I think there are also some things that are perceived to be too hard to accommodate when in practice they could be accommodated, and one of those is small babies and their mothers.
Keeping women locked up at home because there are places babies should not go, keeping mothers isolated from their friends because babies are always believed to be disruptive, that makes the world a less good place.
Each person is different: some babies will enjoy music and bright lights, some babies will need total quiet and no light-level changes. I hope that the babies' primary carer which is often by default their mother would be aware of this. Some babies do not mind loud noises and bright lights. Some babies are quiet and easily pacified, and a person who doesn't care about babies might not know they are there at all.
Each person is different, some parents will think of grizzling fussy babies as being disruptive, some will only think of crying and yelling as disruptive. There's room for clarifying things and extending consideration.
Each parent is different in that some have family to leave the baby with and some don't, some can afford childcare for a small baby and some can't, some can pump breastmilk and some - one in the comments here, even - can't, some can breastfeed and some can't. There are options open to some that are not open to others, or are bad options to others.
But the total rule being no, you have a baby, seeing friends and doing fannish things with friends is now closed off to you - I think that is wrong. I think it could be possible to accommodate a mother and a small baby.
no subject
I think there are also some things that are perceived to be too hard to accommodate when in practice they could be accommodated, and one of those is small babies and their mothers.
Keeping women locked up at home because there are places babies should not go, keeping mothers isolated from their friends because babies are always believed to be disruptive, that makes the world a less good place.
Each person is different: some babies will enjoy music and bright lights, some babies will need total quiet and no light-level changes. I hope that the babies' primary carer which is often by default their mother would be aware of this. Some babies do not mind loud noises and bright lights. Some babies are quiet and easily pacified, and a person who doesn't care about babies might not know they are there at all.
Each person is different, some parents will think of grizzling fussy babies as being disruptive, some will only think of crying and yelling as disruptive. There's room for clarifying things and extending consideration.
Each parent is different in that some have family to leave the baby with and some don't, some can afford childcare for a small baby and some can't, some can pump breastmilk and some - one in the comments here, even - can't, some can breastfeed and some can't. There are options open to some that are not open to others, or are bad options to others.
But the total rule being no, you have a baby, seeing friends and doing fannish things with friends is now closed off to you - I think that is wrong. I think it could be possible to accommodate a mother and a small baby.