Advice on receiving advice.

As soon as you announce your pregnancy it's like you've put up a sign that says "Tell me what to do".

EVERYONE will have a piece or two of advice for you. Family, friends, the lady sitting next to you on the bus!
You'll be told how to feed your baby, what to feed your baby, when to feed your baby, how to make it sleep, and so on and so forth...
Someone once told me to smile and thank them politely for their advice, then choose whether it applies to you, or chuck it away and never think of it again.
The truth is most of the advice is well meaning, whether it be evidence based, an old wives tale, or remnants of personal experience. The giver of such advice likes to be heard, to feel they've contributed something to your journey that will be of use and save you from the 'suffering' you may possibly endure without it.
It is unlikely they are aware you've been 'advised' on the same subject 4 times that day already, with all of the suggestions conflicting leaving you feeling confused and overwhelmed.
There's no escaping it. As long as that baby bump is visible or that little babe is in your arms, people are going to get involved.

Now I'm going to give you some 'advice'.
Remember that every person, child and situation is different. What works for one family may not work for you. What you did in terms of parenting one child, may be totally out of the picture when parenting your next. Nobody has all the answers, we are ALL learning, every day of our lives.
The best we can do is try to remain aware, listen to our children and follow their cues.
Listen to yourself, if you're doing something for the 'right' reasons but it feels all wrong, stop doing it. We have instincts for a reason. Ignoring them is hard, stressful, and leaves us feeling inadequate.
There's nobody secretly watching you to make sure you've followed through with their instructions on how to raise your child. Do what makes you and your family happy and the journey of parenthood a smoother one, because lets face it, it can be a bumpy road at times even though I'm sure we all agree there's nothing we'd rather be doing!

The next time you're asked if you've got that baby sleeping through like a "good baby" should be, perhaps it's an opportunity for a little gentle education as to why CIO isn't really very ideal or logical?
Or if you know it'll fall on deaf ears, you could try responding that you have a "good baby" who sleeps 12 hours every night and you're all very happy. Chances are that will be the last time you have to have that conversation with that person.
I've never actually done this, I've just changed my tone to one of proudness when I say my 22 month old sleeps in my bed and wakes for breastfeeds during the night. My enthusiasm usually leaves people looking a bit perplexed and the subject changes.
It's easier to advise someone who seems unsure about their decisions I guess. :)

Enjoy your day
quirkymama x