Extended family relationships

Most couples grow closer after having a baby and having an extended family can be a blessing as you will have plenty of willing volunteers to help look after the baby or babysit. Of course the downside is that you might have to grin and bear it if you get unsolicited or outdated advice you don’t agree with, especially if it’s from an older relative you don’t want to offend. If this is the case, the best approach is to acknowledge the kind intention behind it and say something like: “I really appreciate your concern and will discuss this with my GP.”

Another plus is that you might suddenly get closer to a ‘difficult’ relative or even your mum! Having a baby will certainly make you rethink your relationships and even reveal sides of people you haven’t noticed before, such as extreme kindness, compassion and surprising generosity. Of course this was more common in the past when families tended to stick close together, even sharing the same house! There were no childcare issues then and a new mum could run a house confidently with plenty of help from sisters and other relatives.

Naturally you might not agree with your mum or your mother-in-law’s views on parenting, which could bring conflict and stress if it spills into your own relationship. All relationships take time, sacrifice, patience, love and respect – try your best and you might find out that your best friends and rocks are your siblings, cousins and even in-laws!