting outside).
Why not let people come and see the little shrivelled bundle of fun? They only want to see tiny babies - by the time you actually feel happy to see other people and feel in control of the baby, it'll be 4 years old and you'll still be a bit unsure about what you're doing.
I once had a friend who was desperate (I thought) to come and stay with us and see our new little addition to the family. She came and stayed with us for two nights. Any 'normal' person would come and help out - offer to change nappies, bath baby - or at the very least make you a cup of tea as you sit with said child attached to your boob. But no, my husband and I spent two days waiting on her hand and foot, cooking dinner and making lunch as we struggled through week 5 with our first born. As we dropped her off at the bus station to go home she proudly announced - 'seeing you with a baby has shown me that I'm ready now too' - basically she came, watched as we 'coped' (ish) and left happy to tell her boyfriend she was ready to start trying for a baby! I think if I was 'do it again' I wouldn't offer for people to stay unless they came ready with receipes and cooking abilities to look after us ...
Even though that was quite exhausting, I totally don't see why you can't have friends and family over on a daily basis to see the little one. It'll be a crazy two weeks anyway when baby is first born, so why not just go with the flow, have tea, coffee and biscuits already available and just sit back and watch them coo over your quiet baby ... just wait - the moment they leave, your gorgeous, well behaved munchkin will turn into the devil child who can't settle. But just smile - it happens to us all - you're not the only one ... I promise!
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