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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

who is being unreasonable?

146 replies

haroldsfakebluetits · 28/05/2015 20:08

And if neither of us are unreasonable how do we resolve fairly?

Pregnant with no2. Last baby.

DH doesn't want to know the sex. I do. We didn't find out last time. We both feel strongly on where we stand right now and both have valid reasonings. But neither of us are budging this time (he didn't want to know last time and I eventually agreed)

How do we resolve this. He isn't happy with me knowing and him not so I'm stumped as to how to move forward..

OP posts:
MangoBiscuit · 29/05/2015 17:31

Sorry you're going through this OP. Do you know why this is so important to him? I think he's BU, but as you've said he isn't usually like this, I'm wondering what's prompted the extreme reaction this time. If it's just tradition then I think that's a shite reason.

Imagine you're having dinner at someone's house, and it's their "tradition" or house rule, that you don't cough at the table. Your DH gets a tickle in the back of his throat half way through the meal, but he's not allowed to cough, because it's tradition. He doesn't technically NEED to cough, it's just a tickle, he won't die, but it probably FEELS like he really, really needs to. Of course, he could just excuse himself, and go and politely cough in private, away from the table, but you don't need to cough, so you tell him he's not allowed to either. Hmm

WindMeUpAndLetMeGo · 29/05/2015 17:42

If you go ahead and find out without him knowing he will find out, probably by your reaction at the birth. If not before if you buy something boy/girl coloured themed etc. Weigh up if it's worth it.

sykadelic · 29/05/2015 17:42

I'm wondering perhaps if he feels disconnected from the baby? That the reason he doesn't want you to know either is because you knowing something he doesn't is yet another thing about the baby that he doesn't know/can't experience that you can?

Is it a weird sort of jealousy that you have all the control when it comes to the baby making side of things? You grow, you birth, you feed etc etc. Or than men aren't as celebrated as the woman having the child?

Or is it, as you queried earlier, that he realises he has no say and that you can, and probably will, do what you want.

You said he had never experienced mental health issues until you miscarried and had the depressive episode. You said he found that "vvv hard", but then you also said when you tried to explain your position "he got frustrated and said I was making him feel guilty 'just like with the miscarriage'". It reads to me like he thinks you are trying to emotionally manipulate him, and that he doesn't think you're emotionally sound at the moment. That alone should help him see that you're "different" from the last pregnancy and need help this time.

My sister had bad PND following the birth of her first born, so much so that there were steps in place to monitor her with the second baby. We were all on high alert making sure we were careful to spot the signs and not upset her (even when she was being irrational). I think your husband needs to speak to someone to understand the risks here.

Your prior depressive episode surrounding a pregnancy is cause for concern. It shouldn’t mean that you get to do or say whatever you want, but you know your body and you feel this will help. Perhaps instead you could concede that you need to talk to someone and that you think he should to because of your feelings surrounding the miscarriage and this pregnancy. And yes, sure, you’re hormonal, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t really feeling these feelings or that you’re really not at risk here.

haroldsfakebluetits · 29/05/2015 18:45

It's possible he too feels disconnected, although with dd he barely mentioned it until I was 20 weeks (i don't think he could get his head around it!) Whereas this time he was practically shouting it from the rooftops before the dye had dried on the stick!

He's just offered me up a cuddle and a takeaway but I'm getting a feeling that he definitely doesn't wish to discuss it...

OP posts:
ferretyfeet · 29/05/2015 18:54

Tell your husband to grow up,I have never heard anything so daft in my life

maddening · 29/05/2015 19:13

A - this is hardly a long held over many generations tradition as sonography is relatively young - I am 37 and my parents didn't have an option to find out or not as there was no sonography at least in the town they lived in then.

B - as the person that has to carry the baby in and then extricate from their body which is no mean feat then you have every right to find out - so far and till the point the baby is born you have and will invest more than he to your joint baby - the least he could do is allow your choices without sulking or acting a twat about it

TheNumberfaker · 29/05/2015 19:23

I feel for you OP. I had the same problem - we didn't find out with our first. Everyone said it must be a boy because baby was all out front. I was in shock for a few days when DD1 finally popped out! DH didn't want to find out again with number two but somehow I managed to win him round. We agreed to find out but just keep it to ourselves. I only told one friend and she didn't tell a soul, it was such a relief to be able to talk about it. I'm so glad we did find out as DD2 had a condition that is predominantly in boys so it would have been a huge shock again if we hadn't already known that it was a girl.
Put your foot down, he had his way last time and it is your body!

AmyElliotDunne · 29/05/2015 19:24

I don't know how old you are op, but really, how long standing is this tradition of his family? I don't know when scans were first introduced, but we can only be talking about one generation here surely? His grandma for example wouldn't have had the option to find out and if you're anything near my age (I presume you're a bit younger) his parents would be borderline too.

AmyElliotDunne · 29/05/2015 19:26

Sorry clam, just seen that you made the same point. Had read 4 pages and waded in!

AmyElliotDunne · 29/05/2015 19:26

And now maddening too. Great minds...Grin

GatoradeMeBitch · 29/05/2015 19:27

That's a very good point maddening - family tradition? Were his family refusing gender reveals in the 1800s? No.

It's true women have to do pretty much everything to bring the children into the world, therefore if a man is reasonable he should do all he can to make his partner comfortable. If he can't do that he should at least be able to scrape together some basic decency and not make things harder for her.

There is only YOUR family and YOUR traditions, and you have an equal say in those traditions, just as he should have an equal say in the children, once they are living independently from your body.

worridmum · 29/05/2015 19:31

but if you find out the gender of the bady will you be able to keep it secert from everyone else? otherwise you with be shitting on your partners wishes completely as its one thing to want to know the babys gender and its competely different to start telling people the baby gender.

So I am all for you finding out the gender of the baby but you would totally YABU if you find out and start telling people about it

AliceScarlett · 29/05/2015 19:33

What maddening said.

Totality22 · 29/05/2015 19:33

Not read the whole thread but I think hubby is BU.

He had his choice last time, now it's your turn OP.

We didn't find out first time (my choice) and did second time (OH's choice - although I did have a slight gender preference second time so by time we had 20w scan, I had come round to the idea of finding out)

CycleChic · 29/05/2015 19:49

He's just got home and there's still an air. I can't decide whether to approach it again and see if he tells me the truth since there's obviously more to this, or just leave it completely and go ahead with my own plan anyways. I really don't want another argument!

Don't bring it up again! A cuddle and a takeaway sound good, and at a push, discussing the air, but not the specific "do we find out the sex or not?" question!

You can, however, investigate whether his feelings re mental illness have changed, and try to get him to understand and support you in other ways... and try to support him, too. (since you'd said that you thought his controlling behaviour was maybe down to him feeling out of control?)

Shelby2010 · 29/05/2015 21:28

I dont think you should have an extra scan to find out the sex, instead let it lie until your 20 week scan & see if there is anything unmissable at that point. As another poster pointed out, you will probably feel more connected to the baby once you feel movements. But if you don't see anything at the 20 week scan & still want to find out then I think it's your decision.

We found out with DD2 partly because it stopped everyone asking DD1 whether she wanted a brother or a sister - like she had the choice!

I would also question whether none of his siblings or cousins found out, or if they just decided not to tell anyone. I know several couples who found out themselves but didn't want to tell anyone else, in which case 'we don't know' is a more acceptable response than 'yes, we do know the sex, but we're not telling'.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy Smile

Haroldsfakebluetits · 19/06/2015 21:17

I know everyone loves an update.

I asked dh to step out. He chose to stay.

We are having a healthy baby boy! And he is completely ecstatic and despite asking me if we could keep it a secret he blabbed to his family within the hour. They are all chuffed.

Mil and fil adamant they don't want to know. This won't last. Dd is shouting it from the roof tops Grin

OP posts:
GatoradeMeBitch · 19/06/2015 21:34

I hope your DH is a tiny bit embarrassed of himself for making such a fuss, but I'm very pleased for you both that it all turned out well. Congratulations!

Topseyt · 19/06/2015 21:56

Congratulations. I followed the thread originally and had a bet with myself that you would find out and your DH would capitulate ..... and so it turned out. Smile

haroldsfakebluetits · 20/06/2015 07:27

Oh he is. He can see he was making a huge fuss over nothing now. Though he only admitted it very very quietly Grin

OP posts:
haroldsfakebluetits · 20/06/2015 07:28

Also, I'm feeling baby move every day now and I just feel so much better. Thank you all for your prior support.

OP posts:
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