The most annoying new mom advice

I was recently asked to contribute advice for a baby shower gift to a new mom. These things are cute and always well meaning. And I knew that included in there by more than one person, including moms themselves, was going to be my least favorite advice. Admittedly I have given the advice myself, I'm sorry to all I have said it to. And it's not given just to new moms, but to any mom with a new baby.

What is it you ask??? Well here goes....Sleep when your baby sleeps. Okay in theory this advice is great. If baby naps, mommy naps. Labor is hard and you are up all hours of the night in the first few months, so the idea of sleeping whenever baby sleeps is a good one, yet completely impractical in most circumstances. If you are lucky enough to live near family or can hire someone to come to your house to cook, clean, do laundry, and everything else around your house for a few months then go ahead, sleep when your baby sleeps. But if you are like me and had in house help for just a week then at some point you are going to have start doing laundry (which adds up quick with a newborn), the bathrooms eventually need cleaned, and you are going to run out of or want something different than your previously prepared and frozen meals. And while a husband and daddy can help, there are some things mommy still needs to do. Also if you are sleeping when your baby sleeps all the time you never truly get time to yourself. At least for me, taking a nap is not exactly mommy time. It's great, but afterwards I don't feel like I've done something just for me.

And please don't get me started if its not your first child. If you have another child at home, particularly one that still needs help and attention like a toddler or preschooler, there is not a chance that you can nap all the time. Even once a day sometimes.

So what's my advice instead, if you want to take a nap do it. But don't feel pressured to. I always felt like people were lecturing me because I would be up doing something during nap time. If you don't want to, if you would rather fold laundry or clean the toilet because that will make you feel a little better to know its done, do it. Even if you would rather just sit and read a book or watch tv do that.

Lets be honest the real time for naps and good sleep was prior to having the baby...