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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think my DH has the wrong idea about what nursing a sick person involves? (Long)

9 replies

FanjoMashUp · 22/10/2010 10:43

I'm a regular but I have name changed for this as it's a bit personal.

I have just had a gynae operation and I have now picked up a post operative infection so I am laid up and a bit poorly to say the least. I have to go back to the hospital later.

DH took this week as leave in order to look after me. On Monday he picked me up from hospital and brought me home, fine. Since then he has:

*Had naps every morning initially and subsequently most afternoons now as well, leaving me to sort the baby out initially about half of the time as he is dead to the world (I am not supposed to be lifting). Baby is in fact a hulking great toddler with a prediliction for flinging himself across my stomach.

*Tried to leave toddler with me when he does DS2's school run to make it easier for himself. I mean, FFS!

*Complained of some sort of minor ailment every single day - headache requiring solpadeine, tummy ache, and so on.

*Gone off shopping and doing errands for the day like getting his shoes reheeled, picking up his stuff from the drycleaners, getting his eyes tested and so on. He did buy a lampshade and a packet of babygros, and dropped off a watch of mine to be repaired, but made a big fuss about having done this. I take a day off a month and usually do all this sort of thing for us routinely, by the way, without saying anything about it.

*Went down the pub at my behest because he was getting a bit grumpy, and came back pissed and argumentative, keeping me up until midnight arguing about how reasonable the budget cuts are (he used to be a political journalist so it's pointless talking sense to the man sometimes). Seriously, if he posted on here he would be flamed.

*Spent about two hours a day walking about, talking about how we (meaning his DW) should have made better half term arrangements for DS1 so he was not forced to mooch about the house, then trying to come up with ideas for things to do, then finding it's all too late to do anything because the baby has to nap or whatever. For example he just agreed to take the kids swimming, spent 45 minutes (I kid you not) faffing about getting swimsuits and towels and himself ready, got there, found he had forgotten his wallet, came back, decided to take the kids to the park instead as it was by now perilously near toddler's nap time, and DS1 is too old for the park so all this has kind of defeated the object.

*Spent twenty minutes activating DS1's new mobile for him when I needed to get to the GP for some antibiotics before it closed at 6pm. In the event I got someone else to drive me down and got there at 12 minutes to, and to the chemist at 2 minutes to, but it was very stressful.

Seriously people, this is starting to do my head in and I needed to sound off. In DH's defence, he is normally pretty good on the DH front and while I have been paid up he has brought me tea and toast at regular intervals, and given me an injection every morning. But I am very cross with him and have told him to go back to work Blush after he slammed the door because he was being expected to go swimming and he doesn't like doing things like this.

OP posts:
Rocklover · 22/10/2010 10:47

He is being more of a hinderance than a help, do you have any other family members that could help out instead?

fedupofnamechanging · 22/10/2010 10:53

Tell him what you have told us and ask him how exactly he thinks he has been helping you.

Not sure I'd be taking a day off every month to do running around. This is something you ought to be sharing responsibility for.

Got to be honest, he sounds like a teenager.

FanjoMashUp · 22/10/2010 11:59

Well I told him, quite reasonably as it happens, and it did no good. He started arguing, and I told him that I was ill, and that this was not a time for him to be telling me off and justifying himself, and asked him to leave the room.

OP posts:
babybarrister · 22/10/2010 12:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fedupofnamechanging · 22/10/2010 14:07

Oh dear. Sorry to hear the conversation did not go well. All I can think of is that you give him specific instructions as to what needs doing and when.

Next time he is ill, give him exactly the same amount of 'help' as he has given you.

FanjoMashUp · 22/10/2010 16:03

Well, things have now improved.

I got a nice lunch on a tray.
I got politeness and sympathy.
I was driven up to the hospital in a timely and sensitive fashion.
The baby was properly cared for.

I feel a sense of victory and relief.

OP posts:
TrillianSlasher · 22/10/2010 16:11

Sounds as if he, the baby, and everyone shoud leave you in a nicely appointed sick room and not enter unless they are summoned by a bell. If the bell is rung they should of course immediately leap up and bring you whatever you require, and then leave you alone again (with tv, books, etc).

Yummygummybear · 22/10/2010 16:15

Sounds like my DH!
He has half term off to look after DS while I work at home. Chances are he won't be out of bed before 11am or out of the house before 1pm!

Hope you are felling better soon

SpawnChorus · 22/10/2010 16:25

Glad he's improved! I had a (thankfully brief) D&V bug last week and had to beg DH to take the day off work (to take 5yr old DD to school and look after the 3 and 1 yr olds).

He mithered about getting breakfast and asking stupid questions about what should go in DD's lunchbox while I held onto the bed trying desperateky not to think about food for fear of vomming again. He then buggered off to his physio appointment for his hurty neck, leaving me with the two little ones. I was honestly incapable of looking after them!

The rest of the day was spent sorting out his backlog of paperwork and tutting resentfully at having to make lunch for / play with the DSes, until supper time when he decided that he too was feeling poorly, so handed everything back over to me while he headed off to bed. Now I'm not saying he was faking it, but the fucker wasn't actually sick at any point, and had miraculously recovered by morning (I was still feeling v ropey) and buggered off to work.

The weird thing is that he's usually such a good egg...really helpful and thoughtful. Hmm

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