Why I Can’t Stand Hearing Your Baby Cry

I’m out to dinner with my husband. The kids in the care of their grandparents and happily taken care of.  It’s a date night and I have a moment to relax.

Things are going well and I’m proud of myself for agreeing to leave them behind for a few hours. Maybe I should do this more often!

And then your baby cries.

A signal is sent to my Mommy Brain to react.  Go.  Feed.  Soothe.  Comfort.  I’m half way out of my seat before I even realize that my kids aren’t there.  I forget for a moment that they are miles away and the cries I’m hearing aren’t from them.

Now I’m in mommy mode.  My stomach is i knots and I want to come help you – scoop up your baby and shoosh it.  Clearly that’s a horrible idea but it’s my bodies innate reaction: GO TO THE BABY.

I can’t concentrate on anything my husband is saying now and I’m feeling a noticeable twitch every time it makes a sound.  I just want it to stop.  One of us needs to leave.

Now that I’ve developed an obvious tick, I’m not hungry anymore and all I want to do is go home and get my kids.  Is my baby crying, too?  Are they asking for me?  Why did I ever agree to this??

Our bodies are so smart (or perhaps stupid?) that we even start to produce milk if we’re breastfeeding!  Milk let-down triggers oxytocin to release and now you want to be nowhere else but with your baby.

It’s OK – I’m not upset with you for your infants wails, nor do I think you should leave (even though I really want you too).  I bring my kids places, too, and sometimes they cry.  I’m definitely not going to roll my eyes at you for bringing your baby to a restaurant – it’s not your responsibility to keep my nervous tick in check.

It isn’t just real-life babies, I even get the same physical reaction to babies on television.  Or sometimes animals that sound like babies.

These mommy instincts are no joke, you guys.

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