My wife wants to do everything herself and won’t let anyone else get a look in. Now my Mum’s offended. How can I help her relax a little?

Many new mums feel like this, so your situation isn’t unusual. Perhaps your wife feels that she ‘should’ be able to do everything herself and sees accepting help as an admission of defeat. Reassure her, and let her know that people want to help, and that she would benefit from time to relax and have some time out. Tell your mum about how your wife is feeling, and reassure her, too. She may feel that her offers of help aren’t appreciated. Perhaps your mum could ask your wife what she would like help with – I bet she would love someone to do some washing up for her, or dusting, ironing or taking the baby out for a walk so that she can have a bath or a rest.