Please stop with unsolicited comments on my baby's sleep

[TxCat]

I'm so over the constant questions about whether or not DD2 is sleeping through the night yet! I'm especially over the pained sympathetic tsk-tsking when I proudly tell people who ask that generally DD2 will sleep a 4-6 1/2 hr stretch, eat, and sleep another 2-3 hours after that. By my metric, that's awesome, so the "poor you" responses aren't really necessary, thank you. She's three months old, for Pete's sake!

Honestly, the next time someone around me expresses shock that DD2 isn't yet sleeping 12 hours straight through the night, I'm going to knock them out.

[Melaine]

i sympathize. Honestly, anyone even mentions the word sleep I want to bite their head off.

[georgiegirl]

The best response is "she sleeps like a baby." I've learned not to discuss my kids sleeping habits with most people.

[twowhat?]

That IS awesome at 3 months!!! I like the above response ("she sleeps like a baby"). Mine weren't sleeping like that until 6 months! But every baby is SO different.

[sarahsthreads]

Sing it! This drives me nuts. I'm thrilled to get a 4.5 - 5 hour stretch of sleep, and don't think it's fair to expect more than that at 2 months. And the only way to get it is if he's snuggled up to me in bed, and why do people give me that look when I admit to co-sleeping? I promise he won't still be when he goes off to college. Probably not even when he goes off to Kindergarten.

The one that drives me even more nuts is the "is he a good baby?" question. Huh? Well, gosh, no. He's a bad baby. Very bad. We've called the cops on him twice and had to take away his car keys. I mean, seriously? He's a baby. He nurses when he's hungry, sleeps when he's tired, uses up diapers at a prolific rate, cries when he needs something, and smiles at us when he's happy. There's nothing inherently "good" or "bad" about any of those things. So why do people insist on labeling my baby "good" or "bad"?

Sarah :)

[JBaxter]

.... Smile and say didn't you read that study that says babies that wake more frequently a night are found to have higher IQ's?

[TxCat]

The best response is "she sleeps like a baby.".

I love that response and I'm totally stealing it. Hopefully it will keep me from committing bodily harm to someone in the near future.

[Katigre]

I always answered with a smile and "she sleeps great, we're all well rested."

Sent from my Android phone using Swype

[HannaAddict]

Four hours for babies is officially considered "sleeping through the night" per our pediatrician. So, just smile and say "yes, she sleeps through the night" and change the topic. People don't know what to say, have amnesia from the reality of what it was like when they had a baby, and generally are just highly annoying to new moms especially. My in-laws were the worst, followed closely by my own family! I didn't provide hours or details, just general vague answers, nothing for them to cling to and critique. And your babe is an easy keeper sleep-wise if she sleeps that much at a stretch!

[hellokitty]

Ugh, I remember those days! I look back and realized that ppl were making me feel more neurotic, than I had to about my babies' sleep habits (which were completely normal!). It's one of those situations where you don't even bother telling them any details and say that everything is great, so you don't get all the weird feedback and comments that you never wanted to hear to begin with. FWIW, I think your baby is doing great!

[georgiegirl]

The one that drives me even more nuts is the "is he a good baby?" question. Huh? Well, gosh, no. He's a bad baby. Very bad. We've called the cops on him twice and had to take away his car keys. I mean, seriously? He's a baby. He nurses when he's hungry, sleeps when he's tired, uses up diapers at a prolific rate, cries when he needs something, and smiles at us when he's happy. There's nothing inherently "good" or "bad" about any of those things. So why do people insist on labeling my baby "good" or "bad"?

Sarah :)

That's my pet peeve too. Babies aren't bad. I like the terms easy and difficult (or challenging).

[scrooks]

Amen to this whole thread!:applause:

[Indianamom2]

I like "she sleeps like a baby" as a kind response. Honestly, your little one is sleeping great for her age. Ignore the ignorant!

[StantonHyde]

Holy cow!! I would have given my right arm if DS slept that much at that age!! We was waking at LEAST 2 times a night when he was 5-6 months old! I just learned to smile and say "he is sleeping like a baby". yeesh. Thankfully, I had him first and then DD--she was the EASIEST baby. And even she was waking up to nurse when she was 8 mos old. I believe there are babies that STTN at early ages, they just aren't my babies!

And--just because they sleep when they are tiny does not mean they will sleep when they are older. DS STTN at 15 mos and has been an AWESOME sleeper ever since. DD was great for a while but the last year or 2--she is a bear to get to stay in bed and go.to.sleep!!!! So you never know how it will all turn out!

[goldenpig]

Lucky you! I would love to only have to wake up once a night! My kids all slept poorly as newborns, I think it was the reflux/MSPI. DS2 gets up at least twice a night most nights (if not more), and he is 7 months old! I hate the STTN questions too. All our friends seem to have the sleeping 12-hour a night since 8 weeks old type of baby. I need to know how to get me one of those!

[klwa]

Our ped always said that "sleeping through the night" is measured as sleeping for 6 hours. I loved getting criticism from my oldest brother because my child wasn't sleeping through the night at the same age his was (6 months or so). His was sleeping from midnight until 6 am. Mine was sleeping from 6pm until 1 am, feeding & then going back down until 6 am. But that wasn't good enough.

So, basically, people are idiots.

[lizzywednesday]

WHUCK?

Seriously, I was happy with any sleep at 3 months old!

Mine didn't sleep longer than 7-8 hours at night until she was almost 8 months old, if I recall correctly.

I think it's great that she's sleeping up to 6.5hrs at a stretch sometimes at 3 months.

[mommylamb]

Wait, there are babies who sleep through the night consistently at 3 months??? Clearly mine were not in that category. DS2 is 20 months, and still rarely sleeps through the night. Tired.

[Piglet]

Honestly, I think people are just at a loss as to what to say sometimes, and they know the canned questions, "does he sleep through the night?", "is he a good baby?", etc. I do get annoyed with the unsolicited advice, but I am not so fussed by the innocent questions, especially by people that are not so in the know on what babies are typically doing at that current age/stage. It is better than asking if your stitches are finally healed or if your boobs have finally stopped leaking :)

[BabyBearsMom]

That is obnoxious. I really always hated that. A 3 month old who sleeps as much as yours, TXCat, is amazing. People have bizarre expectations when it comes to babies.

[BabbyO]

I'm pretty sure that what you described IS sleeping through the night for a child that is 3 mo old. Sounds like she's sleeping great! I like the "sleeps like a baby" response!

[KpbS]

I would have loved to have mine sleeping like that! I would just smile, nod and say, why yes, she's very advanced. ;)