Pregnancy is a family matter. Your partner is excited, your parents are over the moon, and any older siblings are probably already calling it "my baby."
While it's wonderful to feel the community of giving birth, the fact of the matter is life is going to change the most for the person giving birth (at least for the first few months). It's your body, your new schedule, and you that will be taking maternity leave. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by support, or underwhelmed by its lack, talk to your loved ones about what you need from them.
Welcome Week
As the end of your third trimester approaches, it's important to have a plan in place. Who is going to drive you? Who is going to be with you? Are you going to induce? When someone has a baby, everyone wants to be there. Some moms are okay with that—the more the merrier, right? But for other families, a more secluded affair is preferable.
If you want the whole crew there for the experience, tell them that. If you’d like to make it through the birth and then let visitors come greet the new addition to your family, that’s okay too. If that’s the case, consider sending out invitations explicitly stating when friends and family can start arriving. Alternatively, host a "Birth Day" party once you’re out of the hospital and feeling more like yourself.
Arrange a Phone Tree
A great way to keep some of those less desirable guests busy is to set up a phone tree—you text one person when you go to the hospital, and they take care of it from there. If they want to call everyone, great. Generally, a phone tree branches out—each person calls two or three others until word spreads.
Help Around the House
In the days (and weeks) following your new baby's birth, things are going to change around your house. A lot. Ideally, you should try to go grocery shopping the week before delivery, so you can stock up on healthy, easy to prepare meals—but babies rarely come when it’s convenient. If you find you’re so busy trying to figure out parenthood you aren’t eating well, ask grandparents, aunts, neighbors, and your partner for more help. Similarly, don’t be afraid to ask for a little help with housework.
Extended Babysitting
If you have other children who aren't quite old enough to take care of themselves, arranging a sleepaway with a friend their age or at a relative's can be a fun way to keep them out of your hair while you recover from labor. This allows you to concentrate on your new bundle of joy and catch up on some beauty sleep. Your friends and loved ones are there to support you, but they aren't going to know how to help unless you tell them.
