Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DSD abortion thread part II

946 replies

GivesHeadlessHorseman · 26/10/2010 21:05

carry on ladies....

OP posts:
BitOfFunderthepatio · 27/10/2010 12:10

Right, shall I start ANOTHER thread for Tess where people are actually focussing on her and her situation?

Or will people be kind enough to take their comments about written communication, politics and perceived twattery elsewhere to the separate threads which have been expressly set up for this purpose?

BitOfFunderthepatio · 27/10/2010 12:11

AngryAngryAngry

Longtalljosie · 27/10/2010 12:13

BOF's right. This is Tess's thread. Do you think she wants to wade through all of this?

sallysunflower · 27/10/2010 12:15

wanted to say something but didn't want to accidentally add to the twattery of it all.

thank you.

echt · 27/10/2010 12:16

BitOfunderthepatio.

Probably a good idea.

sallysunflower · 27/10/2010 12:17

Now SHHH

sungirltan · 27/10/2010 12:17

(cowers at bitofun)

(wonders how tess is getting on?)

foreverastudent · 27/10/2010 12:29

Given that this was an intentional pregnancy it was maybe some kind of warped way of the DSD testing how much Tess loves her. I'd like to know if the girl has ever had any counselling for the trauma of being abandoned by her bio Mum. Also if you and DH have been together for 12 years, you must have known him since DSD was 2. what conract/relationship did you have with her between the ages of 2 and 9? Did she feel like she was 'dumped' on you against your will? It seems very similar to her now 'dumping' this child on you.

Another thing I've though of is; fast forward 30/40 years. Tess and her DH will be the ones who will need their nappies changed in the middle of the night etc. Elder care falls predominantly on the female grown up children. As Tess only has boys, it may will be that she is reliant on DSD (or even this child) to care for her when she's 80 odd. DSD may look back on this when deciding whether to care for Tess herself or ship her off to the nearest (or furthest away) care home. Something for all of us to think about...

GivesHeadlessHorseman · 27/10/2010 12:36

Don't bang my head BoF I was trying to stick to the rules and the others were bullying me. Grin

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiLand · 27/10/2010 12:38

Loudlass - yuou mustn't feel guilty about that (your dd's comdition) Sad. Easier said than done, though. If I hadn't had a baby so young, maybe the father would have hung around and wanted to be involved, rather than announce when she was a few months old that 'he was too young to be a father' and scoot off without a backward glance. Constant guilt and self loathing about that one.

Perhaps there should be another splinter group thread for teenage mothers who years later feel bad about the choices they made Sad

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/10/2010 12:40

Twattery and fuckwittage notwiothstanding, this thread I think is a testament to how brilliant Mumsnet is when it really works (in other words genuine and heartfelt support and concern for someone whom none of us have ever met)

tractorRide · 27/10/2010 12:47

Good point foreverastudent. Good psychological intervention might well have avoided this whole sorry mess. It's clear that the girl is aware that the pg is linked to her abandonment issues and those can be addressed with therapy.

It would be worth getting a referral to CAMHS at this stage as all those issues are likely to interfere with her parenting anyway.

It's also true that the DSD might not want to care for the OP in her old age as a result of this, but that may well happen anyway. It doesn't sound like there are very strong bonds within this family.

GivesHeadlessHorseman · 27/10/2010 12:51

Hear Hear Getorf

OP posts:
BitOfFunderthepatio · 27/10/2010 12:57

I think that it's unfair to speculate on the strength of the bonds in the family. From what we know, Tess has had a loving and supportive marriage for twelve years, has loved her step-daughter as her own, and has stepped up to the plate with trying to deal with this bloody awful situation while her husband went on the lash in a hopefully momentary lapse of judgement- but even he is adamant that the family will stay together and he never wants to let his dd down the way her own mother has.

As far as I can see, the only villain of the piece is dsd's birth mother, who fucked off, and whose actions have had tragic repercussions, which are nonetheless being addressed by the whole family as they try to pick up the pieces.

They sound a very loving and determined family to me, who have been put in the most desperate situation.

GetOrfMoiLand · 27/10/2010 13:01

So agree with that post BOF. Totally.

I still think counselliung to cope with the bombshell of the pregnancy (and the previous abandonment) would help, if possible to obtain.

If Tess's husband has been a good bloke all through the marriage, I hope he will step up and be supportive once the shock has worn off. He is probably terrified. Yes probably no excuse for leaving Tess in the lurch as he has in the past few days, but probably understandable if I am honest.

wonderstuff · 27/10/2010 13:03

I totally agree with BOF.

I also don't really believe that Tess is going to consider who nurses her in her old age when deciding what to do tbh. You don't raise children so they can nurse you in old age surely?

BitOfFunderthepatio · 27/10/2010 13:06

I hope that I'm raising my eldest to get an education and a job that pays Brewsters so that she can put me in a nice home in the Bahamas [hgrin]

BerryLellooooooooooow · 27/10/2010 13:07

Agree with BOF, I don't think we should pick apart their relationships on a thread where Tess is looking for support to help her support her DSD in turn.

Brollyflower · 27/10/2010 13:15

I just popped back to see if there was any news and to say how well I think you're coping Tess, as it is a horrid situation whatever happens now. I hope the scan was OK.

MumNWLondon · 27/10/2010 13:21

Tess just wanted to pop in to offer support and to say that you are doing so well, being so strong... I really feel for you.

I do agree with the other posters that your DSD should be aware of the stress she is causing you and your H though, because ultimately whether you like it or not if she has the baby you and your H will end up looking after it and paying for it.

pinkjello · 27/10/2010 13:38

Just wanted to say that I hope today goes as well as it can.
I really feel for you.

kickassangel · 27/10/2010 13:51

Tess - i thin that there a several issues to resolve (obviously) here, but tow that stand out are

  1. the assumption that because you're at home, you have responsibility for everything there. it's a common situation, and one that feminists have battled for decades, but perhaps you should just 'opt out' for a night like your dh did, to make him see that you are being taken for granted here, and expected just to pick up the pieces of everyone else's problems.
  2. the idea that dsd is still a child. well, yes, she is, BUT she is a child who has had sex. imo, if someone has sex, they should be prepared to be a parent. if they truly are unable to deal with that, they shouldn't have sex. there's no point in preaching to dsd, but she HAS had an adult relationship, and is facing an adult problem. to resolve it, she needs to become more mature. of course, she won't manage overnight, but just taking the problem away from her by caring for the baby, won't make her grow up & will lead to endless further problems. i think you need to get your dh to see (perhaps not immediately) that just solving the problem for her is NOT in her best long-term interests. if she wants to have a child who loves her, then she needs to care for that child, not you.

i don't know how many anecdotes you need, but dh is the child of a teenage mum (though his mum was 19) who ran crying back to her parents. dh's gran pretty much raised him for the first 5 years (his mum was in the same house, but went out to work & slept through the nights). dh spent his entire childhood missing his gran (his mum & he moved away when he was 5), his mum never acted as though she actually enjoyed dh's company, or showed him much love, and dh says he would be happier if he never sees her again. still loves his granny though. as you can imagine, there's been a lifetime of pain between him & his mum, and still no resolution now - he's 43!

i think you are right to be concerned that if you just go along with dsd having the baby, you become the main carer, etc, then that baby will see you as the parent, not dsd.

your dh must be feeling awful atm, though. it sounds like he just wants to 'rescue' his little girl & let her still be a child. it's a very understandable reaction. it also sounds like he wants someone to blame. in the absence of not knowing who the father is, you become the next target (along with himself) as he can't bring himself to blame his dd.

feel so sorry for you, and there are no easy practical solutions.

jabberwocky · 27/10/2010 13:57

Tess, I commented early on on the initial thread and have lurked since. I sincerely hope your dh comes to his senses and that he is just reacting out of shock at this point. Being honest with him from the outset was the best thing you could do.

I and others have mentioned that this is a high risk pregnancy. Did the dr. go into this with her at all? Does your dh realize this?

GiddyPickle · 27/10/2010 14:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 27/10/2010 14:00

'Did the dr. go into this with her at all? Does your dh realize this?'

They wouldn't here in the UK, jabber. The GP would just refer her to the midwives for a booking in appointment.

Even in older women, the pregnancy isn't considered high-risk unless the mother has a serious exisiting health problem or develops one in pregnancy.

Swipe left for the next trending thread