First-Time-Mum's Rules For Newborn Visitors Ruffles Feathers

A first-time-mum has revealed the list of eight rules she expects her family and friends to follow when they visit her newborn baby, and while most are commonsense, a couple have ruffled some feathers.

Maisie Crompton is expecting her first baby, so she decided to share the list of rules she has for those planning on meeting her little one after she’s given birth.

@maisie_crompton Seen so many of these videos… here’s my “rules for when I have a baby” ✍????????????#pregnancyjourney #rulesformybaby #trending #mumsunder21 ♬ original sound – Maisie

While most of the rules are pretty much to be expected, like not visiting if you’re sick, there are a couple that raised a few eyebrows after she shared them on TikTok.

Here are Maisie’s rules:

Please don’t kiss the baby.
No unannounced visitors, for first few days we want it just to be us
Don’t announce our baby has arrived until we do (on social media or in person)
No photos posted of the baby until we do.
Do not come if you’re sick.
Wash your hands before holding them.
Do not ask to see the baby if you haven’t checked up on me during the pregnancy.
If our baby cries please hand them back to me or their dad.

One person commented: “Great, but people might be scared to come near/see the baby eventually so you will miss out on memories made and baby bonding with wider family.”

“We had a family member do this with loads of rules, like you must come and do some chores etc. weirdly enough no one wants to baby sit their three-year-old,” replied another.

However, most of the comments were supportive, but there were plenty of expecting mums wondering how they could tactfully relay similar rules to their friends and family.

“A lot of people said they’d feel awkward giving their family and friends a list of rules to stick by, so this is how I actually intend on doing it.” Maisie explained, before sharing the following message that she’s sending to her family and friends:

“We would love you to come over and meet baby girl soon, you’ll have to let us know when you’re free. Just a quick one (we’re sending this to everyone who would love to visit us). Although she’s so cute please don’t kiss her due to risks like HSV and other illnesses. If you feel ill we would love you to visit another time instead and of course you can take as many photos as you like but please don’t post them without asking first.”

“If you usually smoke/have smoked in the past hours before meeting her please change your top before holding her.”

Did you have a set of rules for visitors when you had your baby? Let us know what they were in the comments below.

56 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 05 Sep 2024
    10:18 am
I dont see amy of these rules as being unacceptable.

- - Lividanke said
  - 26 Aug 2024
    4:46 pm
There are so many rules these days.
What ever happened to good old common sense!

- - WestAusMum said
  - 19 Feb 2023
    7:29 pm
These are all completely reasonable.
I actually sent out a similar message myself. Unfortunately my MIL still took it upon herself to tell everyone even after we’d explicitly told her not to… she also told the entire family (who we aren’t close to) that I was being induced… she actually told them as it was happening.

Needless to say out relationship certainly became even worse after this.

- - ashna9 said
  - 01 Sep 2022
    5:52 pm
Some of those rules are fine. Others are a bit over the top!

- - mum1 said
  - 31 Jul 2022
    10:13 pm
I agree with all of these. I find them quite reasonable, especially about checking up on her during her pregnancy. That’s more then fair.

- - mom467133 said
  - 25 Jul 2022
    4:08 pm
That is completely reasonable. It’s stating expectations right from the start, so no one should get upset when the parents ask visitors to do as they’ve asked. We didn’t have explicit rules like this, but hoped common sense would prevail. We did say only people vaccinated for whooping cough could visit until 8 weeks, once his vaccinations ha far a chance can to kick in

- - Zmijka86 said
  - 03 Jul 2022
    2:38 pm
We had some rules as well…but we also expect people to use their common sense

- - mom461384 said
  - 30 Jun 2022
    8:23 pm
Her baby her rules!

- - tessie said
  - 15 Jun 2022
    3:27 pm
I never had any rules but I do agree with all of these except for No. 7. Maybe they didn’t come to visit because they wanted to leave you in peace. All the others are to protect the babies health. If it’s not your baby, you should respect the parents choices.

- - mom487937 said
  - 10 Jun 2022
    10:11 am
Their babies, their rules, pure and simple.

- - mom485263 said
  - 10 Jun 2022
    8:35 am
I understand wanting to have rules but hope it doesn’t affect the relationship people have with the baby.

- - mom466557 said
  - 09 Jun 2022
    1:16 pm
I 100% agree with some of the rules. They should be common sense ir no kissing, not being sick and washing hands etc

- - mom160270 said
  - 09 Jun 2022
    12:14 pm
The list seems a little over the top. I can understand the don’t kiss, wash hands, don’t come if you’re sick, and ring beforehand rules. I probably wouldn’t visit just to avoid doing something wrong.

- - Amanda Holland said
  - 08 Jun 2022
    9:58 pm
I never had rules, but most people messaged one of us first before visiting as I was not well for quite some time afterwards.
I see nothing wrong with those rules

- - mom462038 said
  - 08 Jun 2022
    7:15 pm
No, I never thought of making rules back then. Now I think I would. First time mum is very stressful, let her do what she thinks is best

- - rovermum said
  - 08 Jun 2022
    10:11 am
No, I didn’t have any rules but I understand things have changed so much in the past 20 years.

- - Ellen said
  - 08 Jun 2022
    7:48 am
I don’t think these rules are over the top, although have my questions by rule 7

- - KellyB said
  - 08 Jun 2022
    7:30 am
I ca understand why they set up these boundaries and most of them should be common sense. Not sure I understand the logic behind number 7 though

- - mom101628 said
  - 08 Jun 2022
    1:12 am
These rules are similar to mine, but there was no social media then. And nobody was offended when I explained when the phoned me that these rules were in place for my baby and my other children and us parents.

- - mumof3 said
  - 07 Jun 2022
    6:33 pm
I think all these rules are reasonable and I see nothing wrong with them at all. If her family doesn’t want to respect them than they miss out on seeing baby.