Why This Mom's List of Rules to Meet Baby Is Going Viral

Bringing baby home from the hospital is truly an exciting time, but it can also be stressful. While everyone wants to meet your new addition, some parents might be wary of these early interactions. One way to ease the stress? Lay down some ground rules.

Maise Crompton, an expectant mother from the UK, is doing just that. Ahead of her due date, Crompton has made a list of eight rules she expects friends and family to follow when coming to meet baby. Crompton recently shared her list in a Tik Tok that has since gone viral, garnering over 740,000 views.

These are the eight rules the first-time mom came up with:

1. Please don’t kiss the baby
2. No unannounced visitors. (I really don’t think I’m gonna be up for socializing when a baby has literally just come out of me.)
3. Don’t announce our baby has arrived until we do, on social media or in person.
4. No photos posted of the baby until we do.
5. Don’t come if you’re sick. (I don’t care if it’s just, like, a small cough.)
6. Wash your hands before holding them. (You’ve probably touched loads of stuff.)
7. Don’t ask to see the baby if you haven’t spoken to me or asked how I am throughout my pregnancy. (Just, no.)
8. If our baby cries, please hand them back to me or their dad (because I do not want to watch my baby cry from a distance).

Many were quick to support Crompton in the comments, saying, “If people are upset by this list, then they don’t deserve to be near you or your baby. This is perfectly reasonable and should be the norm anyway.” Another commenter added, “Instead of calling them rules, call them boundaries. I think more people accept boundaries than rules.”

Crompton also provided suggestions to moms worried about offending friends and family on how to share their rules without it coming across as harsh. In another post, she drafted a friendly text outlining her expectations while encouraging visitors to come to see baby soon.

If you’re preparing to welcome a little one into your home soon, consider making a postpartum plan to help with everything from boundary-setting to body recovery, emotional support and more.