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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be be miffed at dh regarding ils

415 replies

NameChangedJustInCase · 10/04/2012 20:31

ok, Iv gone back to the name change in case iabu. This is not about bashing my ILS or DH. I get on perfectly well with them, they are lovely.

I joined mumsnet when i first became pregnant (so just over a year ago) and after reading a few threads on here, i decided to have a big conversation with dh about what was and what was not acceptable to do when baby finally got here ie, birth and just after. I said that if possible i would want my sister and him to be my birth partner but i did not want ANY visitors in the hospital other than the two of them, which he said was alright (he wanted to have his mum and other family members come to the hospital but i said i would not be comfortable with that, he wasn't that happy but accepted it was my decision ) i also made very very clear that i did not want any family to visit for the first few days of being out of hospital, i wanted to slob about in my dressing gown with my boobs out comfortably trying to get breastfeeding established, trying to bond as a family with our new baby, resting when baby was resting. I didn't want to be running back and forth from the bedroom feeding dd, i explained all my reasons why i didn't want family there and made it very clear to him how uncomfortable it would make me feel. we argued a bit about it, he couldn't see why i would be ok for my dsis to be there and not his mum, because it was his baby as well ect but in the end he agreed that he would tell them no visitors for a few days til we got settled.

All good. Anyway, a couple of weeks later after an extremely long and traumatic labour i wake up to hear that dh had spoke to mil and told here that she (and the rest of the family) could come over. he told me that they would either be there that day (of me giving birth) or the next day as they were all excited and couldn't wait to celebrate and meet dd. i was upset, exhausted and defeated so i told him hed really let me down by doing this behind my back (whilst i was sleeping) but just went along with it. I had to go home, deal with this tiny new little person, tidy the house (i know i should have just left it but i really cant do that) when i just wanted to take things at my own pace.

I Know that dh loves me and he didn't do it maliciously or anything (he just got caught up and excited) but I still cant get it out of my mind. i have brought it up with him since but he says (quite rightly) that there is nothing we can do about it now,so i need to just let it go. aibu to still be seething about this months later and actually get the urge to slap him in the face when i think about how vulnerable i felt at the time? AM I????

OP posts:
upahill · 11/04/2012 10:16

Going of your OP what you suggested was quite nasty tbh.

I hope I don't end up with a DIL with your mentality who is stil harking on about it a year later.
A new addition is supposed to be a joyous occasion, one for the family to enjoy and welcome a new addition but you only wanted YOUR sister and DH there and not let your IL's have a look.
Nice!!

igggi · 11/04/2012 10:16

The sister was there for support in labour, not to jump the queue to see the baby. I don't see why we can't separate the needs of a woman giving birth out from the needs of relatives to see the baby. If the op was having an operation, I bet it would be the sister who'd be round helping her not the in-laws. It's normal to want it to be someone you've known since childhood who sees you at your worst/most vulnerable!

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 10:19

given that you had a conversation about it all before the birth, and your DH agreed to do what you wanted having considered your feelings and your reasons then I think YANBU to have been upset that he then did the exact opposite.

However, like everyone has said you need to let it go.

Plus you need to breastfeed in front of his family if that's what you want to do.

blackteaplease · 11/04/2012 10:20

OP I think YANBU. When your DH was born, women stayed in hospital for a week or two and were only allowed two visitors at a time for a certain part of the day. Now that you can get home quicker there is no end of pressure to "entertain" visitors while your PFB is handed round for people to coo over.

How long did your in-laws visit for and are they local? We banned all visitors in the first few days after dd was born and the ILs visited as agreed on day 5. They live 2 hours away so came for the entire day, fair enough they brought lunch and made tea but I was tired, leaking milk, sore and not up to all day visitors in hindsight.

However, and this is important IMO, If they lived locally, I would have had no objection to them popping over for an hour or so at an earlier time.

pictish · 11/04/2012 10:21

Math - you are projecting hilariously here. Just because your own marriage/relationship with inlaws is awful doesn't mean that is the situation for the OP.

OP - YABU to have been so controlling in the first place, and so selfish and unkind to your DH.
He hasn't behaved brilliantly, but you put him in a horrid position. I think you owe him an apology.

And whoever said that they felt obliged to make a cake 2 days post birth because the ILs were coming, you only have your own bonkers behaviour to blame for that!

That ^.

halcyondays · 11/04/2012 10:25

Some of the things on her make me glad I have 2 dds and no sons! It's funny how some people think it is acceptable to treat the paternal grandparents like second class citizens, yet they are usually still expected to drop everything and babysit when it suits.Hmm

Op, I think you were unreasonable not to let your inlaws have a short visit either at the hospital or when you got home. It wouldn't have killed you to let them see their new grandchild for half an hour, it's not as though they were proposing to come and stay with you. Of course gps are excited and would want to see the baby as soon as possible, it must be lovely to see your grandchild for the first time. Wouldn't it be worse if they took no interest at all?

Sweetpea5 · 11/04/2012 10:28

Yanbu. You had an agreement and he broke it when you were at your most vunerable. My dhs family did the same - totally disrepected my wishes to have a day or 2 to recover and spend with my new baby.

However, I let it piss me off for about a year, which wasnt really clever and only annoyed me, not them, and coloured my memories of my first days as a mum.

So my advice would be to let it go as much as you can as soon as you can. Its happened now, your dh was probably just ridiculously proud and want to show you and your lovely baby off to his family ( which is no excuse but at least coming from a good place)

Ps congratulations!

blackteaplease · 11/04/2012 10:28

Rereading the OP, it doesn't say how long they visited for. If it was a short visit then actually I think YABU even though it wasn't what you had agreed.

Next time, don't clean the house, and get DH/ visitors to make the tea. Post birth is a time when you should be sitting around recovering, not hosting.

Kayano · 11/04/2012 10:31

Sorry but after you give birth you don't become a god or dictator over the child. The baby is the responsibility of the mum and DH so he was absolutely entitled to invite his loving family to meet the newborn.

upahill · 11/04/2012 10:32

halcyondays
I totaly agree with you. I have two sons and hope they don't end up with any one who doesn't understand how important his parents are to the whole of the extended family as the OP has.

It really wouldn't have killed for them to have had a peek.

Your are right about one thing OP you do have issues especialy as it is 12 months later and you have nice in laws.

igggi · 11/04/2012 10:34

Do we know how long the op was in hospital for? I don't think so, so all the suggestions that they should visit there might be irrelevant - some people are only in for a day.
I am bored with all the "mothers of sons" talk. As a mother of a son, I'd be quite happy with a dil who asked me to wait a few days before visiting - maybe because I didn't have the rosy, no bleeding, no leaking, no stiches to check, birth that some of you seem to have had!
Op if you'd posted in childbirth rather than aibu you'd have a very different set of responses.

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 11/04/2012 10:38

YANBU. Sweetpea is right; he went back on an agreement and that isn't respectful.

I don't have children but I can totally imagine needing to spend the first few days alone with just my baby, getting to grips with breastfeeding and trying to bond.

If the ILs absolutely HAD to visit so soon after the birth, I think saying they would come over 'tomorrow or the next day' rather than agreeing a suitable time also shows a lack of respect.

I do think that in one sense you are being a little bit U to still be stewing over it ? it's happened and you could move on ? but on the other hand it might be a sign of your DH's and ILs' more general attitude. Setting boundaries and communicating clearly what you do and don't feel up to at all times might be a good idea.

And congratulations!

igggi · 11/04/2012 10:39

By the way I don't think the OP has issues with her in-laws, it's her DH she has the problem with, as he broke his promise. She may wonder what else he will cave in over in the future.

halcyondays · 11/04/2012 10:43

Does anyone have a rosy birth? I had plenty of stitches, had an episiotomy and tore as well, lost quite a bit of blood, but was still happy to have my mil come to the hospital to see her grandchild. She didn't stay that long as she could see I was tired but obviously she was delighted to see her. She and my dad, who are the only gps still around, both came to visit on the day I gave birth.

exoticfruits · 11/04/2012 10:49

The sister was there for support in labour, not to jump the queue to see the baby.

Was DH asked? I'm sure that my DH wouldn't want his SIL there.

it's her DH she has the problem with, as he broke his promise. She may wonder what else he will cave in over in the future.

I would say that he had the problem with having to agree to things he didn't want to agree with-i.e cutting his parents out because they are not important enough for DW.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 10:52

Give the OP a break! All this 'you'd better hope your sons don't ignore you' crap is just ridiculous. Clearly the OP's husband isn't neglecting his family. He has however completely ignored the concerns of his wife which were that she wanted time to get to grips with breastfeeding and some calm in which to do it.

Given the fact that he's made it clear that she mustn't breastfeed in front of his family I am not surprised she wanted some time to establish the latch and so on.

Re this whole 'the baby is his too' stuff... that is true, but there is absolutely no need for whole families to expect to make long visits to see a newborn baby within hours of the birth, if the new mum (Who has just been trhough labour and becoming a mum for the first time) doesn't want it that way then she has a right to have her wishes respected or at least some compromise to be met.

Given the fact that the OP thought some kind of agreement had been reached I can understand why she was (is) pissed off. She and her DH had the argument and teh tussle about the plans before the birth, which many couples do, and came to an agreement based upon the discussions they had. He clearly then just ignored her wishes. Of course that makes her upset.

What each individual mumsnetter thinks about 'babymoons' or the way In-laws are treated is not relevant.

exoticfruits · 11/04/2012 10:56

I think it is clear they need a proper discussion first and to really be clear that they are happy with decisions-if not they need compromise. If someone is forced into something they really don't want they are quite likely to change their mind.

igggi · 11/04/2012 10:56

Well welcome to life as a mother! Expect to be judged for everything you do, and compared to everyone else's experiences. Competitive parenting here we come. Would be nice if MN was a safe haven, but I guess not!

QuintessentialShadows · 11/04/2012 10:57

Yabu. And selfish and egocentric to boot.
Why on earth could they not come and meet their new grandchild in hospital? A brief visit to see the newborn would have preempted any need on their part to come home.
I have heard about bridezillas (were you one?), never before heard about newbornillas!

I read your op, and all I see is: ME ME ME ME ME

Get over yourself.

exoticfruits · 11/04/2012 10:57

Welcome to life as mother of DSs-you are immediately second class grandparents in many cases.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 10:59

"Anyway, a couple of weeks later after an extremely long and traumatic labour i wake up to hear that dh had spoke to mil and told here that she (and the rest of the family) could come over. he told me that they would either be there that day (of me giving birth) or the next day as they were all excited and couldn't wait to celebrate and meet dd. i was upset, exhausted and defeated so i told him hed really let me down by doing this behind my back (whilst i was sleeping) but just went along with it. I had to go home, deal with this tiny new little person, tidy the house (i know i should have just left it but i really cant do that) when i just wanted to take things at my own pace."

this is what is really not fair on the OP.

exoticfruits · 11/04/2012 11:01

Why would you need to tidy the house? Surely it is a great help-let ILs tidy it and leave you free to deal with the baby. If it is the first I don't think people realise that help might be useful!

exoticfruits · 11/04/2012 11:02

You are treating ILs as visitors and not family. Surely you don't have everything perfect for a visit?

samandi · 11/04/2012 11:07

Haven't read the whole thread, but from the opening thread I don't think YWBU at all to request a few days before having ILs over. Certainly not to request them not coming over the same day! What on earth is it with the obsession to see a newborn straightaway?? I think your partner was being extremely inconsiderate to invite them over. You were the one who had just given birth, not him.

I do think you are being slightly unreasonable to still be seething about it though, and your partner is right that what's done is done. Although it's understandable if you don't think he understands what he did wrong.

samandi · 11/04/2012 11:09

*Yabu. And selfish and egocentric to boot.
Why on earth could they not come and meet their new grandchild in hospital? A brief visit to see the newborn would have preempted any need on their part to come home.
I have heard about bridezillas (were you one?), never before heard about newbornillas!

I read your op, and all I see is: ME ME ME ME ME

Get over yourself.*

Personally I think people who demand to come and see a newborn when someone has just come out of hospital and wants a couple of days to recover in peace are the ones being newbornzillaish about the whole thing. There's no problem with waiting a few days. It absolutely smacks of entitledness.