Someone Else Wants to Hold the Baby and You Can't Hand Them Over Fast Enough

I adore you, but also get off of me for five minutes

You love your baby. You really, really do.
You'd throw yourself in front of a moving truck for them.
But if one more person touches you, climbs you, pulls on your shirt, or latches onto your body like a baby koala in heat — you might scream. Or cry. Or hide in the bathroom with the door locked and the fan on.

You’re not broken. You’re just touched out.

The Physical Weight of Love

The early days of motherhood are full of sweetness: soft baby skin, sleepy snuggles, that intoxicating new baby smell.

But what people don’t talk about enough?
The physical claustrophobia that comes when someone always needs to be on you, around you, or hanging off of you. Constant closeness sounds beautiful — until you haven’t had a moment in your own body for hours, maybe days.

You nurse them. You rock them. You carry them. You bounce them. You sleep next to them, with your neck at a 45-degree angle because God forbid you move.

And then, someone says the magic words:

“Want me to hold the baby for a bit?”

And you nearly throw the baby at them with joy.

That Sweet, Sweet Freedom (And the Guilt That Sometimes Follows)

There’s a strange moment that follows the hand-off.
Your arms feel lighter. Your skin breathes. You stand up straighter. You drink something while it’s still hot.

But then, it happens.

That little whisper of guilt:
“Shouldn’t I want to be holding them right now?”
“What if they cry for me?”
“Am I a bad mom for feeling… relieved?”

Here’s the truth:
No, you’re not.
You’re not a bad mom.
You’re a human one.

Being touched out doesn't mean you're ungrateful. It means you're maxed out — physically, emotionally, sensorially. You’re allowed to crave space, even from the little person you love most in the world.

The Duality of Motherhood: Love + Need

Motherhood is weird like that.
You can miss your baby while they’re napping, and simultaneously wish that nap lasted another hour.
You can love the way they cling to you — and also fantasize about a solo trip to Target without a baby carrier and a diaper bag.
You can soak in their sleepy weight against your chest — and still feel like your skin is buzzing from overuse.

It’s all real.
It’s all valid.
It’s all part of the job no one prepared you for.
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What If You Don’t Feel Guilty? Even Better.

Here’s your official permission slip:
If you feel zero guilt when someone else offers to hold the baby — that’s okay, too.
In fact, that’s healthy.

Not everything needs to be processed through guilt.
Sometimes, it's just a body that needs a break.
Sometimes, it's just a mama reclaiming five minutes of her own nervous system.
Sometimes, it's just knowing that your baby is loved, safe, and temporarily in someone else’s arms — and that’s enough.

So Next Time Someone Offers to Hold the Baby?

Say yes. Say hell yes. Hand them over and go sit down. Stretch. Scroll. Pee alone. Breathe.

Let your body remember what it feels like to be yours again — even just for a little while.

No guilt. No explanation. No second-guessing.

You’re not doing anything wrong.
You’re just giving yourself the care you so freely give to everyone else.

Still touched out? You’re not alone. Stick with Messy Bun Therapy — where motherhood is messy, honest, and occasionally involves hiding in the bathroom for a moment of peace.