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I had a boss that did this! It was the weirdest thing and it always threw me off. I think it was a way of showing that he was tuned in or on the same page with whoever was speaking, but it also seemed to be completely subconscious for him. I wonder if your mom even really realizes she's doing it?

I didn't feel like I could say anything because he was my boss, but I'm sure you can bring it up with your mom - maybe acknowledge that it might be unintentional, but that you're particularly sensitive to it at the moment because your nerves are so frayed.

Maybe try doing it to her and see if she notices! Then explain to her that she does it all the time. Moms 🙄... haha. I'm sure we will all drive our kids crazy somehow at some point!

Oh my goodness, an old grad school friend used to do this. We were in school for clinical psychology, so I think she was trying to show that she was a good listener, but it was so annoying! Will you continue to have lots of 1:1 time with your mom once your baby is a little older? If it's a temporary thing, I would wait and see if it's still bothering you so much once the hormones have calmed down and you don't see her as much. (Although FWIW, I don't think I'd be able to do that. I'd try to wait and then just blurt it out when it was driving me crazy)

N o advice, because I do this a lot to other people, haha. I mainly do it when the other person is talking very slowly (a pet peeve of mine) or seemingly not sure where they are "going" with their statement. Is that the case at all with you, especially since you're newly postpartum? Just wondering if maybe that's what's behind it, for your mom.

If someone told me directly that it annoyed them, I'd stop. It's just a habit of mine.

I definitely do this at times and it's hard to stop. I feel like I tend to do it with people in closer to/more comfortable with. I don't know that anyone has ever said anything to me about it specifically, but my college roommate used to give me a weird look when I did it that I distinctly remember.

@DesertDreams88: I think that's different than doing it all the time no matter how they are speaking! At least you mean well, haha.

Could you maybe just stop speaking and when she realizes several times you've stopped maybe she will correct herself?

I sometimes finish sentences when people have really long pauses in what they're saying. DH does that and so does a co-worker there. Apparently I really don't like awkward silence, so when they're struggling for the words I sometimes fill in what I think they're going to say.

But post partum anything and everything can make you nuts. It might be worth holding off and waiting until you're in a better state of mind to bring up something to someone sensitive.