A recent USA Today article delved into this phenomenon that comes with the new-mom territory. Turns out, there are lots of reasons for these judgmental quips -- and the subsequent bouts of defensiveness that moms seem to experience on a regular basis.

Take this scenario, for instance. I was attending a birthday party for my girlfriend's 4-year-old. The cupcakes were placed on the table, displayed in the most festive of fashions. Everything was perfect -- or so she thought. That's when one of her mommy friends said, "Uh oh. Looks like someone didn't have time to do the baking herself." I was shocked -- like, had-to-pick-my-jaw-off-the-ground shocked. Instead of giving that mother a piece of her mind, though, my friend ended up rattling off a slew of excuses for her store-bought (and, by the way, delish) cupcakes. I never understood that exchange until I had a child myself. 

My big moment came just last month, when I was talking to another mom on my block. She was bragging about her 22-month-old son being potty-trained. My son is nearly the same age, and when I told her he was not, a look of shock and awe came over her face. "Oh, wow!" she said. "Have you not even tried yet? Maybe you should try what I tried. My son is a fast learner; I'm sure yours will catch on fast." I immediately thought, "What's that supposed to mean?!" Suddenly I felt embarrassed, inadequate and angry. But instead of telling her to butt out, I came up with my own slew of excuses as to why my little guy hadn't sported his first pair of Underoos yet.

"Being a mom can be scary and isolating, and we're all insecure about the job we're doing," says blogger Andrea Moleski in USA Today. "That's why we get so defensive."

As mothers, we are often just as quick to give helpful advice and support as we are to tear one another down. Sue Swanson, a pediatrician and mother of two who writes the blog "Seattle Mama Doc," told USA Today, "I call it 'competitive parenting.' Other parents can be so helpful. They tell you about a product and it changes your life. But they can also make you feel like junk."

So: Why does this happen? Here are two possible culprits:

1) Information OVERLOAD
New parents are inundated with information and advice. Before the baby comes, we read everything there is to read about parenting. Every bit of information out there is digested, and we battle with every decision -- right down to which type of pacifiers to buy and whether or not we should use them at all. As soon as we see someone who made a different choice than us, we freak out a little bit, become insecure and wonder if we made the wrong choice. Newsflash: It's not necessarily a better choice; it's just different. And most likely these kids will all turn out the same, because deep down, all moms want their children to thrive -- and if that's always at the heart of our decision-making process, then we've made the right choice.

2) Oops! Did I Say That?
New moms are sleep-deprived and riding a wave of fluctuating hormones. Sometimes we say things we don't mean. We're also isolated in our own little mom-centric worlds. If we're stay-at-home moms, we're cooped up in the house all day, talking to someone who can't answer us back. So when the time comes to communicate with real adults, our social skills may be a bit rusty. Not a good enough excuse? Maybe some of these moms really are trying to help, and wish that they'd gotten the same advice. Whatever the comment, it's important to consider the source and her motivation.

Tell us, moms: How do you deal with unsolicited parental advice?