Saying baby instead of the baby or my baby

[KristinAmandaThomas]

Sorry if this sounds catty because I don't mean it nastily I'm just genuinely curious. I see so many threads where posters reference their baby but just as baby with no prefix. So "I need to get on with housework but baby won't settle". Why do people not say my baby? Or the baby?

I think this mainly puzzles me because it's specific to babies. Nobody ever says husband or child without prefix. It would be "my child has a fever" or "my husband is cooking tonight". Anyone know why? Or am I just BU as it's acceptable language when speaking of babies to need no prefixes?

I think partly it comes from how HCPs talk during pregnancy, and just sticks with some people.
I’m pregnant at the moment and at my scans and midwife appointments it’s “let’s have a look at baby”, “have you felt baby move yet?”, “I’ll just listen to baby’s heartbeat.”

@Tanaqui

In books from the 20s and 30s babies are often referred to as capital B Baby. I assumed that was also how Baby got her nickname in Dirty Dancing!

Dont get me started on Baby in Dirty Dancing 🤢

@SickAndTiredAgain

I think partly it comes from how HCPs talk during pregnancy, and just sticks with some people. I’m pregnant at the moment and at my scans and midwife appointments it’s “let’s have a look at baby”, “have you felt baby move yet?”, “I’ll just listen to baby’s heartbeat.”

Anyone know what they say with twins?

@StiltonLover baby A and baby B

@StiltonLover I’d hazard a guess at “let’s see how babies are doing today” or something at a scan.

Refering to mum and baby sounds antiquated, like a scene from Call the Midwife (or supposedly call midwife, if you're from Yorkshire ).

I feel like this is mostly a thing on an anonymous forum. Eg normally in real life you would use a name such as “I can’t get Theo to sleep” but because you are being anonymous you say “I can’t get baby to sleep”

I don’t think I do this but I can understand why you’d get into the habit of if.,,, I try to avoid saying “my baby” because I’m often talking to my husband and it’s his baby too; and I’ve noticed it makes MIL go a bit weird too. It sounds a bit possessive, maybe?

How about "our baby"?
Grammatically correct, & no accusations of possessiveness. There you go!

which makes me bite my lip for fear of shouting "Go on then, conjugate the verb "to of".

Aaaaw @LakieLady - please let rip one day, & come back & tell us all about it :)

Yes, I’ve heard people (does it tend to be older Yorkshire people) who talk about “t’shop’ etc. But I’m sure there is one accent where they drop ‘a’ or ‘the’ altogether? Is it Manchester?

Hate it. Not sure why, I just find it condescending and 'mum knows best' in its tone. Just say 'the baby', 'my/our baby' or better still call it by its name FFS

Because it’s a shortened way of saying it without giving the child’s name away.

Like how people write MIL instead of my MIL. Or how people write ‘mum said this’ instead of ‘my mum said this’.

@SirYawnsAlot

Refering to mum and baby sounds antiquated, like a scene from Call the Midwife (or supposedly call midwife, if you're from Yorkshire ).

Agree. Antiquated and reminiscent of nannies and perambulators.

It’s also to try and make it sound more relaxed and less possessive as others have said. I felt weird using ds name immediately.

Then why not just call the baby dd1 / ds3 or whatever on here? Why just baby?

The thing is you are called mum and baby by healthcare staff pre, during and postnatally. That is your name at the time.

It's a human being not a thing.

@koalacat

Yes, I’ve heard people (does it tend to be older Yorkshire people) who talk about “t’shop’ etc. But I’m sure there is one accent where they drop ‘a’ or ‘the’ altogether? Is it Manchester?

Staffordshire, they drop "to" on a regular basis as in "I'm going Uttoxeter at the weekend" or "I'm going shops" this morning.

@Lanique

Then why not just call the baby dd1 / ds3 or whatever on here? Why just baby?

I guess to emphasise they are a baby. Like how you say Mum.

Sorry @BiscuitLover3678 my posts aren't aimed specifically at you!

It’s in lieu of the baby’s name, so instead of saying ‘Felicity won’t settle’, people replace the baby’s name with ‘Baby

This exactly. I do it all the time. And I also like being called Mum by teachers and healthcare professionals etc!

@SirYawnsAlot

Refering to mum and baby sounds antiquated, like a scene from Call the Midwife (or supposedly call midwife, if you're from Yorkshire ).

That's would be Call t'Midwife in Yorkshire

Also 'I'm off to the shops' becomes 'Moff t'shops'

Not as horrible as the posters that leave off the “to be”. Eg, the kids need fed. WTF even is that. I’ve never heard anyone in real life speak like that.

I hate it

But people do say it with hubby (🤮) and mum etc

Also hate a coffee and a tea

Oooooh OGenki are you sure you want to go there????

That's a regional quirk, I can't remember where. But it's derailed many a thread

Seem to recall Homes Under The Hammer is often cited as an example? "The wall needs plastered" Can't recall the presenter's name or accent though.