Visiting a newborn? Keep these golden rules in mind

Nothing beats the excitement of meeting a newborn. Be it your bestie’s child or your relative’s, the thrill of seeing a just born baby, in all its pink glory, can get anyone excited. However, when you are paying a visit to their home, there are certain etiquette that you need to follow.
Call before you arrive
Find out beforehand when the right time to drop in would be. The new parents might be planning on catching forty winks or paying a visit to the doctor’s. Their home might look like a hurricane hit it, thanks to the baby’s bedclothes and play things. So, it’s always better to check if they are in a position to entertain guests. This one call will save you and your host a lot of trouble.

Give hygiene importance
As soon as you arrive, wash your hands and legs and dab with a sanitiser. This way, parents will not worry about you passing on some infection while lifting the child. More importantly, if you are unwell, don’t visit.

Talk softly
Lower your voice when you speak; you don’t want to disturb a sleeping baby or an irritable mom, who has probably gone without food and sleep for hours to take care of the child. Avoid squealing, clapping or indulging in any action that might wake the baby up.

Bring gifts that are useful
It’s not in good taste to visit someone’s place empty handed. But at the same time, don’t waste money on a bunch of flowers. Buy things that are useful — wet wipes, powder or diapers for the child, steaming coffee, a meal or cupcakes for the mom.

Offer to help
A new mother’s hands will be full with taking care of the baby. So, ask if you can be useful in some way. You can offer to tidy up the home, do few dishes in the sink, make them a meal or fold baby clothes. Trust us, the mother will be eternally grateful to you.

Don’t be judgmental
You may not be in tandem with the way the mother is holding her child or the dad is changing the nappy, but don’t scrutinise them based on your likes and dislikes. Don’t dole out details of possible infections the baby might catch or try to scare them saying how hiccups can be dangerous. If you still want to talk memories from the past, share the nicer ones.

Remember...

Don’t insist for a picture with the baby; parents might not be keen on getting the child photographed as yet.

Put your phones on silent mode.

Avoid using strong perfumes; new mothers can be prone to nausea.

Don’t insist on taking the baby in your arms if the mother is not comfortable.

Don’t bring your child along, for he/she might not be mature enough to know how to behave.

Don’t stay for longer than necessary; your hosts have more important things to do than entertaining you.

Compliment; they need to hear pleasant things.