For the record, I was (and still am) very thankful for all the people who offered well-wishes and meaningful advice directly after my son was born. It was a confusing, intense, stressful time so every reminder that I was loved and supported made me (and my partner) feel like we weren't alone. That said, some of these exchanges did start to wear on me. Despite good intentions, some of the things people say to new moms aren’t quite as helpful as they think. When well-meaning strangers offered kind platitudes, or concerned family members attempted to help, or even polite staff members at my doctor’s office started to take the conversation down a similar path, I had to inwardly brace myself and master the art of the (always helpful) internal scream.
Much like the comments and observations we get as pregnant women, there can be so much going on under the surface of a new mom, that turn polite comments into subtle judgements no matter how well-intentioned someone may be. It’s not that I happen to run with an especially insensitive crowd, or that I have particularly thin skin (although, um, I kinda do), it’s that many of the things the collective "we" says to new mothers create and exacerbate the stresses of new parenthood, and when you're stuck hearing them one after another, you can get um, a little tired and frustrated and (for lack of a better word) freakin' angry. Here are 12 things new moms are tired of hearing, if you're ready to see what I mean.