20 hilarious made-up words you start using when you become a mum


by Maeve Campbell |
Published on

Mums have their very own language when it comes to parenting - mumspeak. ‘Poonami’, ‘mombie’ and ‘niplash’ are among the funniest phrases used by modern parents, and we bet you'll relate to all of them.

According to a study commissioned by ChannelMum.com, 84% of parents frequently use mumspeak and moree than a third (35 per cent) admit to using the secret slang so their child doesn’t understand what they really mean (e.g. adult headache - code for a hangover!).

How many do you use?

Gallery

Top 20 Parenting Phrases

1 of 20

1. Mum Bun

A typical mum hairstyle

2 of 20

2. Winging it

Doing your best when everyone else seems to be more organised.

3 of 20

3. Poonami

Poo explosion...

4 of 20

4. Threenager

3 going on 13

5 of 20

5. Sniff Test

Checking if the baby really needs a change.

6 of 20

6. Mombie

A mum exhausted through lack of sleep.

7 of 20

7. Flying Solo

Coping on your own.

8 of 20

8. Mum boss

A mum in charge

9 of 20

9. Going to bed early

Sex.

10 of 20

10. The Handover

Passing the baby to your partner as soon as they get home.

11 of 20

11. Velcro Baby

A clingy baby

12 of 20

12. iParenting

Using a tablet to keep your child quiet

13 of 20

13. Niplash

When a breastfeeding baby twists their head without letting go of your nipple...ouch

14 of 20

14. Freezer Tapas

Serving up whatever you can find in the freezer

15 of 20

15. Adult headache

A hangover

16 of 20

16. Musical beds

When kids change beds all night long

17 of 20

17. Beige Rainbow

Ready-made playdate food like chicken nuggets and chips

18 of 20

18. Mum spa

Opening the dishwasher

19 of 20

19. Deja poo

When the baby fills the nappy for the 20th time that day

20 of 20

20. Ginwag

Catching up on the gossip over a glass of gin.

Got any more to add? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter

Make sure you're following Mother & Baby on Instagram for relatable memes, inspiring stories and parenting hacks!

Join the club! Introducing our brand, spankin’ new Facebook group called #mumtribe. Simply search ‘#mumtribe’ into the search bar and meet like-minded mums, win gorgeous goodies and have some fun!

For parenting tips, tricks and advice you can trust, click here to download a free digital issue of Mother and Baby magazine.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
How we write our articles and reviews
Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.