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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:
seeker · 11/04/2012 13:06

It's also not fair that women have an automatic closer bond with the baby because they can feed it, and everyone thinks the mother is more important than the father.

But hey ho.

exoticfruits · 11/04/2012 13:06

The difference is ,IMO , that a baby is a welcome addition to a family and I can't imagine any of us acting as 'gatekeeper' which is immediately unfriendly.
Next time she needs to ask DH what he 'really thinks', which quite clearly was different.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 13:29

"But it wasn't a discussion. She told him what she wanted and he wasn't happy with it but he didn't have q choice. How is that fair?"

were you there?

in the OP's own words " i decided to have a big conversation with dh about what was and what was not acceptable to do when baby finally got here "

"I said that if possible i would want "

" 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."

They had a discussion about it like adults do. He decided to do things the childish way - agreeing with her but then doing completely what he wanted to do anyway, regardless of the feelings she explained to him. How is that good.

I second the people whoi say how proud they will feel of their sonsfor thinking of their wives/partner's wishes above mine. If my son has a baby I will be completely accepting of whatever they prefer when it comes to the days after the birth and I definitely wouldn't see wanting a few days peace as them trying to shut me out - happy to see a baby a couple of weeks old if that's the way it works out.

When I had a baby we wnded up not having anyone able to see him as he was in special care - the day after we got him home we had to have MIL and FIl there (divorced) because MIL was flying out of the country the next day. Did I really want people round for hours on end the day after we finally got him home? Not really but I compromised because I knew it was important to my husband and to my MIL.

MrMiyagi · 11/04/2012 13:32

I can imagine that "discussion", most likely OP and her sis informing the sperm donor what was going to happen.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 13:33

"It's also not fair that women have an automatic closer bond with the baby because they can feed it, and everyone thinks the mother is more important than the father. "

You can bond in so many ways. It's a complete myth that father's can only bond through feeding. So many women have their breastfeeding disrupted by this bizzare insistance that they express or use formula so their husband/mother/mil can feed the baby.

it's bollox.

no one lines up to spoon feed the baby saying 'but I want to bond waah waah wahh' when it's throwing porridge around the room.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 13:35

"She could stay in the bedroom while dp shows the baby off to his parents" pfffttt.. that's awful. Why not just wait until things are settled and show off the baby together a couple of days later? Who really loses out by waiting a day or two until both parents are more settled?

destroyedluggage · 11/04/2012 13:40

everyone thinks the mother is more important than the father.

Clearly not everyone. Not even when the mother has just given birth, even then she'd better find out what her husband "really thinks".

Once again I have to thank my lucky stars for the family I have.

seeker · 11/04/2012 13:42

Oh don't be silly. Of course it's not the only way to bond.

And what on earth is wrong with having a peaceful nap while the baby's father has some time with his own parents and his - he might like a bit of attention too!

seeker · 11/04/2012 13:43

"his baby" that should have said!

Bartiimaeus · 11/04/2012 13:54

Having read the whole thread I have to say what strucks me in the OP is "he said there is nothing we can do about it now". To be honest that would bug the hell out of me (even if it's true). Regardless of whether OP was U or not, her DH just dismisses how she feels. If he apologised and said he didn't realise etc. etc. then that would be ok. But to just shrug off her anger is annoying.

OTOH I think it's something you really do have to just get over OP. I too have recently had my first baby, and I read far too much mumsnet before the birth and was scared about being exhausted/emotional/crowded by MIL. I was negociating with DH for when my MIL could come over and for how long (she wanted to stay over and sleep on the sofa Shock) but in the end DS arrived early, the day before a planned (day) visit from MIL so she got to see him all brand new but I was still in hospital so didn't have to be a host.

I see the pleasure that DS gives his grandparents and I'm actually sad MIL lives so far away and can't see him more.

inabeautifulplace · 11/04/2012 14:26

Hilly, your example implies that Husband and wife are in the same position around the birth of the child. Totally wrong.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 14:43

"And what on earth is wrong with having a peaceful nap while the baby's father has some time with his own parents and his - he might like a bit of attention too!
"

that's not what you said though. Brilliant if he wants to time his parent's visits with when his wife is napping but how easy is that to put into practice? You said she could stay in the bedroom while he showed the baby off. I know I would have really not been happy to stay in the bedroom out of the way while our baby met visitors, I would have wanted to be there enjoying it all.

EldritchCleavage · 11/04/2012 14:45

Op, I don't think YABU about your DH letting you down or the initial arrangement. Saying it's done now isn't much good either. Try and see if you can talk to him again, not because anything can be changed (in that sense, he is right), but just so he can really hear how you felt and feel about it and hopefully acknowledge those feelings. If you can lay out how you feel to each other you both have a much better chance of letting it all go so things don't fester.

On breast feeding, just do it in front of the in-laws. That really is getting the priorities wrong, to make you slope off in your own home to feed, not because they don't like it but because your DH fears they might not like it. I don't think you need make a thing of it but nor do you have to accept DH putting the in-laws' possible feelings before you or the baby.

Ephiny · 11/04/2012 15:07

I don't think mothers are more important than fathers, but it is a fact that it's the mother who has just given birth, and the one who is bleeding and maybe exhausted and in pain, and trying to establish feeding - so she has some additional needs for rest and privacy that the father doesn't. Which IMO means she gets the final say over when she feels up to having visitors.

Personally I would have been furious if DP had done this to me, and even more so if he'd dismissed my feelings by saying 'oh well, can't change it now', instead of acknowledging how badly he'd upset me and apologising properly.

samandi · 11/04/2012 15:24

*Well samandi, a visit at home would not be necessary so soon, if she had allowed them "audience" at the hospital.

I think the op sounds controlling and manipulative over her own child, and so early on!*

It's not necessary full stop. Or do newborns shrivel and die if they are not visited by their grandparents within 48 hours? Hmm

I think the OP sounds perfectly reasonable.

samandi · 11/04/2012 15:26

*Seeker is right on this. Turn the tables and see how it looks. How many of you who are defending the OP's right to make her decision and not need to justify it to anyone, regardless of how others feel about it, would feel about this:

A couple have their first baby due imminently and the man says to the woman, 'I really do not want your parents or your sister to visit you in hospital, or to see the baby for a good few days once you are home. I feel it is a time that should be completely private, to be experienced by just us two, and I expect you to respect my wishes by agreeing to that.'*

The obvious difference is that the man hasn't just given birth and needs time to recover. Duh.

cherrypieplum · 11/04/2012 15:26

I can understand where you are coming from. My family are not close and unlikely to be rushing down to see me after my baby is born whereas my husband's family will probably want to come immediately which is fine but I personally would want to be a bit hermity until we are settled.

Its a huge thing to adjust to especially when breast feeding too. I don think it's that unusual either. My friend asked that we didn't even text to ask after her and the baby when she was being induced(!)

HillyWallaby · 11/04/2012 16:33

I understand the need to be 'a bit hermitty' for the first couple of weeks, especially if you are getting to grips with BFing etc for the first time, but surely you can understand the GP's and aunts and uncles desire to at least see the baby for 20 minutes or so in the first couple of days? Confused no-one is asking that you get the hoover out, knock up a roast dinner and put a full face of make-up on for them, but for crying out loud, why are you so curmudgeonly about the whole thing, some of you? Shock

We get so many heartbroken women on here asking AIBU because their parents basically do not give a stuff about their grandchildren and cannot be bothered to bond with them or spend time with them. I bet there are a hundred AIBUs in the archive complaining that the inlaws are detached and selfish and made no effort to be involved when the PFB was born - I just don't get it. Honestly. I don't know WTF it is that people want sometimes. Confused

HillyWallaby · 11/04/2012 16:37

For some people everything in their life has to be black and white with no shades of grey -no ability to negotiate, empathise, compromise, or see any other POV than your own. You people are pains in the arse to be around, truly.

mathanxiety · 11/04/2012 16:40

IKilled -- 'I hope that my DSs when grown men can live balanced lives that include me and DH and not be dictated to by their wives'

You sound like the future MIL from hell. Leetle bit misogynistic, no? Your precious boy is going to wear the pants in his marriage?

Remind me to keep my DDs well away from him and from the likes of you whispering in his ear no doubt.

..............
HillyWallaby -- 'A couple have their first baby due imminently and the man says to the woman, 'I really do not want your parents or your sister to visit you in hospital, or to see the baby for a good few days once you are home. I feel it is a time that should be completely private, to be experienced by just us two, and I expect you to respect my wishes by agreeing to that.'

Ok so we are now ignoring the fact that the mother is the one who has just undergone a massive medical event and needs to physically recover, wants to live a few days in her dressing gown with her boobs out in the fresh air...
Madness.

..............
'Seeker, when you get married you start your own family. Your spouse comes first. IMO."

Funny how this only ever seems to apply to men. Women are allowed to maintain relationships with their family of origin, men are expected to cut all ties. Weird.'

Jealousy is what strikes me here, on behalf of the family of the father. Either that or some mistaken idea that this is all about the poor menz and mean whip-cracking women trampling all over their rights and the so-called rights of the extended family.

Women get to have their wishes acceded to during birth and afterwards because they are the ones giving birth and recovering afterwards, establishing breastfeeding, working on that first post natal poo, figuring out a way to comfortably sit down with a stitched up backside, etc.

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

Seeker -- 'It's also not fair that women have an automatic closer bond with the baby because they can feed it, and everyone thinks the mother is more important than the father.'
Ditto.

mathanxiety · 11/04/2012 16:42

'For some people everything in their life has to be black and white with no shades of grey -no ability to negotiate, empathise, compromise, or see any other POV than your own. You people are pains in the arse to be around'

Sadly, NameChanged seems to be married to one of these lovely individuals.

DuelingFanjo · 11/04/2012 16:43

"We get so many heartbroken women on here asking AIBU because their parents basically do not give a stuff about their grandchildren and cannot be bothered to bond with them or spend time with them. I bet there are a hundred AIBUs in the archive complaining that the inlaws are detached and selfish and made no effort to be involved when the PFB was born - I just don't get it. Honestly. I don't know WTF it is that people want sometimes"

so you are saying that because other people have parents who are not interested in their grandchildren everyone else should forget their own comfort levels and allow close family to dictate what happens and how soon after the labour it happens?

I don't get why someone elses sadness over their own particular circumstances should have any bearing whatsoever on my own circumstances, needs and feelings.

Different people want different things which relate to their own specific set of circumstances or feelings.

mathanxiety · 11/04/2012 16:46

'Honestly. I don't know WTF it is that people want sometimes"'

What this particular person wanted was not to have visitors for a few days. Simple as that. That is all she wanted. No guesswork involved for anyone. Even her DH knew that. She had made her feelings clear.

MrMiyagi · 11/04/2012 16:50

mathanxiety, You sound like the future MIL from hell. Leetle bit misandric, no? Your precious girl is going to wear the pants in her marriage?

pictish · 11/04/2012 16:56

Every new mum can and should find 20 minutes to allow the grandparents a wee look. It's called sharing nicely.