Pieces of advice I'm tired of hearing/seeing even when they're not addressed to me

[ailbhe]

If you breastfeed exclusively, your period won't come back until you introduce solids.

If you can talk through them, they're not real contractions.

You mustn't [anything] while you're pregnant or breastfeeding.

It's ok never to sterilise bottle-feeding equipment (especially when it's said to someone seeking advice for a newborn).

You need to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding by [arcane and painful ritual].

You have to / must never attempt to set a routine for the baby.

I forget the rest, because it's hot and I'm very very pregnant today. And I have an NCT coffee social this afternoon with ONE attendee so far. And she has a bump, not a baby, which may well make it even harder to talk. I may scavenge some others up somehow.

Comments

[surelars.livejournal.com]

Oh, the endless parade of "experts" on anything-to-do-with-children. There's no end to the absolutely-essential-advice that some people just have to give to parents. And, hey - I have a child, so I'm an expert too. I found something that worked for my child in situation X, and surely that will work for all children, in even remotely similar situations.

What really baffled me was when complete strangers who happened to stand next to me in the supermarket offered advice on whatever.

But take heart; while it never goes away completely, it drops to a much more manageable level after the first 12 months.

[ailbhe]

My daughter is 2 and a quarter. People still assume I need advice on the management of my bump.

[surelars.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. That's taking it far too long. I remember considering a T-shirt saying "I know how to ask for help when I need it". Probably would not have helped, though.

Hopefully, being a woman you're at least spared the truly patronizing you-clearly-have-no-idea-what-you're-doing "advice". I once had a little old lady in the street explaining the correct procedure for pushing a baby carriage about.

[ailbhe]

Our experience is that men are assumed to be doing it "wrong" from sweet ignorance, and get kind "it might help if you do it this way" advice. Women get rather nasty "Don't you know you should do THIS?!" advice. The content of the advice is the same.