Don't be afraid to say no

When you get home from the hospital, everyone will want to come over to see the baby (and yes, you too). Don't feel like you're being rude or ungrateful if you say no. First, you're going to be very tired and overwhelmed with being a new parent. In addition, the baby really shouldn't be around a lot of people for the first 6-8 weeks. Their little immune systems simply can't fight off all of the germs people pass along on a daily basis. When I had my baby, I felt bad saying no to visitors. Then, my friend's newborn got sick with a virus (that she got from a visitor) and wound up in the hospital. That showed me that my child's well-being is more important than being a gracious hostess.