On February 23 of this year, my article, 'Did I ask for your opinion?' was published. In it, I complained about ridiculous and unwanted advice I was getting from every woman who has ever mothered a child. Why I thought this was going to stop once my baby was born is beyond me! The maddening thing is that it's worse now, and views are coming from complete strangers.

I've had to take our son for two ultrasounds since his birth. In both waiting rooms I was inundated with, "You can't lie him down on your lap. You must hold him upright" and "Why don't you have socks on him?" Actually, if I had a 'Nanny' for every time I've been told the latter, I wouldn't have to write for a living! But then if I didn't have these things to write about, I'd be out of a job also!

It's hot! Why on earth would I put my baba in socks when it's 90? I'm not wearing socks. As for the issue on hats, I ask you again, why would I put a hat (unless it's to shade him from the sun) on my boy? He's already overheating from this year's summer, so how could it even be good for him to keep more heat in his body?

Dangerous

I dread to think what all these people would say if they were to see me take him swimming! Call child services, I'm sure! Look here, it's not as if I'm unaware of what's bad and dangerous for a baby. He will not catch head or foot cold if these parts are uncovered. He's far more likely to be in trouble from being too hot! Nuff said!

The other day I was chatting to my friend who works at a movie-rental store. All of a sudden a woman I had never seen in my life came up to me and told me I must hold my son's head up. He was in my baby carrier, strapped to my chest with his head held firmly up against it. The whole point of these carriers is so that a parent can have his or her two hands free. She carried on as if his neck was about to snap off his body!

Now I'm all for being healthy, especially as I am nursing the little tyke, but if I want a cup of coffee in the morning, then I'll have one. "That's why your baby doesn't sleep through the night," said one person to me the other day. He was two months old! Lucky the parents who have children, of that age, who will do that. Anyway, I have actually experimented with the whole thing and it turns out that it makes absolutely no difference to his patterns. In fact, the nights when he has been less fussy were after morning coffees!

Another big debate is over alcohol consumption. While it's a tad excessive and irresponsible to be guzzling several rum and cokes a night when breastfeeding, I am quite certain that the occasional glass of wine is doing my son no harm. Don't think I haven't had the 'cut eye' from other mothers. The best part of this, though, is it has been coming from women who used formula milk from the get-go. I ask you! I don't exactly wave my self-righteous rag, pointing out that it's not as good for the baby to feed him or her on that!

I'm sorry, but didn't I already say that I don't want your opinion?

Emmadaltonbrown@gmail.com