Top four annoying things that new moms have to hear (and ignore)

Anyone who has embraced motherhood will surely have a lot of good things to say about the joy that a new soul brings in her life. However, all new moms have to listen to some utterly annoying things from their mother, mother-in-law, that overly interfering neighbor, their relatives and even random strangers.

Here is a collection of top four annoying things that ladies, especially in India, have to hear post-partum. Have you said any of these knowingly or unknowingly?

1. Comments on the kind of delivery they had

If you had a NVD (Normal Vaginal Delivery), then praise the Lord because you successfully escaped some of the most annoying comments that prick the deepest parts of your soul. However, if you had a c-sec, they you already know what I am talking about. Some of the most insensitive comments that a new mom hears belong to this category. Right from “Having an easy way out” to “Not being a real mother”, the comments falling in this category deserve a special mention. 

2. Comments on their breast milk supply

Is it even anyone’s business to know about such a personal aspect? Most new moms would agree that their breast milk supply has remained a topic of discussion among the other ladies of their family, and their extended family. Many people forget their limits and end up asking of the new mom is producing enough breast milk to fill the baby’s tummy. Worse still, many people offer unsolicited advice on how to increase breast milk supply. I just have one thing to tell such people: Give the poor mother a break, and let her figure out what she needs help with.

3. Comments on how ‘weak’ the baby is

Some of the most commonly asked questions that new mothers (or for that matter, mothers of toddlers too) have to face are regarding the so called ‘poor health’ of their children. “The baby looks underweight”, “Please feed your child properly” and “The baby hasn’t gained any weight since the last time we saw him/ her” are the among the most frequently uttered phrases that mothers have to hear. Why do we forget that all mothers want only the best for their children? If the baby is noticeably weak or underweight, the pediatrician would let the parents know, don’t you think? And once they know, they will take care of it, most likely. So, let us please leave this on the parents, and not bombard the mother with such comments.

4. Comments on the baby’s complexion

Comments falling in this category are not any less annoying than the rest. Many people casually mention that the child is fairer or darker than one or both parents. Don’t you think that making remarks on the complexion of a child is unnecessary? Complexion and pretty much everything else related to the child is determined to a great extent by the genes. Why make complexion such a big deal?

We should all try to give space to the new mother and refrain from making any of the above comments. As a new mom, did you hear these comments? Have you ever said any of these things to a new mom? Are there more such annoying things that you would like to share with us?