Why does anyone say “baby” instead of “the baby”

[Danceinthenight]

I noticed everyone seems to forfeit “the” before “baby” and they just say “baby needs” or “with baby” etc. I don’t know why but it’s irritating me now

Don’t know. Don’t know why it annoys me so much either. It shouldn’t, but it does.

Because they’re substituting baby for name. I’m putting baby to bed = I’m putting Sarah to bed.

This.

Think of it in a different context - “I have to meet ass-face for coffee today” = “I have to meet my ex husband for coffee today”

Because they are not in Gavin and Stacey

Dunno but our sons were def “the baby” before they had actual names, several weeks in

I find ‘the baby’ quite odd when it’s your own.

Yes this is the answer - it's talking about a specific person that the speaker is calling baby.

Currently pregnant and say 'the baby'. I find just using 'baby' as a bit weird.

I can’t stand this. So twee. Almost as bad as ‘how’s mum?’ (from health professionals), or - I shudder- ‘how’s bump?’

Yes exactly - they’re turning Baby into the baby’s name.

I dislike it too as it sounds twee. Baby isn’t a personal name, either use the baby’s name or use ‘the’! I think people see ‘the’ as harsher.

Like everyone else has said. It’s more personal and affectionate, substituting it for baby’s name. ‘The baby’ is a bit more formal.

I also find it weird!

This used to grate on me when watching Call the Midwife! Had never heard it before then.
But it makes sense if you consider that ‘baby’ is a substitute for the actual name, while ‘The baby’ is a substitute for it/he/she. This is less personal.

I think this is actually dangerous tbh, especially if you're being treated as a patient. No other professionals, no matter how many people they deal with in a day, aren't expected to do the bare minimum of learning the user's name.

I think it's fine. Baby is being used as a nickname rather than as a category.

People do it with loads of things now.

“i am wanting” instead of “i want” is the example than makes me wanting to go insane.

It’s fine , language changes - the baby makes a baby into an object - it’s cold.

Would you say, where is "the daddy/mummy?"

It just becomes the name.

😂😂😂

You don't call a baby's parents "the mummy" and "the daddy" do you?