The Sleep Rule

We've all heard the famous advice, brushed off with a silly "I know!" and later, somewhere through our sleep-devprived haze it comes back to us, haunting us with that evil sort of "I told you so" mock:  SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS!

It's quite possibly the 5 most uttered words at a baby shower, the sage wisdom that "seasoned" mamas are so eager to impart to the "green" ones, with swollen bellies and ideals through the roof.

So my question is, how come only mamas-to-be get this advice?  Is there some alternate universe I don't know about?  One where once a baby is sleeping through the night, then that means that mama must be getting plenty of sleep too, and no longer need to employ the Sleep When The Baby Sleeps rule?  I know for a fact that my sleeping hours did not improve upon my babes sleeping all night.  In fact, they often got worse.  Because, you know, there's a whole house to clean and laundry to do and other various keep the wheels in motion chores that must get done and often don't until after bedtime for the littles.

How marvelous it would be when dragging wandering through the grocery store with my 4 littles in tow, to have some kind soul look upon my brood and say to me with gentleness in their eyes, "now you be sure to sleep with they sleep!"  Can we not set THAT sort of expectation with mamas?  The brief hours of sleep are not reserved for the newly crowned parents.  I dare say for the next 18+ years a mama should be allowed to take a rest when she needs it, and should be reminded to often.