A woman says she’s struggling to celebrate her friend’s first-time motherhood — not because she isn’t happy for her, but because she finds her friend’s constant gush about the baby increasingly irritating.
In a post on the U.K. parenting forum Mumsnet, the woman explained that she has an 8-month-old herself, and several others in their friendship group also became mothers in the past year. Everyone had been thrilled when their friend got pregnant, especially since “it’s something she’s wanted for a while, but was waiting to meet the right partner (which she now has).”
Since the baby’s arrival, however, the OP (original poster) admitted she’s been taken aback by her friend’s behavior.
“I’m getting ‘first person in the world to ever have a baby’ vibes and starting to find it irritating,” she wrote.
She shared some of the comments that struck her as over the top, including:
- “Is it normal to not let the baby out of your sight and just want to look at them all the time? I don’t know how other mums get anything done, as I just can’t stop staring at Kevin (not his real name).”
- “I know everyone says it’s amazing when you have a baby, but for me it’s just something more — this incredible bond like nothing else, a very unique thing between me and Kevin.”
According to the OP, her friend also asked her how she could “bear” leaving her own baby, saying, “I don’t think I could leave Kevin as our bond is too strong and he needs me.”
The OP concluded by questioning whether her friend truly believes she loves her child more than other mothers love theirs — something she found frustrating. She turned to Mumsnet for perspective, asking whether she was being unreasonable.
Many commenters thought she was. Several pointed out that her friend’s comments were fairly typical for new parents.
“Loads of new parents are a bit wide-eyed about it all. She’s really saying nothing that hasn’t been said a million times,” one user replied.
Another added, “I just thought it was a given that everyone is besotted by their new baby.”
Others noted that the reaction was likely fueled by hormones and the overwhelming adjustment to motherhood. “Your friend is just being biological and in a bubble,” one person wrote. “It’s all a big rollercoaster. I will give any new mom a pass as I probably said some unhinged things myself.”
Some commenters also predicted her friend’s attitude would shift once the harder realities of parenthood set in. As one put it: “With time, sleepless nights, teething, etc., she’ll change her tune!” Another quipped, “Just remind her of this when little Kevin is doing her head in and she’s looking for a babysitter.”
