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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be a bit upset with my friends?

154 replies

Madammim17 · 11/06/2017 16:43

Fully prepared to be told that I'm being over sensitive here but I just need some perspective really.

I'm the first one in my friendship group to have a baby; DS who is a little over a year old. I'm also a single mum and the father is not involved. My friends have been an excellent source of support and, until recently, I couldn't fault them for anything.
They're great with my son and have been massively supportive and helpful towards me. However, over the last few months, things have started to change and I'm now struggling to not feel upset about it.

My friends and I are all in a group chat so that it takes just two seconds to let everyone know if something's happening and we can meet etc. I choose my occasions wisely and obviously specific events such as a birthday would take priority over a night down the pub, and anything overnight is a no no, so naturally I'm fine with missing out on things in those circumstances. Plus we all quite enjoy nights in with board games and movies etc so there's been plenty of nights in at mine when the baby is asleep so I've been lucky in still being able to have a social life and such. But recently I've stopped being invited to a lot of things, and not the usual Friday night down the pub things but daytime events that there isn't really any reason to not invite me to, aside from they just don't want me there. The latest being on the bank holiday weekend, on the Saturday we were at a friend's birthday and those of us who were available agreed to do something on the Sunday. I sent a couple of messages to ask what people felt like doing and received no reply, only to later find out that they'd all 'coincidentally' bumped into each other on the way to get their cars and decided to go to a nearby town (ten minute drive) for lunch and it was all very last minute etc, and they didn't seem to see the problem that I had effectively been left sat at home wondering why nobody was answering me.

I know it probably sounds pathetic but it's happening with more and more frequency; when I'm at things, they don't really treat me any differently to how they always have so I don't really understand it. When it comes to events, I would suggest something like going to the cinema or for lunch or a picnic, nobody will reply except my best friend who is the only one who isn't doing any of this, but when somebody mentions anything else they'll reply even if it's just to say no. Or it'll be a case of where everyone will suggest something and they'll all agree to the thing I can't go to, which again is fine on occasions but it's nearly every time now and it's just starting to feel a bit unfair. I've mentioned it a little bit and have just been met with comments that I'm overreacting or that it's not true and because they all say that, I don't know what to think anymore.

I appreciate they're all young and without commitments and that I'm the one with the baby so essentially it's my problem and I swear that most of the time, it really hasn't bothered me, but it's just building up now and I can't help but feel really upset and left out, and actually quite hurt especially because they've been so great up until now. I'm usually an assertive and confident person in these situations but this has really made me feel vulnerable and lacking in confidence. My best friend is moving away in September, only London but it's still quite far and I'm just dreading what things will be like. So AIBU?

Sorry this is so long, but any advice or kicks up the ass would be great.

OP posts:
Notevenwensleydale · 13/06/2017 15:51

Sorry you're getting a hard time OP. Personally, IMO if the reason they're leaving you it is coz you sometimes take your baby with you and they don't like it- they're not true friends. I'm the first of my friends to have a baby also, and I've always felt very conscious of this, I've often said to them how I don't want them to think of me as a baby bore! They've always told me not to be so stupid and it is very obvious that all of my close friends idolise my little boy (and not all of them are 'baby' people!)
I don't think people who would deliberately leave you out because of your baby are proper friends- it will be interesting to see what they do when they become parents themselves!
I'd leave them to it. Try and get chatting with some Mums at toddler groups Smile Hope you're okay Flowers

Whatsername17 · 13/06/2017 16:05

I'm sorry your friends are being crap. If it's any consolation, I went through something similar. Then another friend had a baby and the same happened to her. She then apologised that she'd been so thoughtless because she felt really hurt that her own child was excluded and unwelcome.

Madammim17 · 13/06/2017 19:49

Cuppaoftea I'm not trying to force them to say that, I would just like one of them to tell me what the issue is which I don't think is an unreasonable thing to expect from my friends.

Fab018 Of course I would, and I've given them the chance to do so before so why they didn't say anything then if there is a problem confuses me.

Notevenwensleydale thank you. Yeah that's pretty much what my friends were like from the start and it's still very much like that when we're together, and I don't think that comes from 'forcing' it upon them or anything like that, it's just how it's been since the start until now.

Whatsername27 thank you for your comment, nice to know that it's possible for people to come around.

OP posts:
Lovelymess · 13/06/2017 20:49

YANBU. Unfortunately it's fairly common when your the first in a group. Happened to me too! Go to some groups and find some "mummy friends" too xxx

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