Latest news with #ChelseyCox
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The one mistake people keep making when visiting moms who just gave birth
For many of us, visiting a brand-new mom feels like an instinctive moment of celebration—cooing over the baby, offering a helping hand, and maybe even saying something like, 'Let me take the baby so you can rest.' But one mom's viral Instagram video is flipping that script—and reminding visitors what actually helps during postpartum. The reel, originally posted by South Carolina mom Chelsey Cox (@thechelseydream), was featured by TODAY and has since sparked emotional responses from new moms across the country. 'By offering to take my child, you're putting me in 'fight or flight' mode,' Cox told Today. In her video, Cox clearly and lovingly delivers the message: 'When you are going to a new mother's house, do not offer to take the baby,' she says. Don't offer to babysit. Don't offer to let her get some sleep while you watch the baby. Don't, don't, don't.', while her five-month-old son sleeps peacefully on her chest. Instead? Cox lists off what would actually feel supportive—things like doing the dishes, bringing food, sweeping the floor, or simply being a quiet presence. 'You can wash these dishes, you can bring me something to eat … bake me a cake,' she adds. 'Don't offer to take this baby, because she is probably not going to let you do that until he is 19. And even then.' The comments on her video were filled with laughter, solidarity, and deep understanding. @itsmechi_chi: 'Please offer to take the husband instead. Me and the baby are doing just fine.' @emiiiily_m: 'Holding my baby is not helping.' @Pretti__maine1728: 'I barely want you to touch her, let alone out of my eyesight.' @_margueritetherese_: 'This gives me so much anxiety when people say this because, 'Why do you want to take my baby away from me??'' Behind the humor is something serious: for many new mothers, early postpartum is a time of intense bonding, vulnerability, and recovery. And the best thing loved ones can do? Let her lead. Related: 'It's so scary': Meghan Markle shares her postpartum preeclampsia story—and the pressure to show up anyway Cox told TODAY that her son was born with specific health challenges, which make her especially mindful of his needs. But even without that added layer, she says, the instinct to protect her baby runs deep. 'Let me keep my baby — I grew him, he's mine — and you can assist me with other things.' Her advice for loved ones wanting to help is beautifully simple: 'Bring me a meal. Clean my house for me. Do a load of laundry … Some soup. A foot rub. Not snatch the baby.' And she's quick to note that support can still include holding the baby—but only when asked. Cox says her mother-in-law gets it right by asking questions like, 'Do you need or want something?' and 'Can I send you anything?' It's about consent, comfort, and consideration. 'I want women to feel comfortable … to say, 'Ask me what I need and I'll tell you,'' Cox says. 'Don't assume what I need.' Related: Texts between postpartum moms go viral—because no one talks about this enough In the flurry of joy, excitement, and tiny clothes, it's easy to forget that postpartum isn't just a celebration—it's a recovery. Moms don't need guests who swoop in and disrupt that delicate transition. They need respectful, practical, and heartfelt help. So next time you visit a new mom? Don't reach for the baby. Reach for the broom—or better yet, the snack bag. Because as Cox says: 'There are other ways to show that you're here for me and my baby.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 1 thing you should never do when you visit a new mom
Maybe don't offer to 'take the baby' the next time you visit a new mom. 'By offering to take my child, you're putting me in 'fight or flight' mode,' Chelsey Cox, a mom in South Carolina, tells Cox laid it out in an Instagram video, in which her five-month-old son sleeps on her chest. 'When you are going to a new mother's house, do not offer to take the baby,' Cox said in the video. 'Don't offer to babysit. Don't offer to take the baby nowhere. Don't offer to let her get some sleep while you watch the baby. Don't, don't, don't.' 'Nine times out of ten, I want to be with my baby — I don't want you to take the baby, OK?' Cox continued. 'You can wash these dishes, you can bring me something to eat ... No, don't offer to watch the baby. I'm going to need you to sweep, mop, vacuum, take the trash, bring me some goodies, give me something to eat, bring me some money. Cook me some soup ... bake me a cake.' Cox added, 'Don't offer to take this baby, because she is probably not going to let you do that until he is 19. And even then.' Instagram moms asked Cox to 'Say it louder for the mothers-in-law in the back,' writing these comments: 'Please offer to take the husband instead. Me and the baby are doing just fine.' 'YES. Please do everything else. Don't tell me that I can 'relax' now that you're holding the baby, while you sit there watching me clean with my baby in your arms.' 'Holding my baby is not helping.' 'Seriously ... I just grew this human for nine months and was gutted like a fish to get her out. I'm madly in love with her and I barely want you to touch her, let alone out of my eyesight.' 'This gives me so much anxiety when people say this because, 'Why do you want to take my baby away from me??'' 'If I send this to my family's group chat, it'll start a wildfire.' Cox tells that her son requires specific care, due to being born with health problems. 'Even without those challenges, I'm of the mindset, 'Let me keep my baby — I grew him, he's mine — and you can assist me with other things,' she says. Cox says she wants her loved ones to bond with her baby, adding, 'I also want you to see I am drowning,' as a postpartum mom. 'Bring me a meal,' she suggests. 'Clean my house for me. Do a load of laundry ... Some soup. A foot rub ... Not snatch the baby.' Cox says she recorded the Instagram video for new mothers that don't feel comfortable clarifying the help they need. 'People don't want to be rude or disrespectful or hurt anyone's feelings, so they often comply,' she says, adding, 'There are other ways to show that you're here for me and my baby.' Cox says her mother-in-law has it right. 'She is really good about asking, 'Do you need or want something?' and 'Can I send you anything?'" says Cox. 'If I need her to take my baby, she will.' Cox says visitors should let new mothers set the pace during postpartum visits. 'I want women to feel comfortable ... to say, 'Ask me what I need and I'll tell you,' says Cox. 'Don't assume what I need.'This article was originally published on
