I’ve been very lucky to have been welcomed into so many different homes post birth as a friend and as a Midwife. It is such a special time and I feel honoured to have been able to watch new parents as they give everything they have to their new love, their beautiful baby. I am still amazed that all babies are different yet all so perfect.
I admit, I love seeing inside other homes to get new ideas for mine. Funnily enough my neighbour welcomed me into hers last week. Now this is another level of exciting for me and the kids because we have the same house. We had both been decorating and well, we discovered that we have chosen exactly the same wallpaper! Between you and me I think I decorated first!
The point I want to make here is that honestly, as a Midwife I couldn’t care less about your wallpaper to point where I literally don’t see it. Sadly, instead of Mums and Dads resting and enjoying these first few days so many parents are panicking about the state of their home. With the thought that they are going to be judged.
I am going to be frank with you and let you in on a few Midwife secrets…
Your Midwife doesn’t need to see:
- A pristine house
- You up, showered, dressed and happy
When your Midwife visits YOU at home following the birth of your baby
She wants to see:
- YOU and your baby
- How YOU are… how you really are
- That your little one(s) is being looked after well
- A safe, loving environment that is fairly clean.
Please STOP tidying your houses for me or any other Midwife … and it is definitely OK to look like you have just had a baby! The early days are so precious. I, like many other Midwives want you to enjoy your tiny baby. So slow down. Take your time learning and adapting to family life. You will not get this special, burry time back. I promise you the washing can wait.
I used to stress too about my house being tidy. I wish I hadn’t. What changed my attitude was a wise comment from a brilliant friend.
‘True friends and caring relatives see YOU not the mess’
I hope I have made my point. Before I go I want to tell you why I decided to write this bite size blog. One of my good friends had me laughing today. Over the weekend she was stressing over her daughters new Teacher doing a home visit today. Anyway, she had crammed all the ‘mess’ in a cupboard under the stairs. A perfect, quick solution. Well, when the Teacher arrived her daughter was desperate to show off her new school shoes so guess where her daughter took her new Teacher straight away? Yes, that blooming cupboard… it all came tumbling out.
Her story reminded me so much of new mums. Do you think the teacher cared?…NO! Because like Midwives Teachers want to see a;
Safe, loving environment that is fairly clean.
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