The Trials of New Parenthood: 12 Frustrating Remarks You Hear When Welcoming a Baby

Welcoming a new baby into the world brings joy and challenges alike. However, amidst the sleep deprivation and adjustment struggles, it seems like everyone has something to say about it, even with the best of intentions. Let’s explore the 12 annoying remarks that new parents often encounter:

1. ‘Cherish every moment.’

Sounds nice in theory, but let’s be real. There are plenty of moments we’d rather forget, like the nights spent hiding under covers while our baby’s screams echoed through the room or the time exhaustion led us to pass out in the supermarket aisle. Cherishing guilt-ridden moments? No, thank you.

2. ‘Sleep when the baby sleeps.’

Great advice, if only our little bundle of joy actually enjoyed sleep. And even if they did, there’s a long list of more pressing matters, like attending to personal hygiene or tackling never-ending chores.

3. ‘Oh bless her. She has a little birthmark/blotchy skin/funny-shaped head/cradle cap?’

Thanks for pointing out the very things we’ve been fretting about, just so we can fret a little more.

4. ‘She is so…long!’

Let’s face it, ‘long’ is code for ‘Whoa, your baby is huge!’ Can we just be honest about it?

5. ‘Are you getting much sleep?’

Seriously? Look at the disheveled state we’re in—vomit on our shoulders, tops worn inside out, unkempt hair, and eyes sporting colossal bags. We’re walking like sleep-deprived zombies, so how much sleep do you think we’re actually getting?

6. ‘Does she sleep well?’

Yep, she sleeps like a baby—translation: not at all, as mentioned above.

7. ‘Have you tried (insert magical sleep technique that miraculously turned their baby into a perfect sleeper at four weeks old)?’

Sleep? What is sleep? We’ve tried it all, trust us. At this point, we’re employing a technique we affectionately call ‘Do Whatever It Takes to Get the Baby to Sleep.’

8. ‘Have you got her into a consistent bedtime routine?’

Absolutely! We consistently put her to bed, and she consistently wakes up. It’s like clockwork.

9. ‘Has she smiled/laughed/rolled over yet?’

If our baby hasn’t achieved these milestones yet, panic sets in. Is something wrong? Cue frantic Google searches, calls to health visitors, and diving into endless baby books. Why isn’t our baby meeting these milestones on time?

10. ‘You’re going back to work? I bet that’ll be a nice break for you.’

Let’s clarify something: waking up at 5 a.m. after an entire night of baby duty, dropping off our little one at nursery, navigating an entire workday with a foggy brain, picking up the baby, managing feeding, bathing, and bedtime routines, and then repeating this cycle five days a week. Break? Not quite.

11. ‘You’re not going back to work? I bet that’ll be a nice break for you.’

While caring for our baby 24/7, barely catching any sleep, and struggling to find time for basic self-care, we can’t help but wonder: Where is this supposed break? Showers, coffee, meals, and getting dressed become luxuries. It’s a non-stop marathon, and breaks are few and far between.

12. ‘It’ll get easier.’

When? We’ve been waiting for this mythical ‘easier’ stage for three years now. Is it really going to happen? The promised respite seems like a big, fat lie.

Navigating the

realm of new parenthood is undoubtedly challenging, and these comments only add to the journey’s difficulties.