4 reasons not to receive postnatal visits to the maternity ward

Childbirth is a trying time for everyone and especially for the mother who needs to rest. It is also the first days with the newborn and the bond between parents and child is created. Even if everyone is eager to meet the baby, some parents prefer to set limits and refuse visits during the few days at the maternity ward. Since the Covid, visits are mostly prohibited in maternity wards, the parents were able to discover the benefits of this post-delivery bubble of love.

Studies have shown that mothers experience the arrival of the baby much better when they do not receive visitors. This is confirmed by Kevin Dbjay, liberal midwife in Saint-Agnan, and for people who do not know how to announce it to their loved ones, here is his tip: “They must be prepared before and tell them that there are no visits at the maternity ward. You have to try to find simple words without offending them, you can play on the health context for example. Or even explain to them all the benefits that there are for the parents and the baby of not receiving visitors.” These benefits are divided into 4 main points: “There is a dissertation from a midwifery student from 2021 that deals with this subject. Here are the benefits of not having post-natal visits in 4 important points.

Less postpartum depression:

“The mother made a huge effort during the delivery, so the many medical and personal visits are not beneficial. Most of the time, we come for the baby so we leave the mother aside. The first few days, she needs to recover, we often say “when baby sleeps mom sleeps” but with all the visits, this is not necessarily possible. Without visits, they can rest much more and lie quietly. When there are visitors, the mothers get up and move more, so it’s tiring for them. People who come to visit also always have a say in how to do with baby and that’s not always good, especially the confrontation between new and old generation. Moms get upset, which is normal, so we have a lot more crying.”

Better breastfeeding:

“At first breastfeeding is not innate in everyone. You have to find the right position, the breastfeeding technique, that baby takes the breast well, you have to learn all that. When there are visits it complicates everything, taking the breast out in front of your in-laws, it can be very difficult. Just like expressing milk for example. You have to be surrounded by the medical team and take time for good breastfeeding. Milk is triggered by two hormones, prolactin and oxytocin. Prolactin is inhibited by stress and fatigue so if the mother does not rest because there are many people and she is stressed about having to breastfeed in front of everyone, it becomes complex for her. It can clearly disrupt breastfeeding. The less visitors we have, the better breastfeeding goes.”

Less infant weight loss:

“The baby is an emotional sponge, if we put the baby from arm to arm and each person is stressed, we have a baby who takes all his emotions. And in the evening between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., the baby discharges his emotions and cries a lot. The baby needs to create its own intestinal flora, its antibodies, its microbiota, it needs to develop. He needs to get back to his fetal position and regulate his temperature. He must adapt to this new world. When there are a lot of people at the start, adaptation will be more difficult. There may be colic, constipation disorders, in terms of baby’s health it can be difficult.

The formation of the trio:

“When the baby arrives, he does not come out with the notice, so you have to get to know it. If we have lots of visits and people who give their opinion, it’s difficult to get to know him. With all the differing opinions, the couple will get lost in the knowledge of the baby. It takes time for everyone to adjust to each other. Finding a rhythm for three is also important, the more we do skin to skin the better it is for the baby, but it must also be an intimate, private moment.

Parenting writer

Zoé is on a work-study program, she joined the aufeminin team in September 2022, she writes for the parenting section. Committed and curious, Zoé likes to write to advance…