Visitors after the birth: how much, when and for how long?
11-09-2026 — Kraamplein
When are visitors welcome?
Visitors are usually welcome from the moment you've sent a birth announcement, or whenever you invite them yourself. There's no fixed rule — plan it together with your partner, so you decide yourselves when it suits rather than visits just showing up.
How long does a visit last?
A visit usually lasts between thirty minutes and an hour. Longer quickly becomes tiring, especially in the first days when you're still recovering and breastfeeding often isn't automatic yet (see Getting breastfeeding going). It's completely normal, and not impolite, to say so in advance.
Spread the visits over the maternity week
Because the maternity week is specifically meant for recovering and getting used to your baby, many parents choose to spread visits out rather than planning everything in the first days:
- Keep the first day(s) deliberately quiet — give yourself and the baby time to recover from the birth.
- Don't plan more than one or two visits a day, for example one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
- Leave the occasional whole day free of visitors, so there are also days to really recharge.
The role of your maternity carer
A practical advantage of visitors during the official maternity week: your maternity carer often welcomes them along with you and arranges coffee, tea and the traditional rusks with aniseed sprinkles — you don't have to get up for that yourself. That doesn't take away from the fact that you decide how much visiting there is and when; the maternity carer is there for the hospitality, not the planning.
Don't be afraid to set boundaries
You're entitled to reschedule or cancel a visit if it doesn't suit you at that moment — a demanding feed, a crying baby or simply tiredness are all perfectly good reasons. Most people understand this completely; a short message ('it's not a great time right now, shall we reschedule?') is enough.
In short
- Visitors are usually welcome from the birth announcement onward, but plan it yourself.
- Keep a visit to roughly thirty minutes to an hour.
- Spread the visits: no more than one or two a day, and occasionally leave a whole day free.
- Your maternity carer often helps with the hospitality during the maternity week — you remain the one who decides the planning.
- You can always reschedule or cancel a visit, no explanation needed.
Also read A day in the maternity week: what does your maternity carer do?
This article is general and informational and may be out of date or incomplete. It is not medical or personal advice; for your situation, what your midwife, GP or maternity care provider says applies. You cannot derive any rights from the content, and Kraamplein accepts no liability for damage arising from its use.
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