Our Gentle Guidelines Before Baby Arrives

As we get closer to welcoming our little boy, I've been thinking a lot about the kind of environment we want to create for him. Becoming parents is such a special moment in life, and with that comes the need to set some loving boundaries before he arrives.

Before our little one arrives, we want to share a few expectations that will help us protect him and adjust to becoming a family of three.

These are meant to simply help us protect our baby, adjust to parenthood, and keep our home clean and positive during such a big life transition.

Here are a few things that will be important to us when baby arrives.

1. Don't kiss the baby anywhere.

   Newborns have very delicate immune systems, and even something that seems harmless can make them sick. For his safety, we are asking everyone to avoid kissing our baby.

2. Wash hands before holding baby — always.

   Clean hands are one of the simplest ways to protect a newborn from germs. We will kindly ask everyone to wash their hands before holding him.

3. Ask to hold the baby.

   We completely understand that everyone will be excited to hold him, and that love means so much to us. But there may be times when I simply want to hold my baby, and that’s okay too. We hope people can respect that closeness and understand that it may not always be the right moment to pass him around.

4. If baby cries, hand him back.

   If he starts crying while someone else is holding him, we would appreciate him being handed back to us so we can comfort him.

5. If you are sick, even just a little, please stay home.

   Even a small sniffle can be risky for a newborn. If you're feeling under the weather at all, please visit another time when you're feeling better.

6. Please plan your visits and keep them short.

   Those early weeks will be a big adjustment for us. We ask that visits are planned ahead rather than just showing up, and that they stay fairly short. There may also be times when we aren’t up for visitors, and we appreciate that being understood.

7. No smoking or heavy perfumes around the baby.

   Strong smells and smoke can be overwhelming and harmful for a newborn. We kindly ask that no one smoke or wear strong perfume around our baby. If someone needs to smoke while we are outside, we ask that it be done well away from where the baby and family are sitting.

8. Keep the environment positive. No unsolicited advice or negative comments.

   Parenthood is a learning journey, and we will be figuring things out as we go. If we ever want advice, we will absolutely ask for it. What we need most is encouragement, support, and a positive environment without judgement.

Family Time Matters

While we are incredibly grateful for the love surrounding our little boy already, we also want to be intentional about creating memories as a family of three. That means we won't always have visitors, even beyond the newborn stage. We want time to bond, create routines, and enjoy these special moments together as our own little family.

A Small Note About Social Media

When our baby arrives, we would love to be the ones to share the news first. We kindly ask that no photos or announcements be posted online until we have shared the news ourselves. We will also appreciate being asked before any photos of our baby are posted on social media.

Mom Matters Too

Welcoming our baby will be such a special time, but I know it will also come with big physical and emotional adjustments for me. When he arrives, even the smallest gestures of thoughtfulness can make a huge difference—whether it’s bringing a coffee, dropping off a meal, or offering a hand with little chores around the house.

Those acts of kindness will mean so much and will give me the space to rest, recover, and fully enjoy these precious moments with our little boy.

A Gentle Reminder

We know these boundaries may feel different for some people, but they come from a place of love and care for our baby and our family. We kindly ask that our wishes be respected—it truly means a lot to us.

We feel so grateful for the love and support surrounding us as we get ready to welcome our little boy. We can’t wait to begin this new adventure as a family of three.