Just been told to go away by a new mother!!!

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

Was in the supermarket and she had a lovely wee new born in a baby sling tucked in her coat. I was with my 2 year old in his buggy at the deli counter and she was stood beside me. I paused to look and smile and she muttered "go away" under her breath and pushed passed me! I wasn't encroaching in her personal space I don't think but I feel quite sad. Each to their own I guess

[CurlyN]

But it makes you feel worse staying indoors in PJ's, so you force yourself out, after all we all, including baby need Vit D, So you push yourself to go out, and yet someone else is on your case cooing over your baby, and yes you do want to say piss off leave us alone, all I want is mee frigging meat so I can stay heathy to feed my baby. So yes her tongue got better of her, whoops she spoke her mind, aren't we all guilty of doing that. MNers. still shouldn't have pushed though. I can see why at the time and after you would be miffed. but heh thats life

[colditz]

Poor thing p[robably didn't even realise she had spoken.

[CAMy]

psml cod, maybe VG interrupted her just as she was about to get out a gun and say "empty the till NOW"

[CurlyN]

jaundiced baby, single mother, no immediate family...... what would you do.....

[CurlyN]

I suppose you didn't hang around to find out how much she got?

[WinkyWinkola]

How can you not have sympathy for a new mother, especially a first time mother? She probably couldn't care less what the cooing masses want and why on earth should she?

Maybe she just simply wanted to be left alone, regardless of how cute everyone thinks her baby is. That is not unreasonable especially in the first few weeks. She was probably knackered and just couldn't be bothered with the fuss anymore.

Good for you if you can constantly put up with the cooing etc but when you just want to get home from the supermarket without any fuss - sometimes you just don't want to be noticed.

I wouldn't take her rudeness to heart. Just understand that she's probably under a lot of stress.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

WW - we don't know she was a first-time mother.

[colditz]

If she wasn't a first time mother, I feel even mother sympathy for her - she will have walked out on screaming mauling hoards at home.

[CAMy]

[WinkyWinkola]

Babies aren't public property much as you think they might be. You can't just expect everyone to be cheery and bright and happy all the time just because you want to slobber over their baby!

And if you do want to coo and croon, don't be surprised if a mother just snaps because she's simply had enough. I don't blame her one little bit.

You all must be very very good and polite people all the time. We can only aspire to be like you.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

Blimey, WW, it seems I am much calmer than you at least.

[CAMy]

[pointydog]

there's all teh difference in the world between being very very polite and not muttering 'go away' when someone looks at your baby.

Yes, there might be all sorts of reasons for her reaction but as voluptua had no way of knowing this woman's pain, the woman could at least have moved off and said 'I must hurry'. Or even just ignored voluptua.

I am not verry very good an dpolite but I don't go around snapping at people for no reason.

[CAMy]

I expect everyone to be as cheery and bright as me

[PrettyCandles]

You can coo over a baby in a buggy without invading the mum's personal space, wereas peple have to get practicallyinside your coat with you to see the face of a newgorn in a sling. I remember hating it when strangers felt it alright to come so close in the early weeks. Especially with ds1, whose bright red locks attracted so much attnetion that I couldn't go anywhere without constant comments.

[Spandex]

Aw, Volupta. Don't take it to heart.

The mum was probably just tired out. Yes, she was rude but then we all can be possibly without even realising. Even the virtuous souls on this thread I'm sure!

Maybe if you see her again, maybe she'll be bright 'n' breezy.

[Kif]

Have you thought that the baby may have had a suppressed immune system, or was otherwise a bit vulnerable. Perhaps you dc had a runny nose or something, and she wanted the germs well away from her precious little one.

[pointydog]

kif I sort of see what you're getting at but the thing is no one could possibly guess in advance what was eating that mother.

And I don't think we should go around trying to second guess people all the time. Either be reasonably civil to people or tell them why you feel cross.

[franca70]

how rude, no excuses.

[Sakura]

It is lovely when people are interested in your baby. I was one of the ones who would have loved you to have made a comment, however crap I was feeling that day.
But I have to say, I do remember when I was pregnant, and going through some bad time with DH and my in-laws and I did walk around with f*ck off vibes written all over my face. I knew people wanted to pat my bump and ask when the baby was due and honestly, I felt had more things to worry about than being polite to strangers. Maybe she felt like that. I think when it comes to new mums and pregnant women, we have to give them the extra mile and the benefit of the doubt. If you wanted to complement her on her 2 year old on the other hand, and she had said "go away", now that would have been weird. But a newborn? I think we can say she was having a bad time of it that day.

[Sakura]

It would still make you feel bad though, if someone said "go away" when I wanted to be nice to them. It would have niggled me a bit, and maybe upset me. But coming on mumsnet to get it out is the best thing to do, I think. It would have been bad to show your annoyance at her directly.

[hunkermunker]

"People with PND", oh yes, definitely make excuses for them, they are crazy loons.

I mutter "disgusting" when I have to breathe someone's smoke when they walk past me sometimes. Or "yuck". But only because I've had PND [carte blanche]