Seven months ago (no, not to the day, we missed our chance to gain a dependent on Independence Day), @kidcoder and I produced our first offspring, so here are a few brief analyses of common advice people give.

Sleep when the baby sleeps, do laundry when the baby does laundry, drive when the baby drives, etc.:

This one actually gets a bad rap. Mothers hate it because they say that nap times are the only times that they can get any actual tasks done. But in the beginning, time isn’t real, so if you don’t sleep enough at night then you really need to sleep during the day. If you’re lucky, you can simply extend your night clear through to the afternoon.

Your baby needs socks and blankets when going out on a hot summer’s day:

No. There is no logic here whatsoever. Why do you think there is? You’re wrong.

“I think that has alcohol in it.” (to a visibly pregnant woman):
Why yes it does! *sip*

Learn about childbirth before you do it:

Excellent advice! Also, learn in general. Don’t just depend on your doctor or your child’s pediatrician to tell you what to do or what to worry about. Odds are, whatever they think they know about proper procedures and timelines in normal, healthy situations is outdated. I could do a whole post on medical advice I’ve happily ignored since I started this journey.

Sleep train/don’t sleep train:

In the end, it doesn’t matter. Sleep training doesn’t harm children and skipping it doesn’t sentence them to a life without sleep. It’s mostly about the sanity of the parents. And speaking of them:

Don’t judge other parents:

It depends on what you mean by “Judge.” I firmly believe in watching and learning. But should you say anything? Probably not.

Any contradictions from outsiders about what your baby needs at this moment:

Excellent, maybe they can take over childcare for a bit.

Have fun!
Thanks, I will!