WIBU to not hold the baby?

[trufflesnout]

I don't think I was BU, but since I made a new mother look wounded today, I'm wondering if I was unreasonable or if she was being precious it was definitely her.

I was visiting a relative who has just happened to give birth recently. I'm not maternal at all and don't particularly enjoy being around small children (apart from my own daughter, who is perfect, obviously) but I don't tend to announce it to people since whenever I have I've been viewed as odd at best.

Even though the visit wasn't all about the baby, I paid the small pink loud thing a compliment or two for the mother's sake, as I thought it would be polite to do so since it had pretty much just emerged from her body. I think I must have shot myself in the foot with the two counts of prompted, generic praise, as at one point in the visit she asked if I would like to hold the baby.

I said politely and with a smile, "oh, no thank you".

She looked at me like I had just caved its face in with a toothpick. The conversation moved in and she didn't offer again thank God.

Was I horrendously rude in declining the offer to hold her baby?

YWNBU - your OP made me laugh. I couldn't have children and when my first niece was born and I visited I had this pink bundle thrust at me. I was rooted to the spot in horror, unsure which way was up.

I did love my nieces and nephew but appreciated them more when they were older and I could communicate/play with them.

Just say no

Can we have our own 'Baby Haterz' Quiche

I bet mother cats find all human babies cute, but not each other's kittens.

After I gave birth to dd1, who my family where none too pleased that I was having (I was 23 btw, not 13), my parents finally rocked up to the hospital at 6pm to see her. She'd been born at 4.30am and during the day just about everyone I knew had already been in to see me, so I was a bit disappointed my immediate family were clearly in no hurry, they only lived half an hour away.

But this is the bit that really takes the biscuit. I asked my mum, who was standing in the corner of the room by the door, if she'd like to hold dd, and she looked flustered and said 'oh, well if it will make everyone happy I will'. Her own grandchild, her first grandchild. My mum is a mother of 4.

I felt like I'd been kicked. I held it down but her comment really made me want to cry.

Holding the baby by close relatives is a sort of sign of recognition of kinship and making the first step towards building a relationship.
I'd have been very sad too if my own mother had treated my DS like that. I hope they have changed their attitude.

But this was different. The OP admired the baby, just didn't want to hold him. A plain no is a lot more polite than an obviously reluctant yes, IMO.

Kent :o

I bet mother cats find all human babies cute, but not each other's kittens.

Narcissistic bitches.

You do actually sound jealous.

When my mum's friend had a new baby and I asked how he/she was doing the response was "female infant, 7lb". I think she was bitter that her baby making days were over...

"Would you like to cuddle my crotch-fruit?"

OK. I have a massive, massive issue with this thread now.

WHERE ARE THE PUPPIES!!!

Puppies are as adorable as kittens, but no-one is posting pictures of puppies.

I bet their mothers are also narcissistic bitches.
But definitely bitches.

Squishy sleepy puppy face for zeezeek

GreeboOgg - aahhhh. I want a cuddle. Bugger babies. Give me a puppy anytime .

So scrumptious.

Squeeeee

Look, who says we (women) should ALL be maternal? It's not true. Some are not yet still, become good parents.

Loving all these cute pictures. Love love love baby animals. All creatures infact! I even coo at spiders. I have one in my bathroom by my sink and he hides in his little hole but sometimes comes out. He's s cute. Am the only women who would find spiders cute. x

Nope I find spiders cute :)
And hiddenhome has gorgeous spiders!!

zeezeek I also much prefer puppies to babies, although it's not something I tend to admit often around mums That particular puppy has since grown into a donkey sized German Shepherd who once stopped a very cheeky burglar from coming through my bedroom window at 3am. And he was reading Dickens by 5 months...

I've got to admit spiders scare the shit out of me. But like Phil Jupitus says, I still worry about "hurting his little legs" when I shove the scary face-munching fucker into a glass.

I have grown a little fond of bathroom-spindly-spider-you're-ok and wardrobe-spindly-spider-you're-ok because they've been around a while now and I've heard they eat bigger, hairier spiders.

Fuck right off spiders are well mank m8.

Also, we females are actually allowed by society to run from spiders screaming "get thy eight-legged face-hugging freak of nature away from me!"

Bonus points if you run away whilst clutching a tiny, innocent baby (shifty eyed, guilty babies can be left to fend for themselves).

Is too late for more kitten pics?

How do people feel about birds?

Never too late for cat pics!

Nice birds too.