Congratulations! Having kids is a great honor and pleasure in life.

No, I didn’t have solid support. I had friends and family who I trusted to keep them for an hour or 2 after 6 weeks. That is one great pitfall of American families- the lack of multigenerational support. In Mexico, a woman and her newborn are shielded for a month. None but immediate family see mother and child time in order give them time to bond and recover. People are offended here, at least, my family were. It’s not just early childhood where there is a lack of familial support. At 18 a child is expected to launch- to college or to a profession. Living with your parents afterward is considered a great shame. No pooling of resources or even shared knowledge from valued elders. We miss out on all of that. :(

My husband is British and in the U.K. there are complimentary crèches where you can leave your baby with a knowledgeable caretaker for a short time while you are at the mall or go to dinner. It’s considered a common courtesy. It was so hard in the beginning to take a shower. I had to wear her in a sling to even brush my teeth!

That closed door ends here. Since my kids were young my husband and I have stressed that we want them to come back home or to ask for help and we will gladly give it at any point during their lives. I dream of a large 6 bedroom house filled with family and laughing kids and kindly grandmothers. We shall see. My daughter wants to go to school 8 hours away. Maybe geography plays a big role in the US.

the only thing scarier than a dentist is an angry dentist who is tired of your shit

This made me laugh

I think we are of similar mind and I envy the freedom your wife, mom and mother in law have to be proud and appreciated for the tremendous support they provide. A family that works that way is destined to be strong and successful and give each member value and accomplishment. Wish I knew what that was like. You only have to look to this thread to see that disdain for SAHM’s is prevalent.