New Mom Follows Her Baby’s Sleep Schedule. She’s Enraged When Her Pregnant Sister-in-Law Says She’ll Live Her Life ‘Normally’

A new mom took to Reddit after feeling judged by her sister-in-law, who suggested she was raising her 5-month-old son “too rigidly.”

The original poster (OP) explained that her baby eats every 2.5 to 3 hours and naps every two hours, with bedtime set between 6:30 and 7 p.m. She said the routine isn’t strict — she simply follows her baby’s cues — but added that he must be home by bedtime or he’ll cry until he’s back in familiar surroundings.

Recently, OP went hiking with her pregnant sister-in-law, who later told OP’s husband she doesn’t plan to follow any schedule once her baby is born. “I want to live my life normally and not plan it around the baby,” she reportedly said. OP’s husband agreed, adding that their own baby would just have to “follow along” if they stayed out late. When OP pointed out that this would only result in an overtired, crying baby, he responded, “That’s fine.”

“Honestly, this type of comment just pisses me off,” OP wrote. “I’m the main caregiver — I’m the one soothing a screaming baby when he’s overtired. It’s not him dealing with the meltdown.”

While OP wished her sister-in-law luck with a low-maintenance baby, she said she’s content staying home while her own son is little. She asked other parents how they handled routines — and commenters didn’t hold back.

Many said the sister-in-law was “in for a rude awakening” once her baby arrives. One person commented, “Your SIL has no idea what she’s talking about. Babies and toddlers need routine — that’s just how it is. Good parents take that into account when they decide to have children. Your husband needs to stop listening to people who don’t even have kids yet and start helping you parent.”

Another added that OP’s husband — not her sister-in-law — was the real issue. “He agreed because it means more freedom and less work for him,” they said.

Others echoed that life with babies requires flexibility — but also structure. One parent wrote, “If there’s no routine, it’s pure chaos. My twins and toddler thrive on nap and bedtime schedules. I plan my life around those, not the other way around.”

Another summed it up bluntly: “You have a partner problem, not a sister-in-law problem. She doesn’t know yet — but he should.”