A new survey has suggested that 20 percent of women prefer their mother in-laws as their "birthing partner" when they go into labour.
The Baby Show finding that 80 per cent of new mums welcome their in-laws within minutes of the baby's arrival, shows the role of the extended family in today's society as more working women later rely on parents and in-laws to help with the raising of a child, the Daily Express reported.
The study also revealed that 65 per cent of women said they solicit the advice of their mother-in-law about parenting because of their own experiences.
Ellie Cannon, Baby Show expert and author of guide books for new mums, said modern women had enough to deal with without worrying about what their mother-in-laws think.
She added that when new mums are sleep deprived and recovering from labour, it is not worth wasting what vital precious energy she has on anything other than herself or her baby.