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Bloomin' Woman!

10 replies

Demented · 07/10/2002 14:27

Sorry but didn't know where else to put this or what else to call it!

I just have to get this off my chest and I know some may feel I am in the wrong here. I took DS1 to playgroup this morning walked into the town after dropping him off, DS2 by this time was asleep in the pram. It is a Bank Holiday here today hence none of the shops I needed to go to were open so I decided to treat myself to a cappuccino in Costa Coffee (it was a very nice selfish, indulgent moment ).

DS2 woke up at this point and as I knew he was really tired and he had only slept about 15 mins in the pram I didn't lift him and he was quite happy. The problems began when I set off again, DS2 started to cry, then the high pitched screaming began, many people looked sympathetically and some were very nice and enquired if he was OK. He is cutting his first tooth just now (he is 4 1/2 months) and I felt sure that this was the problem, mixed with the tiredness, like myself he gets grumpier the more his sleep is interupted. Anyway I didn't have any teething stuff with me and thought all I had to do was buy some. I raced round the town and ended up nearly in tears myself when I realised that every chemist shop was shut and the small supermarket didn't have anything for teething, DS2 still screaming. Thankfully the health food shop was open and they had some homeopathic stuff. I gave this to DS2 and over the next few minutes he started to calm down, then I took him into another shop and the screaming started again but I could see he was very tired, red round the eyes and chose to ignore him as he is one of these babies who needs to scream to go to sleep sometimes and I only had a few minutes before I had to be back down the road to collect DS1. This is when this bloomin' woman came up to me, she said something along the lines of Excuse me dear, your baby is too hot, you must take his hat off (grated he was wearing a light cotton baseball cap) to which my response (not believing what I was hearing) was pardon, she repeated what she had said that I should lift DS2 and hold him to me and love him, to which I replied I did love my child, but she kept pushing the point and started on about the hat again (this woman BTW was wearing a large fake fur hat herself), I then whipped the hat off in him and shoved it on the top of the pram and asked if she would kindly leave us alone now, unbelievably DS2 stopped crying at this point to which she assumed was all due to the hat removal. I told her that I had a child already was experienced enough to know what I was doing and did not appreciate her interference and I left her muttering on about how she has had five children and you have to love them etc. Two minutes outside the shop DS2 was sound asleep (after having to be disturbed to put his hat back on again as it is getting a bit chilly now). I just cannot believe that someone would have the cheek to do this, if I need advice I'll ask for it, either my own mother, Mumsnet, my friens' mothers, or if I get really desperate my HV !

Sorry to bore you all with this, if anyone is even still reading, but I had to get it off my chest!!!

OP posts:
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Batters · 07/10/2002 14:43

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sobernow · 07/10/2002 15:03

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tigermoth · 07/10/2002 16:54

I've been in that type of situation, too demented. And it's only afterwards that I think why didn't I just hand over my problem baby or toddler to the interferer so they can put their money where there mouth is, while I watch from a distance and take some time out.

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Clarinet60 · 07/10/2002 21:02

Well said, Tigermoth. Similar (although less dramatic) things are happening to me at present, as DS2 is a very screamy baby when he isn't clamped to my nipple. In order to eat, I have to put him in the next room to scream, which doesn't go down well if I'm eating with friends, but you get tired of eating every meal with one hand, don't you?
I don't think you're in the wrong, Demented. Hope the tooth comes soon.

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musica · 07/10/2002 21:44

Demented - I've been there - stuck in a queue for a cup of tea so I could feed baby with a drink for me as well (unreasonable?), ds screaming - woman comes up "Excuse me, your baby's hungry, why don't you feed your baby?"

Drives you mad! Well done for sticking up for yourself.

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Marina · 07/10/2002 23:15

Well, if she was wearing a large fake fur hat today her brain was clearly well-cooked long before she started harassing you, Demented. What a cheek.

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WideWebWitch · 07/10/2002 23:18

You did very well not to tell her to f* off! Annoying indeed. Tigermoth's suggestion sounds good

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SueDonim · 08/10/2002 03:30

The woman sounds like that annoying bloke on the Harry Enfield show - Mr You-Don't-Wanna-Do-It-Like-That! I'm amazed you didn't gag her with her own fur hat.

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Demented · 08/10/2002 08:05

Thanks very much for all your great messages, you have given me a laugh!

I think I am taking myself much to seriously at the moment and took yesterday's incident to heart. I was half expecting everyone to say the woman was right I should have just got down on the floor cross-legged and cuddled and fed DS2 there and then but today I feel much better due to all your great messages and wonder why I wasted my time on her. I did tell her he was teething and tired (some people seem to think letting a baby go to sleep is cruelty) but today I think why did I bother, I should have just pretended I didn't hear her and walked away! Thanks again!

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SoupDragon · 08/10/2002 09:46

I once left my clingy, whinging 10 month old with a friend's fully trained nanny whilst I took DS1 swimming and she refused to have him again!! Apparently he followed her round the house crying for the whole hour she had him

See, it's not just us incompetant, uninformed, ignorant mothers that have problems.

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