I will try to be very brief. I had an emergency, and totally out of the blue, operation. The following day I was released from hospital, my parents collected me in a taxi and took me home. Doctors orders were to rest.
Anyway, 20 mins later, my parents promptly left for a european city break. My DH phoned as they were leaving to say he would not come back from where he was working away as he had one more day of the course left (only a wrap up day, so could have easily driven home and then back after the babies were in bed). Then my father in law left to watch the football. There was only my mother in law left (whom i am now permanently indebted and grateful too) who had to look after a recovering patient, and 2 babies under the age of 2. Unsurprisingly i couldn't rest, and having had only 6 hours sleep in 48 hours plus an operation i crashed emotionally. My mother when she phoned from city break said "I am not surprised you crashed"...
If she wasn't surprised, then why didn't my family, the people you are supposed to rely on above everything have a little care plan in place for me when I left hospital??
i crashed hard out of pain and exhaustion. Please tell me expecting my DH and DM to put themselves out is too much.... otherwise i am broken hearted.
In interest of full disclosure - My DM was great after births of both my children, really helped. Also, her and my DF have lots of holidays each year, if this had been their only one, I would never have expected them to cancel.