Are parents / grandparents still required to come live with you after you give birth? Here's the story.... 

My husband and I are expecting a baby soon. My parents live close by, while his mom lives in Durban. I have a good relationship with his mom, but we aren’t very close—it’s mostly polite conversations when she visits.

I’m happy for her to visit as soon as the baby is born. Since it’s hard to predict the exact date, we plan to call her and my sister (who also lives out of town) when I go into labour. They know they’re welcome to book a flight right away or wait until after the birth. Whatever works for them.

I recently told my husband I didn’t want anyone staying overnight at our house for the first few days after birth. He seemed surprised but supported me, and we agreed to let everyone know. I told my mom first, explaining family is welcome to visit all day and into the evening, but I wanted the first few nights to bond as a family and adjust without overnight guests. This is our first (and likely only) baby, and I want to treasure those moments. When we told his mother she threw a tantrum and said she won’t bother coming, and that we can just send her a picture of the baby.

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