10 Things Never to Say to New Parents

It’s amazing some of the things Jason and I have heard being brand new parents to a newborn baby boy. All I can think is, “We’re new parents, not morons!” Some of the “so-called advice” is more of a common sense thing and creates more of an annoyance for us then anything at all. Here are some of the things we have been told to do/try or things that have been said to us in the THREE weeks we’ve been parents.

1) Are you getting sleep?

What do you think? We have a newborn that eats 8-12 times a day and needs to be changed just as often. So the answer is NO. Please stop reminding us of the magnificent hours of sleep we are losing DAILY.

2) Take a nap when he naps.

This is much easier said than done. I’ve never been a nap person, so that alone is a problem.  Jason and I are busy-bodies, so the thought of taking a nap only takes away from the time we are able to get things done during the day while having a newborn at home. This advice is silly for us, but may work for other new parents.

3) Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

I know that people say this to be nice and it’s a very thoughtful gesture, but if I were to be like, “Yes, you can go grocery shopping for me” the likelihood of that actually happening is slim to none. Thanks for the gesture, but really…I can multitask.

4) Is the baby sleeping through the night yet?

Hahahahahahahaha. Enough said.

5) Maybe you should try holding him like this when nursing.

Trust me when I say that I have tried every position possible when feeding him, and as his mother I know what position works and which position doesn’t..so thanks for the advice, but I’ll do it my way.

6) Maybe you should burp him longer.

I also (believe it or not) know how to burp my son. I’m a new mom, but I’m certainly not a moron.

7) When are you going to come visit with the baby?

Stop. Just stop. YOU come to us. It’s much easier for you to travel then myself with a needy newborn. Just saying.

8) You know your baby is probably hungry or has a dirty diaper..(while out in pubic, a stranger just randomly knows it all)

Yes, thank you. I’m well aware that he probably has a dirty diaper and/or is hungry. Again, I may be new to this whole parenting thing, but I’m not oblivious!

9) When are you going to give Braxton a brother or sister?

Well…considering I just had a baby THREE weeks ago, I haven’t put much thought into when to try for another. Granted, I want Braxton to have a sibling, I also want to enjoy this moment with our ONE child for a little while.

10) Was having Braxton worth the nausea, back aches, weight gain, etc?

The answer is simply: Absolutely.

These are only a few things that Jason and I have been asked or the advice we have received. Don’t be that person that “knows it all” or has some ridiculous advice that is more of a common-sense thing than it is actual advice. Like I said, we are new to the whole parenting thing, but we weren’t born yesterday. We did prepare for parenthood. 🙂 If you are an individual that has said something along these lines, I’m certainly not slamming you or making fun of you. I sincerely appreciate the feedback, but also understand that Jason and I are doing the best we can. We will learn from making mistakes and by practicing trial and error. Thank you all for the good and the “bad” advice. 🙂