AIBU to be upset by "mature face" comments

[Pandora88]

Am I being a complete idiot to feel upset over a couple comments from acquaintances on our newborn having a "mature face"? We've also been told he appears very "alert" by health professionals because I guess he does look like he's studying everyone and everything around him at all times.

In my head, "mature face" comment means a weird looking child? I think he is absolutely adorable and cute with big eyes (we get the "big eyes" comment from everyone - isn't that a very baby-like feature?) Our little bubba is only a week old.

If I said that I'd mean thoughtful looking. But I don't comment on babies beyond how beautiful they are.

Ah, bless you. I'd imagine with all the hormones raging around your body lots of comments will upset you, even positive ones. If you didn't have an 'alert' baby peeps would comment on a sleepy one. Then you'd worry about that. Believe me, there is always something you'll find to worry about. Just get as much sleep and good food as you can and try not to fret over things too much. Many congratulations too. I'm sure he's just perfect

Take it as a compliment, I think they mean your baby has skipped the weird wrinkly newborn stage and is now cute. As for the 'alert' and 'eyes' comments - lots of babies have their eyes closed a lot early on, so it is remarkable when they're alert, again, I think this is a good thing :)

I think as a new mum you're hypersensitive to comments and that's perfectly normal, the paediatrician that looked at DD just after birth said her eyes looked like they'd be brown (very unlikely), and then backtracked saying they were probably bloodshot from being pushed out, and I felt terrible about it, like I'd hurt her.

Congratulations OP I'm sure you'll be getting a lot more comments to be upset by, having a baby is fantastic for collecting unsolicited random comments that are generally thoughtless and can often be offensive if you're feeling sensitive.

My favourites at the moment (DD is 3 months) are 'she's a bit ginger isn't she?' (I don't care if she is, but it's said like it's a problem), and 'oh my god she's massive, what are you feeding her?' (she's not, she's almost exactly average actually).

Honestly, don't overthink every comment or you'll be exhausted OP.

I got told by the midwives that my newborn DS2 looked like Rod Stewart!

And weirdly, they weren't wrong either!

My sister in law offended my mom when she said that my brother looked like Smeagol in his baby photos!

I promise I'm not saying this is the case but I remember being outraged when anyone said anything I took as offensive about DD when she was born.

But today looking a newborn photos she really did look like a smiley potato 😂

People say all sorts of things about babies. I was told by several people when DD was a newborn she was obviously very clever...based only on that she opened her eyes and looked at them. It turns out she isn't particularly clever, but is very nosey!Maybe that's what people meant, but didn't want to be rude.

DS1 was born "old". (and as a baby, fucking hard work).

He's positively curmudgeonly as a teen.

Please don't take it to heart.

Babies don't always come out looking like a nappy commercial one. Some take a while to grow into their looks. My first was a preemie, 3lbs 13, very red and wrinkly, looked like a little skinned rabbit, tiny old man face with massive blue eyes. My first thought on seeing him was "He looks like ET!" Thought spoken out loud, unfortunately, horrifying the young student nurse who was shadowing the older midwife. The me laughed and said "Yes, but he's still beautiful in his own way and bright as a button." And he was, the most beautiful precious thing I'd ever seen in my life. No one was ever going to call him cute, I got loads of 'alert' and 'been here before' comments but I didn't mind, I loved my ugly little ET baby with every fibre of my being and so did everyone else important to him and me. 3 months on and with a bit of meat on those skinny bones, his old man face filled out into chubby cheeks and dimples.

My first baby looked like ghengis Khan and the second had a pointy head!!!! They both had birth marks all over their faces. 😃 They were mine and gorgeous and have grown up very handsome ( in my eyes) . I think mature means not fat and alert. How cute!!!! I think k tiny babies are quite alien like. My point headed child was very skinny with big eyes. Too cute!!

Counterclockwise...That made me well up! How wonderful is the love of a mum for her baby. They are such precious souls for us to love.

My son was also premature. I thought he looked wonderful and gorgeous.

Looking back at the photos he actually looked like some kind of alien lab experiment!

Fortunately he now looks perfectly normal. And gorgeous of course!

Ignore everyone else'a comments and rejoice in your baby's gorgeousness !

Doesn't it just mean that your baby has fortuitously skipped the Winston Churchill/Phil Mitchell lookalike phase?

My two did as well, although they were both big babies so tended to get comments on their size mostly.

It's a compliment!

When my twins were born my DD looked very similar to how she looks at 9yo (but smaller!) gorgeous fine features and a piercing stare! Her twin brother was incredibly cute but looks nothing like he looks now he had a real baby face. At 9 yo he's a great looking boy but there's a big difference in features.

People say very strange things when you have babies some made me very happy and done make you crumple -my worst was at the christening when a random guest looked at me and the dc and said "that baby looks nothing like you and never will they look like mil"

Most newborns look like little steamed steak and kidney puddings really.

I think hormones take control in the early days. Neither of the descriptions are meant as a nasty comments.

Some newborns are very sleepy and some are alert.

Some newborns are squishy and some aren't.

My doctors and midwives always told me ds had the most earnest face. They were right! He was so cute and looked like an old man 😂

Dd2 had tears in her eyes from crying from the day she was born and I remember the midwife telling me she'll be a proper drama queen. She was right!