Seven backhanded baby comments every mum's heard
Reading between the lines of parenting advice aimed at new mums
What people say…
- …and what they really mean
Everyone loves to throw in their words of wisdom about pregnancy, birth and motherhood, and let’s face it, most of it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Such as: 'That's an interesting choice of name' or you look great! Don't worry, you'll lose the baby weight before you know it.'
Often what people say about parenting to new mums is not always entirely what they mean. Recognise any of these little gems?
1. ‘The best thing you can do is bring your baby into the world naturally’
This is a clear dig at the mere consideration that you might accept any drugs during labour. All well and good in theory but if you’re in labour for hours and the pain gets too much, gas and air just won't cut it for everyone!
2. ‘Breast is best’
Who hasn’t heard this? It basically means I do hope you’re not even considering feeding your baby anything else other than breast milk and you'll breastfeed for as long as your baby wants to. Not always what you want to hear if you are currently suffering with a bad bout of mastitis or are finding breastfeeding a 'pain in the boob'.
3. ‘I love my post pregnancy body’
Often a way of saying, I know I haven’t lost my pregnancy weight yet so I will acknowledge it and make out it’s deliberate.
4. ‘My kids bring me nothing but happiness every day’
This is basically a fib. What parent hasn’t wanted to run and scream at those moments when their little one just won’t stop crying or has a tantrum in the middle of the supermarket which becomes a free spectator sport for other shoppers.
5. ‘I would never leave my baby with anyone’
This is a dig that you more than happily took up the grandparents' offer to have your baby overnight so you could have a night out and an uninterrupted sleep, what’s wrong with that? It’s not like you left your baby home alone or with an underage teenager and her boyfriend.
6. ‘My baby only eats organically’
Another dig, this time aimed at you whipping out a weaning food pouch at soft play, I mean really, how could you?
7. ‘Having a baby is what it’s all about’
Yeah OK, we’ll have this one, after all, once your baby arrives, pretty much everything revolves around them and deep down, you wouldn’t have it any other way.