Visitors Bingo

Name: Visitors Bingo
Author: Cynthia Obinatu

“He looks exactly like his father.” “Is she eating?” The aunty who asks when the next one is coming. Tick everything your visitors said or did after the birth and see how many lines you get.

This is a game. The squares are affectionate and meant for laughing, and they say nothing about any family member. It runs on your phone, and nothing you tap is saved or sent anywhere.

When to call a doctor

If your baby is under three months old and has a temperature of 38°C or higher, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital straight away. Do the same if your baby is hard to wake or will not feed. Do not wait for visitors to leave.

Written by Cynthia Obinatu, community and editorial lead

How Visitors Bingo works

You get a grid of 25 squares. The dotted square in the middle is already ticked. Every other square is something a visitor says or does after a baby arrives in a Nigerian home. Tap each one you have lived through, and any full row, column or diagonal counts as a line.

Tap every square a visitor has given you.
Watch the lines light up as you go.
Tap See my result to get your band.
Send the game to another mum and compare whose visitors are funnier.

What your result means

Your band counts how many of these visits you have had. It says nothing about your family. Visitors come with love. This game laughs at habits every family shares, and most squares come from people who are glad the baby is here.

If a visit ever feels like too much, it is fine to say so kindly. You can agree a time, ask people to call first or ask a family member to welcome guests for you.

First guests: 0 to 6 squares tickedMy first visitors are still on the way.
A few visits in: 7 to 12 squares tickedMy house has had its share of visitors.
Open house: 13 to 18 squares tickedMy living room has been an open house.
Full house: 19 to 24 squares tickedI've hosted nearly every visitor.

Ask every visitor to wash their hands first

A newborn cannot yet fight infections as well as an older child, so hospitals and baby clinics ask every visitor to wash their hands before holding a baby. You can say it with a smile: “Welcome, the soap is by the sink.” Keep a small bottle of hand sanitiser by the door too, and ask anyone who is coughing or unwell to visit another time. Educational, not medical advice, and not yet reviewed by a clinician.

Common questions

Is this game making fun of my family?

No. The squares are things that nearly every family hears, and most of them come from people who love the baby. Play it with the same smile you give the visitor.

How do I ask visitors to wash their hands?

Say it kindly at the door: “Welcome, the soap is by the sink.” Hospitals and baby clinics ask the same of every visitor, so you are following the usual rule. A bottle of sanitiser by the door also helps.

What if I do not want visitors yet?

It is fine to ask people to wait or to call first. You can agree a time, or ask a family member to welcome guests for you.

Is this private?

Yes. Your taps stay on your phone. If you share your result, the link and the picture show your band only, never your squares.

Where this comes from

The effect of omugwo on postpartum wellbeing in Nigerian mothers. Missing Perspectives.
What to do (and not to do) when meeting a newborn baby. Henry Ford Health.
Hand hygiene for the prevention of infections in neonates. PubMed Central.
High temperature (fever) in children. NHS.

The squares come from what Nigerian families describe after a birth and from the moments the Wholesome Girlies team hears most often. The game is for fun. Read it alongside our editorial policy.

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