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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Am I being unreasonable?

194 replies

Cowapjn · 03/07/2014 22:13

Split up with the ex 3 or so months ago.
She gave birth to our daughter 3 weeks and 1 day ago.
Nobody on my side friends and family have met my daughter yet.
She at first said she wasn't up to going out but now she's fine.
I've asked can the baby come to mine next Wednesday when she will be 4 weeks old to finally meet everyone on my side.
She said no,
I asked why and she can't answer.
She has no plans. I fact she could probably do amy day next week. I just randomly picked Wednesday.
I think she being really difficult.
She has been out a lot now with the baby.
I think it's it's so sad how nobody on my side has yet to meet my little girl :o( I want to show her off to everyone but I can't.

I'm not asking her to leave me alone with the baby. She can be there too! Nobody is going to be off with her and make it awkward, everyone that comes will talk to her.

Thanks guys

OP posts:
ApocalypseThen · 05/07/2014 00:21

I just do not understand why you can't speak to your mother about contacting your ex. I imagine that if your mother made any effort at all, your ex might feel better about coming over. Personally, I wouldn't feel great about the idea of going over to my exes to be bombarded by people who cut me off for seven months no matter what, but she gave birth to their grandchild and they have done nothing? And you wonder why she doesn't want to subject herself to that?

ModernUrbanSnowman · 05/07/2014 00:33

Slow down. Step back. Wait and enjoy what you can, when you can.

I've never known anyone to get a positive response to saying a woman is/was hormonal.

Things may improve, may not. If they do, great - problem solved. You can look back later and laugh at how crazy and emotionally stirred up you both were. If they don't, you stand a better chance of formal support with an older child.

Focus on your growing bond with your kid. As your ex becomes more confident of the loveing nature of that relationship she may relax a little.

Your friends etc may have to accept photos and you boring them half to death ;0) with baby stories for now. If you push too hard you risk losing everything.

You are possibly being unreasonable. Too hard to judge from text and only one side's viewpoint.

AlpacaLypse · 05/07/2014 00:54

Have just shot through thread from the point where I last posted a couple of days ago.

One thing I'm not sure anyone else has picked up on is that OP feels his ex has been happy to show their dd off to loads of HER family/friends so why shouldn't she be ok to show her off to his?

But I'm thinking ex-GF has been so utterly knackered by being (possibly) hassled into showing off baby to her side of the family that she really and truly is too exhausted to handle the OP's quite reasonable wish to introduce their daughter to his side of her extended family.

Hang on in there OP. It does sound like there's goodwill on both sides to try and make a healthy long term relationship between the three of you.

Cowapjn · 05/07/2014 02:06

Thankyou AlpacaLypse!

ApocalypseThen I do actually feel a bit ashamed by the fact that my mum has taken a step back and chose not to get involved. she bought the baby a 70 baby rocker and 50 baby bag but thats all. No clothes, teddys etc. She never facebooks or texts my ex asking how she is getting on and it comes across like shes not bothered. She is botherd. She just doesnt want to go around to the ex's dads due to my experiences and also doesnt want to get attached to the baby for then to be declined access.
My said to my mum yesterday i think my ex may not want to see her and my mum assured me she will be fine around my ex and chat away like i knew she would.

Its just saddening that none of my family what so ever (bar my mums 5 minutes) have met my 4 week old daughter and none of my friends have when all of the exs family and friends have met her.

OP posts:
diddl · 05/07/2014 08:11

You sound a bit too focussed on wanting your side to see baby because her side has!

I'd concentrate on your own relationship with your baby & her mother tbh.

Galvanized · 05/07/2014 08:26

At 4 weeks most of my friends and family hadn't met our newborn. It's early days, take it step by step, you have the child's lifetime for her to get to know everyone!

Droflove · 05/07/2014 08:30

Fathers have very few rights (in reality) and for some reason society behaves as if mums own kids. Sounds like you have tried to be respectful and understanding of the initial weeks after labour and delivery which quite frankly can be very tough on a mum, but I suspect you are going to need to get a solicitor and start action on seeking custody. just be careful to keep your temper at all times with the mum, dont get drawn into unreasonable behaviour no matter how frustrated you are, have the right set up and environment for a baby, and stay in its life as much as possible to show the courts you are a positive force in babies life. Best of luck.

BreakOutTheKaraoke · 05/07/2014 08:32

If you're mum says she's going to be fine when she sees her, then she needs to prove it by getting off her arse and going round. In your exes position, I would be thinking that if they can't be bothered to make the effort, then there is no way I would teach my baby to run around after them. Your friends and other family aren't important yet, if even your parents can't be bothered. To be honest, it wuld make me very petty and I would be putting it off until I'd actually seen a bit of effort from them.

As for seeing the baby at her dads, it may be uncomfortable for you, but suck it up. She is happy there, your daughter is happy there, that should make you feel grateful that they are extending their home to your daughter, and you are welcome to visit.

You need to focus on YOUR visits to the baby. How often are you seeing her? The ex probably feels like he doesn't know if you can care for the baby, and won't let you go until she knows her daughter is safe. It might not be for a while yet, which is fine, to be honest- the baby is used to been with her mum, and needs her around. Do you take over care completely while you are with her? By making her bottle as well as feeding her, washing and sterilising them when finished, changing bums, bathing her, clearing up all the stuff playing, putting her down when she needs it as well as picking her up? Or do you just sit around cuddling her? I would work on the ex being happy to leave the room and leave you to it first, before taking her out.

Droflove · 05/07/2014 08:34

Actually hold off a little longer to see if things improve as other posters advised but do start learning what your rights are and trying to position yourself for custody later. Once you start the legal route, things tend to turn nasty so be aware of that.

Inertia · 05/07/2014 09:08

You're not coming across well here. It looks like foot stamping and sulking and not-fair-ing , and it's all about what you and your family want instead of what's best for the baby.

You refuse to take friends and family to the home of your baby and your ex-partner because you feel uncomfortable there. Yet you are demanding that your ex must bring the baby into a household where she feels uncomfortable and unwanted, for the baby to be passed around 10 people at a time. Can you really not see the irony here ? You are seeing your arse because your ex won't do something that you have refused to do. At best you appear petulant ; at worst, controlling.

By the way, seeing people in your own home is not the same as seeing visitors in your own home. As you weren't involved in the actual birth and subsequent recovery, you have been shielded from the physical realities facing your ex. She might well still be bleeding heavily, and not want to have to change pads and clothing in your mother's house with 10 people all wanting to use the bathroom. She might be recovering from painful tearing around her vagina, or have piles, or still recovering from a c-section if she had one - if so the thought of having to stand or sit on the floor for hours might be worrying her. We don't know how long the baby has been bottle fed, or whether that's exclusive - your ex might well have painful and leaking breasts. She is almost certainly exhausted from lack of sleep. She quite possibly finds it very difficult to cope with any separation from her baby - many women have a physical reaction to being apart from their newborn, even when the baby is with a trusted relative. And that is due to hormones - evolution has ensured that new mothers have a strong urge to protect their child above all else. With this in mind , don't you think it's reasonable to understand that having to cope with all this when feeling unwelcome in a potentially intimidating household might be too much for your ex ?

Your best bet might be to suggest that you gradually introduce your family and friends to the baby , either in the baby's home or in a neutral environment like a cafe or restaurant. There's no reason why everyone in your family has to meet the baby at the same time on your turf ( unless you were hoping for some kind of hero-worship party where all your family and friends are on hand to admire your masculinity).

It's great that you want to build a relationship with your child, and that you are happy to be a supportive father. Please don't undo all your gpod work by being unreasonably demanding now.

Inertia · 05/07/2014 09:17

Droflove - in the UK at least, it's the child that has rights. Both parents have responsibilities to ensure that the child's needs are met. Society generally tries to ensure that children continue to have stability of care with the most appropriate parent- statically that's more likely to be the mother as the mother is often the primary carer.

Inertia · 05/07/2014 09:18

Droflove - in the UK at least, it's the child that has rights. Both parents have responsibilities to ensure that the child's needs are met. Society generally tries to ensure that children continue to have stability of care with the most appropriate parent- statically that's more likely to be the mother as the mother is often the primary carer.

NickiFury · 05/07/2014 09:31

Why don't your parents get off their arses and go round to hers?! There are chances for them to see their grandchild but they aren't taking them for whatever petty reason.

I wouldn't want to go to my exes house with a big gang of his relatives either tbh so I don't blame her for that.

Quite frankly I would find it hard to take into account the feelings of people who weren't interested in my pregnancy and who won't put themselves out to come and see my child.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 05/07/2014 09:33

The only rights anyone (quite rightly) gives a stuff about are the babies

MiscellaneousAssortment · 05/07/2014 09:54

Slow down. Calm down.

Why dont you ask her why she doesn't want to see you on her own / go to relatives houses / leave baby alone with you. Not in an accusatory way, but in a real, listening way.

And stop dismissing her feelings and what she's going through. She may have a totally different perception from you - and just dismissing this will not resolve things. You say she will feel fine with all your relatives - does She think that or are you not listening to her fears and concerns? You say your mother went to the hospital without asking or warning the day the baby was born - do you know how that would have come across? To a vulnerable woman in those very first few hours. Don't dismiss the impact this will have had on the mother of your child. There isn't one 'right' way to see the situation, and just because you feel you 'know' things, doesn't mean to say she either 'knows' the same things.

Ignoring her feelings will just make everything worse and prove to her that she can't trust you to make decisions in her (& therefore the newborn babies) best interests. Maybe she is being quite unconstructive and mean - but we can't tell either way. But even if she is, the 'listen to what she wants and be supportive' idea is the only one that won't leave you in a very difficult and acrimonious situation.

I think you are having a really hard time, and I don't quite understand why you think you're getting back together when everything you describe is of a woman who is backing away and not wanting to engage with you.

Saying you think things are better at the same time as wanting to get a solicitor involved really doesn't make sense. I can see how upsetting this all is for you and that your feelings are all over the place. Hers will be too.

Try and engage her in a calm and caring conversation, and really listen to what she is telling you,,,

Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses · 05/07/2014 10:38

Ffs!
I remember your last thread. You were upset that The X hadnt got you a Father's Day card 2 days after shoving a person out of her foof. Tbh, you sound quite difficult to me.

At 4 weeks, NO ONE who didn't manage couldn't be arsed to actually come round and see me, had met the baby.
Now and then, if we'd had a good night, or I was feeling particularly well, we might nip out somewhere - but only on MY terms, where I wanted to go, for a duration that I felt comfortable with.

If my husband had suggested going to parade the baby to 8-10 people in someone else's house (not that he would) then I also would have refused without feeling the need to be explaining myself.

A newborn very much belongs to the mother alone.

Take your time.

Be patient and helpful.

Accept any contact without kicking your toys out of the pram because its not exactly how you'd want it.

Tbh you had LOADS of good advice on the last thread which you don't seem to have taken on so I'm not sure if this is a waste of time. But just try, really try to consider your ex's feelings here.

Exhibiting her and the baby to a roomful of people is in no ones best interests except yours and the visitors. Your ex will feel v uncomfortable at best and the baby will neither know not care what's going on.

ApocalypseThen · 05/07/2014 10:45

She never facebooks or texts my ex asking how she is getting on and it comes across like shes not bothered.

This is, to be honest, the part I'd be trying to sort out right now.

Other than that, ignore her family. If they're being awful to you, don't let it put you off. This is not the hardest challenge you're going to encounter as a dad. You've got to toughen up for your daughter.

sashh · 05/07/2014 10:52

There has always been someone there like the ex's parents or sister which makes me feel I can't relax and enjoy my time with her plus as you can imagine they arnt very welcoming.

Now add to that not sleeping, sore boobs, sore genitals, fatigue, feeling fat and hormones all over the place.

And you want her to go in to a room with 8/10 people?

Yes you do absolutely have a right to see your dd but can't you see how difficult this could be for her?

And as for you taking her for a half hour walk - read the PFB thread.

diddl · 05/07/2014 10:56

But she lives with her parents, dpesn't she?

Is that the reason that there's always someone there?

It would be nice if the three of you could go out for a walk together, of course.

justanotherbiscuit · 05/07/2014 11:12

I am so surprised at people thinking the op is being unreasonable. He is this babys dad, and if true what he's posting is trying to be a very good one. He's making an effort, a lot don't!

It doesn't sound as though he's overwhelming the Mum at all.

I completly agree that when you give birth it's natural to want just calm and small crowds. I camped at home without leaving for over 2 weeks and then arranged small visits etc.

But it sounds as though the Mum is maybe trying to be difficult.

Op ask for the first visit to be only 2 people ( your parents for example) rather than 8-10 . I know you and your family must be pining to meet baby but ease the visits at first to help the Mum with any worries and anxieties.

I hope it all works out for both of you.

justanotherbiscuit · 05/07/2014 11:27

sorry op, I've just noticed that your parents are welcome to visit at the mums house, but won't as they feel uncomfortable.

Your parents are being unreasonable. That is where their granddaughter lives and that's where they should visit.

Cowapjn · 05/07/2014 14:23

My parents refuse to go round to where the ex is living with her dad and step mother due to the horrible experiences I've had when visiting their home.
Why do some people on here not understand that being in a room with people that do not like you, make it extremely obvious that they don't like you, are unwelcoming and ignorent, talk to you in a very abrupt way oh and also I nearly had my eye taken out by the stepmother. Am I really expected for that to with the baby to be quality relaxing bonding time? And upon telling my parents of my experiences, they refuse to go and be subjected to the same treatment and which would also mean their time with the baby wouldn't be relaxing and quality bonding time?

I even asked the ex that if I must visit her dads, can we at least go in a separate room with the babe. Answer - no.

On the 3 occasions I was with the baby away from the ex's dad and step mum, I'm completely different with the baby. I relax, enjoy my time and talk to her in a silly voice! Things like that.

The ex knows my mum and dad will be completely fine with her, not be ignorent, unwelcoming and abusive.

How anyone can say my 4 week old baby daughter has not yet any of my immediate family, extended family and friends and say there are no problems with that what so ever is beyond me. Provided that when I ask why the baby can't come to mine why some people visit she can't answer which will obviously lead me to think she is being awkward!

When will anybody on my sod ever meet my daughter? We'll how long is a piece of string?

OP posts:
Cowapjn · 05/07/2014 14:24

Apologies for poor spelling. I've just awoken after working a 12 hour night shift!

OP posts:
ApocalypseThen · 05/07/2014 14:34

I do not understand why you insist that your ex knows that people who haven't even bothered to text her when she have birth to their grandchild a while month ago would be fine with her. Their own grandchild! A text would take less than 15 seconds! And they can't even be arsed to do that little thing, but she should go along to be ambushed by them!

diddl · 05/07/2014 14:34

"When will anybody on my sod ever meet my daughter?"

When they visit her where she lives??