Annoying Motherhood Memes

Is anyone else over the whole "moms can't shower" meme yet? I posted on Facebook that it's a wonder I am clean at all, considering I had two kids in three years and am a SAHM mom. I got back a ton of responses, all agreeing with me. Apparently, it's not lack of hygiene, it's that these babies can't ever be put down, even if you got the amazingly, wonderful swing/bouncy seat/car seat or wonderfully soft playmat/blanket. They never sleep, even for a few minutes?

 I don't know if this is part of the growth in extreme attachment parenting or if I am just doing this whole parenting thing wrong (probably). But I have ALWAYS been able to shower. Sometimes, I showered with my baby, which was a mistake but very, very sweet - you don't get as clean but the skin to skin is delicious. Sometimes, that baby screamed while I had him/her in the bouncy seat and it felt like I was being held hostage...or maybe the shower itself was "I'll let you shower, but I'm screaming through it." When I had a toddler and a newborn, the toddler had toys and the newborn was in the bouncy seat. Or the crib. Or the playpen. Seriously, there are so many baby containment devices, I don't see how you can't at least TRY to use them all. Also, books and Elmo (hey, she'd turned 2 and tv was finally allowed!)

I realize that not everyone has a partner there every day to help them out (they travel, are deployed, are assholes who don't help with the children at all, whatever). But there is NEVER a time in your day, even the exhausted first days home as a new parent, when you could take a short shower?! It's get wet, shampoo, soap off, rinse. My fastest shower was literally 2 minutes long. I might even be rounding UP a bit. I can't imagine how GROSS that would feel. Especially after giving birth and having the longest period of your life happening - you need cleanliness at that time! Or how hypocritical I would feel if I tried to keep the kids clean and then didn't demonstrate that mommy needs to be clean too.

I can't be the only one that thinks this meme should die, so that new mothers don't get an unrealistic view that they can't ever take even two minutes for themselves or put the baby down long enough to maintain basic hygiene.