Hi, so here is what happened to me….I'm a health care professional and had seen a couple births during my pharmacy residency.

When I did get pregnant, I ONLY wanted my husband and best friend (I'm closer to her than my own sister) in the room. I was told it was likely I would need a C-section.

Anyways..my parents being rather standoffish, and living 5 minutes from the hospital, just wanted a phonecall after the baby was born. My MIL, lived about an hour away, and wanted to be in the hospital room. SHE WANTED TO BE THERE for the birth, which wasn't OK with me. So my parents thought this was being made into a competition and decided they also had to be there too. I demanded that only 2 people could be in my room at a time. PERHAPS I even said it was hospital policy, just so I didn't have a complete circus in my room. Since my husband sided with his mom, I said he also didn't need to be in the room if he expected his mom would be in my room…So that ultimatum set him straight.

Anyhow, I was induced and didn't dilate when they decided I needed a C-section. The nurse ran out of my room to the waiting room and screamed emergency C-section with no further explanation. This made all the grandparents think that both myself and the baby were in danger.

I would simply say you appreciate them wanting to be there, but during the birth it is very intimate, and they must stay in the waiting room. DO NOT be bullied into the others convincing you to do something you are not comfortable with. Otherwise, there will be future expectations that you will cave into their desires.