When you have a baby, everybody is full of advice. Some good, some bad. Some useful, some utterly useless.
And babies aren鈥檛 one-size-fits-all, so even if one parent swears by their technique for getting baby to sleep, it doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 going to work with yours.
Now, we know that people are usually just trying to be helpful, and it can be good to get a word of advice to feel like you鈥檙e not doing it all on your own.
But there are some 'helpful' tips that parents are just sick and tired of hearing.
We spoke to both parents and health professionals to find out the advice they find the most maddening鈥
Feeding
There鈥檚 endless advice when it comes to feeding babies.
鈥榊ou should be breastfeeding鈥.
鈥榊ou should be bottle feeding鈥.
鈥榊ou should try a mix of some bottle feeding and some breastfeeding鈥.
鈥榊ou shouldn鈥檛 be breastfeeding in public鈥.
鈥榊ou shouldn鈥檛 be breastfeeding until that age鈥.
鈥榊ou should carry on trying to breastfeed鈥.
鈥榊ou should be feeding more often鈥.
鈥榊ou shouldn鈥檛 feed them so often鈥.
鈥榊ou should give them a 鈥榙ream feed鈥欌.
鈥榃hy on earth are you feeding them when they鈥檙e sleepy?鈥.
As one of our parents said 鈥榚veryone has an opinion on how you should feed your child milk鈥, and at the end of the day, each family has to find the way that鈥檚 right for them.
Sleeping
鈥楽leep when the baby sleeps鈥.
This bit of advice came up time and time again when it came to parenting peeves.
Yeah, ok, so you just have to try and turn yourself off like a lightbulb every time your baby nods off. That鈥檚 simple enough right?
I mean, it's not like you鈥檝e spent your whole adult life sleeping for around 8 hours and waking up at a similar time each morning is it?
Of course, you鈥檒l be fine just tuning in to when your baby feels like sleeping, no matter what time of day or night and for however long they feel like sleeping for.
Yeah, right!
And it鈥檚 not like you have anything else to be getting on with when baby is asleep, is there? You can just drop everything for a little nap, right?
Come on people, get real!
Saying 鈥楽leep when the baby sleeps鈥 is NOT helpful!
Weaning
鈥楽houldn鈥檛 they be having solid food by now?鈥.
The word from the NHS is to wait at least 6 months before trying to wean your baby on to solid foods. Some babies might seem ready earlier, some later. But it鈥檚 best to use this as a rule.
While 鈥榠t didn鈥檛 do you any harm鈥 might be your parents鈥 argument, it鈥檚 best to follow the latest medical guidance on this rather than evidence from the past.
鈥楧on鈥檛 let them make such a mess鈥.
What? Isn鈥檛 鈥楤olognese Red鈥 the latest fashionable paint shade?!
Your child is exploring the world of tastes and textures and learning how to use their mouths to eat for the first time. Of course this is going to be messy work!
Cuddling
鈥楧on鈥檛 cuddle them so much, you鈥檒l make a rod for your own back!鈥
A health visitor we spoke to said this is something she hears all the time. Apparently, showing your love to your baby will mean they get 鈥榯oo clingy鈥 and dependent.
Guess what, it鈥檚 not true!
In fact, lots of skin-to-skin contact and cuddling helps babies to grow up feeling loved and secure. And it can be great for your mental wellbeing too, helping you to bond with your baby and feel their love.
This means you simply can鈥檛 cuddle your baby enough 鈥 so get smushing!
