Details announced in birth announcement

[Confusion101]

I'm a while off this stage yet but it has always annoyed me so much that some of the first questions people ask when they hear a woman has given birth is 1. What weight was it and 2. Did she have it naturally? I really don't want to tell people what weight my baby will be and whether I push it out my vagina or not. It's so strange to even ask. (It's just very personal imo). I think it's more than enough info to know the date, gender, name, and how both of us are doing. And let's be honest, in this day and age all of that info will probably be accompanied with a photo. Anyone else feel the same or am I just being ridiculous?

You’re trying really hard to be offended aren’t you!

You do realise that people take an interest because they care, or is that not allowed these days?

@DuckyNoMates

Just get 3-6 months size and they'll grow in to it

Ah but what If you get 3-6 winter and they fit it in summer

I mean, there aren't really many details you can give about a baby. What are you supposed to ask about, the weather while it was happening? If you don't want to give details then don't. But you're reduced to 'humanoid hatched on X date'.

I always assumed that in the ‘olden days’, people wanted to know the weight so they could gauge whether the baby was healthy. A lower birth weight might have indicated a problem, perhaps?

But there's so little to know about newborns. If you don't want people to take an interest, tell them to piss off and stop being nosey. Then you won't have to worry about telling them anything further at all.

I've never asked, or been interested, in how a baby was delivered. Nor have I ever heard anyone else asking. I think that's strange. You might ask if the mother is doing OK. That's just polite. But everyone asks about the sex and the weight. I think it's something to give a person a chance to show interest and really there's not a lot of other things to say or ask about. Because outside families and very close friends, babies are a bit boring Sorry, controversial I know.

I've never known anybody ask about the manner of the birth - maybe "Are you recovering OK?" but they're only really expecting a "Yeah, still a bit tired, though" kind of reply.

As PP have said, there are very few points of interest to a baby. You can't ask about their interests and hobbies, their job, their favourite authors/music/films etc.

Until they've started to develop and demonstrate their individuality and personality, all they really have to offer for conversation is their sex, weight, name, hair colour, how well they sleep and other frankly boring stuff like that.

I think people ask to be polite and to show interest, I really couldn’t care (not in a rude way) how people give birth and baby weight

You are definitely overthinking this OP. People are just being nice and asking about mum and baby. The weight can make a massive difference I've had three premature babies so lots of discussion here about weight. I'm in Ireland as well and I've only ever heard c sections being mentioned when maybe someone had a long labour which ended in a c section and there is sympathy that the mum had a difficult time. It's absolutely never mentioned in a negative way. I've had three c sections and the only comments I've gotten have been sympathetic how are you doing type of thing.

I think its far more bizarre that you feel the need to keep the weight a secret, then people being curious about it.

Why are you so offended by this? Do you have issues around weight in general? Or just when it comes to newborn babies? Are you worried you will be judged based on their weight?

It's just such an incredibly strange thing to feel needs to be kept as a "personal secret"

Telling people the weight is a normal thing, if I asked the weight and you refused to share I'd think it most odd!

It’s just making conversation surely? I doubt people actually care that much, unless they’re grandparents maybe.

@DuckyNoMates

Just get 3-6 months size and they'll grow in to it

Not necessarily - a fiend of mine had a baby who was 6.1kg (13 lbs 4oz) and straight into 6+ months

Where I live it is common to give length as well as weight - e.g 3.5kg and 50cm

Ive never asked (or been asked) if I birthed naturally. I've always just taken any questions about the birth experience as general concern over recovery etc... I've never seen it as weird.
As for the weight, I've always just taken that as something to talk about and a general indicator about baby's wellbeing. My baby had a low birth weight so people tended to ask after his wellbeing / if he was gaining ok afterwards etc... I didn't find it intrusive or weird.

….and just wait until you get the “are they good” or “are you feeding them yourself” they are all just questions people ask to be polite.

I’ve given birth 5 times and no one has asked by what method.

I’ve been asked how it went, am I recovering and variations thereof which are all perfectly pleasant ways of enquiring after a new mum.

Weight question is I think twofold: first to ascertain how baby is doing and two to express interest in what to most people is not a terribly interesting state of affairs.

@kitcat15

You are being ridiculous 🙄

This ^

I don't think people generally do care as such but they are the questions you are socially expected to ask. (With the exception of did it come out of your fanjo or the sun roof, that's stretching the social dance a bit imo)

Also, regarding buying clothes, if you just get 3-6 months , this might be fine for basics, but people bought my small for dates premmie a snow suit in the size they thought baby would fit by winter, but in fact it was the following summer before they were in that size and by the next winter it was too small. So it was never worn.
But if they asked the weight...... this might have been avoided.
How can you possibly be offended about people asking the weight? It's the same as asking if it is a boy or girl/ name etc.

Well practically, if you know the weight you can buy the approved size clothing as a gift!
My own DC were never in newborn ha !

I’ve had 4 babies and when I let people know when they were born they were told time wifht and that they were a boy

I haven’t broadcast how they were born and not sure the issue with the weight 2 were 8/9lb and 2 7lb

Never been asked about the circumstances of the birth, unless discussing the subject with a group of mums. It usually tends to be more women that ask about birthweight, rather than men
My reasoning behind this belief is:
One of our former neighbours wives gave birth.
Another (male) neighbour informed us about this. I asked if it was a boy or a girl. He said he had no idea.
Later on I saw his wife. She told me, little girl, blond hair, born at 743am, weighing 7lb 4oz ( or words along those lines)
That's the difference between men and women!!

Babies do very little interesting at that age, so people need something to talk about or ask.

I don’t really get why the weight question would upset you? Same as the time it was born? People are just interested. It’s all nice info, it doesn’t really matter.

Agree that the weight is helpful for knowing clothing size. I wouldn’t bother buying a newborn outfit for a massive baby.

Also big babies are cute, small babies are cute. Why does it matter?