I have always loved writing poems - not particularly good ones, but it gives me pleasure to think of daft little rhymes. I think they can be a fun way to get a message across, which gave me this idea!
Due to Covid, I missed out on having visitors when I had my baby. My immediate family came and that was all. In many ways, I was sad to miss out on the experience. However, I must admit that part of me, quite a big part, was relieved not to have to go through the strain of entertaining guests. I'd had a traumatic birth and was coping with frequent flashbacks, baby had been unwell resulting in an extended hospital stay and I was having huge difficulties with breastfeeding. I certainly wasn't at my best, despite being beyond in love with my little wonder.
If not for Covid, my biggest fears would have been people 'popping in' unannounced, slobbering all over my baby and expecting me to put on a spread. Not to mention if I started crying in front of people, which I would have felt embarrassed by. I should stress I have lovely family and friends who I'm sure would be far more sensitive around visiting than this, but these are the issues that I have heard about from mum friends in the past.
I have created this poem and really hope this could be something that new parents can share on social media, should they wish, to politely inform their nearest and dearest on some key requests before they visit. I appreciate some new parents take things in their stride, are happy to put the kettle on and pass their baby round with ease - this poem isn't for everyone.
So, without further ado, take a peak at my poem below! I have put a PDF at the bottom of this blog for download, and I will be sharing on my Twitter and Facebook pages. It's not quite Keats (!) but I hope it might help some new parents.
What do you think? If you think this is useful please leave me a comment, I would be super grateful to hear from you!