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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to feel jealous/resentful of my friend 'breezing' through having a baby?

44 replies

AlmondFrangipani · 01/12/2013 21:32

I had a baby 4 months ago. He is lovely but we have had a roller coaster of a time. Induction and tough birth, extended hospital stay due to both if us being ill, tongue tie, feeding problems resulting in giving up BF (even though I desperately wanted to) and reflux meaning a baby who wakes up ever couple of hours at night. We are coming out of this now and things are getting easier but a good friend if mine has just had her baby. 5 days after having him she's out a lot, looks amazing (in her old jeans already) and generally 'breezing' through.

I don't really know why but I feel really upset/jealous. My experience has been so different! Desperate to feel like the old me and I'm nowhere near getting in my old jeans...

OP posts:

omuwalamulungi · 01/12/2013 23:17

You have done a fantastic job, there is no textbook baby and you just do you best with what you get. Look how many challenges you have faced and overcome :)

I was never out of my normal clothes apart from the bump. Textbook ELCS and he's a pretty easy baby, reflux was a problem but has improved, never been able to establish a real routine but we're ok etc etc.

Because of that, everyone comments how well I'm doing, weight I've lost, but I hardly eat because I don't have time. His father dotes on us but he's 4000 miles away and this cannot change, so I'm alone a lot. I've had depression since I was 6 weeks pregnant and didn't really bond with him for 3 months, nobody noticed. (had some counselling and it helped)

I'm the first of my friends to have a baby and sometimes it frightens me that it's going to come to their turn and they'll realise that this is fucking difficult. I had terrible flu a few weeks ago and one of them genuinely said to me "at least you don't have to run around after him when you're ill" - I don't need to go into details because you're well aware of how much work a baby is!

Have you had a break from it all recently? If not, ask someone to babysit for an afternoon and go and do something for you.

ClaraStahlbaum · 01/12/2013 23:31

I have a friend who looked 6 months pregnant at 9 months, fully grown baby, both were healthy, had a quick, straightforward birth, was RUNNING two weeks later (not just once, every second day, if not every day), in a bikini a short time later, always happy, baking, socialising.

I have birth five months before her, had a difficult birth, got thyroid problem that left me unable to do ANYTHING, never mind socialise and run! I tried not to be, but found it hard not to be jealous. It wasn't until about a year later that she let slip a few time show difficult she found motherhood at the beginning. I had talked about it from my side, but she never said anything.

It is hard to see it look so easy for someone else, even though you're happy for them not to be having a difficult time. It's really not always quote as it seems though.

BlackeyedSusan · 01/12/2013 23:33

my really, rreally hard work baby turned into a delightful toddler and easy going child.

the easy baby was a difficult toddler.

5 days is too soon to judge.

bubalou · 01/12/2013 23:40

Can I say just wait.

I was one of these, although we too had a bad 1st week due to tongue tie issue I was into my old jeans in no time and was out with him all the time. 3 days after birth my tummy was so flat & i had put on no weight during pregnancy.

6 months later I was lonely as no other friends had dc and I hated mums clubs / meetings so refused to go. I weighed 1.5 stone more then after giving birth.

Be happy for get and know that the roles will likely be reversed one day. X

bellybuttonfairy · 01/12/2013 23:52

Pah, it doesnt matter how she is doing. Have a look at your baby and smugly smile at how much lovelier she is....!

Anyfuckerisnotguilty · 01/12/2013 23:55

A lot of people pretend to cope a lot better than they do op

But even if she's finding it a breeze
I can understand why you would feel you got a rough deal
But I think you know it's not her fault

Hopefully things will get easier for you now

Retroformica · 02/12/2013 00:07

I predict she will gave a tricky second and your seconds will be a piece of cake.

Spongingbobsunderpants · 02/12/2013 00:18

If I had had dd2 first, then I probably would have been like your friend. Even now, when it's just me and her, it's a breeze. However, I had ds1 first - he was, from the start, a difficult feeder, cried all the time, and just generally 'more'. He is 4 now - and very funny, talented and quirkily bright, but still 'more'. He went through terrible phases of hitting and being incredibly difficult - so much so, that when I found out I was pg with dd2, I thought I wouldn't cope with 2. I think some kids are just more intense and require more effort. However, I firmly believe that the more you are forced to confront hard parenting early on, the better a parent you will be long term. I have utter conviction that my hard work is paying off - not all the time, but the moments when "oh what a lovely son you have" happen are starting to outweigh the disapproving tuts...!

A close family friend's son was a total nightmare as a kid but is now one of the loveliest and funniest people I know - he also happens to be a very successful comedian so here's hoping for my boy...

Bodicea · 02/12/2013 08:40

Everyone has different paths to follow. For one thing the fact you were lucky enough to get pregnant and have a healthy baby is a blessing compared to some people.
I had a relatively easy pregnancy and my baby is a good sleeper but I had a difficult birth. And it took two miscarriages first before I got to this stage.
But I count my chickens, my friend has been trying for ages and can't get pregnant - I know which problems I would rather have had.
You never know she might have a really difficult toddler. A fried of mine had the easiest babies ever but her toddlers are seriously high maintenance!! It's exhausting being with them for even a few hours.

VomitingVeronica · 02/12/2013 08:48

I've been there, and I knew it wasn't reasonable but that didn't change my emotions. Two babies with horrendous, drugged up to their eye balls, reflux and I felt and still feel cheated of the baby experience. Others had their babies sleeping for 3hr stretches and could feed in public without the looks and comments. We bottle fed both and people kept making comments about both not being hungry but they were, it just hurt too much so they cried. I was desperately envious of my sibling whose baby fed beautifully, slept like a dream and neither they nor their partner had any ability to understand why we were so careful about where we were when we needed to feed, were so sleep deprived, couldn't safely drive etc. I wouldn't wish what we have been through on anyone but I wish that they would understand. I also wouldn't change my children for anything but it has been a bloody tough road for all of us.

cantthinkofagoodone · 02/12/2013 09:01

Ds is 18 months old and I still get jealous of easy babies! The good news is that toddlerhood is easy in comparison but I'm scared of anymore babies in case they are the same or worse than ds.

Hope your baby turns the corner soon. It's all about survival until then!

jenniferlawrence · 02/12/2013 09:53

Your friend's tough time might still be to come. My lowest point was when my baby was 4 weeks old.

DeWe · 02/12/2013 11:01

With all of mine I weighed less 5 days after birth than I did 5 days before conception. And could fit back into my clothes too...
However that was due to constant morning sickness from the beginning to the end... well about 1 hour after birth anyway.
I felt fantastic at 5 days simply because I no longer felt sick.

Ham69 · 02/12/2013 11:09

Op.
My DC were horrific sleepers, terrible eaters, tongue tied and I couldn't ever put them down or let someone else hold them. They would scream and scream!
They are now 7 and 4. They go straight to bed with no arguing, always sleep through, are doing really well at school and are very polite, happy and easygoing children.
Just take a day at a time and don't worry about these 'easy' babies. Things soon turn around.

EssexGurl · 02/12/2013 11:33

I was back in my jeans after 5 days. I was already struggling with my baby's not letting people know.

At 5 months I was being assessed by drs, social workers, psychiatrists etc on whether to section me.

Don't judge.

Cakecrumbsinmybra · 02/12/2013 12:32

Wow, there are such amazing stories on here that just show you that you should never, ever think that you know what is going on in other people's lives and that you should never compare yourself. Focus on your new baby and taking each day at a time. Be thankful and know that it all passes.

I was more like you than your friend - awful birth, trouble bfing, etc etc. 7 years on, does it matter? No.

SicknSpan · 02/12/2013 12:53

If she is your friend, I am sure that in reality you are really pleased for her having an easier time than you. Because friends only want good things for each other, right? A lot of this is about perception I guess. Other people may have had many of the experiences you had but did not consider it a tough time. Others would go through a lot less and consider it a nightmare. Not to say that those things aren't hard though- gosh aren't they! Do hope things settle down for you op.

If she is having a great time, then fab! Please don't resent her. Or do it inwardly knowing that it's quite unreasonable to do so. Some people have a shit time. Some people have a fab time. Neither will get the opportunity to walk in the others shoes though so will never know how "real" the picture is.

Hope things improve for you, and your friend continues to have what seems so far to be an easy ride. Wouldn't we all wish our friends whom we love could have a trouble free ride?

MiaowTheCat · 02/12/2013 13:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FantasticMax · 02/12/2013 13:59

YABU for feeling jealous, but as others have said, you don't really know what's going on in her head. I was a bit like you, difficult birth, struggled for months and found it difficult to bond with my DD, she also had reflux and was a screamer. She's now 23 months and is (usually) a delight. But it's still bloody difficult at times.

People all around me are either pg with no.2 or have already had their second baby. I just can't go through it again and would be genuinely horrified at the thought of getting pregnant right now. This makes me sad obviously but I just have to get on with it and feel blessed for the child I do have.

It will get better though. Good luck.

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