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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If your DC was born on an older DC birthday.....

122 replies

Babyiwantabump · 11/07/2017 01:06

Who would you expect your DH/OH/BF to spend the majority of the day with? And the day after?

You and the newborn? Or older DC? Or equally shared?

OP posts:
Babyiwantabump · 11/07/2017 01:38

Older DC has other siblings- just newest sibling happened to be born in the same date

OP posts:
steff13 · 11/07/2017 01:38

Arent you supposed to love all your children equally? No one is more or less important than the other?

Blended families are different. It's not about the new baby being less important or less loved, it's about the older child already potentially having to deal with his parents splitting up, THEN getting a stepmother, THEN getting a new sibling on his birthday no less. That's a lot for a 9-year-old, and it's more important to assure him of his place in the family at this point, I think. The newborn has no idea who is there or not there, or whether he is loved or not.

steff13 · 11/07/2017 01:41

So day of birth is less important than birthday? Even though one only happens once and the other every year?

Perhaps not to us as parents, but to the baby, definitely. Do you remember who was there when you were born? The newborn doesn't know it's day of birth, or any of this other stuff. It will know, in a couple of years, about its birthday.

scottishdiem · 11/07/2017 01:43

Hard one. I would expect a new parent to be around and visit on the day of the birth certainly. Exclusively if there has been a party arranged for a 9 year old? Probably not. If you cant be there for a birthday then you are saying they come second best.

Babyiwantabump · 11/07/2017 01:45

Right so , if you were 9 yo mother - you would let their dad spend time with them on their birthday?

And let them introduce new sibling ? Or would you make them wait as to not ruin 9yo Birthday?

OP posts:
Babyiwantabump · 11/07/2017 01:47

Basically making 9yo dad pretend that new baby was not born yet .

OP posts:
steff13 · 11/07/2017 01:48

As the mother of the 9-year-old, I would do whatever I thought was best for the 9-year-old.

HoneyIshrunktheBiscuit · 11/07/2017 01:48

make them wait.

No child would be happy about sharing a birthday with a sibling let alone one with a different mum.

The nine year old will care a hell of a lot more than the newborn.

GreenTulips · 11/07/2017 01:50

No child would be happy about sharing a birthday with a sibling

Twins don't count them?

HoneyIshrunktheBiscuit · 11/07/2017 01:52

green slightly different as they have that twin bond.

Very few children would be happy if a younger sibling was born on their birthday. Kids are self-centerd.

steff13 · 11/07/2017 01:52

Twins don't count them?

I actually know a set of adult twins who always resented sharing birthdays. But, that's not really an apt comparison since twins always shared a birthday. They never knew any different.

GreenTulips · 11/07/2017 01:53

You can't hide the fact that the baby has been born - how the child feels must be a reflection of how the news was delivered - did they know it was a possibility? Were they looking forward to a new arrival? Does dad have a lot of contact?

I would expect the father to be their foe the birth and being other children to visit - unless that interrupted party plans - in which case dad should drop by with a gift and card

GreenTulips · 11/07/2017 01:54

Twin bond

LOL

BraveBear · 11/07/2017 02:02

I assume he was with you when the baby was born at least.

If I'm right in understanding that the 9 year old didn't yet know he had a new half-sibling he wouldn't have understood why his DF missed his birthday party. Your newborn was oblivious to it all, it's you who wanted his support which is fair.

But ask yourself honestly whether you needed him there, or if it's that you wanted him to show you that you and the new baby were now more important than his older child?

Just make sure that you have a plan agreed on by all parties for future birthdays!

MyLittlePickleBoo · 11/07/2017 02:03

Is this your first baby, OP? I think people forget that having a baby is a major trauma, both physically and mentally. A lot of women can barely stand or hold their babies straight after delivery. Giving birth is bloody exhausting too, and you would absolutely not be unreasonable to need lots of support in those first hours. It's at that time that you're most vulnerable too and I know I certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone around me but my DH at that time. I tore terribly, my stitches ripped, and I was in so much pain and bleeding everywhere. Baby was pretty much attached to me the whole time trying to breastfeed and I was having trouble getting her to latch so then I got upset, and the whole thing was incredibly emotional. You wouldn't have been unreasonable in the slightest expecting your oh to be with you for as long as needed to comfort you, watch baby to make sure you had some sleep to recover before visiting hours were over (for me those first days in hospital were hell. There's no chance of any sleep and you're already so exhausted from the birth and you're on your own and in pain and barely holding it together!!!) and he should have made sure you were fed, comfortable and ready, physically and mentally, for the following hours where you'd be on your own.
At 9 the child should be old enough to understand that his dad would have to be elsewhere but it didn't mean he didn't care. Hopefully, all things going well during the day there's no reason why the dad couldn't have then spent the evening with his son, possibly nipping back to the hospital before the end of visiting hours to check in and make sure new mum and baby were ok. If handled sensitively there's no reason why that couldn't have worked and lots of fuss being made of the soon then.
On saying that, if the birth was particularly difficult then you may even have been justified in wanting the father there with you the whole day. With my second the gas and air triggered horrific migraines and for the first week I could barely even see my baby, let alone hold or look after him. If my dh has not been there who knows what I would have done!!!

Look, OP. No-one but you understands your needs on that day better than you. If it's a case of you just wanted the father to spend time bonding with the newborn then I absolutely understand how important those first few hours are, but, as awful as it sounds (sorry dads) the most important person in the whole universe to that new baby is their mummy and there's no reason why the father can't catch up on that later in the day and the following days. If you felt like you really needed him around for you then I do feel that's different. What if he were the woman in the relationship and he'd just given birth instead? What the heck would he have done then?? I daresay this is a situation lots of women find themselves in! Blended families are not uncommon these days, and blended or not whenever a new sibling comes along you always have to tread carefully to avoid jealousy. I don't know, I guess there are ways to approach this without having to abandon a new mum and baby or make the step sibling feel pushed out!

I'm sorry you've had to deal with this now though, OP. I have terrible regrets and a little bit of lasting resentment over things that happened to me during those first few days and it can really spoil what should be a momentously happy occasion. Please try to find a way past this so you're not spending your time dwelling on it (easier said than done!) and I hope your oh is making it up to you too if he's been a bit of a twat about it!

MyLittlePickleBoo · 11/07/2017 02:10

Just read your updates. I don't think it's unreasonable for the 9 yo's mum to want to keep news of the baby's birth quiet just for that day. I don't see how that would hurt anyone (other than maybe your feelings, but I think in the interests of the 9 yo's I think they probably trump you on this one, it really isn't the end of the world!!). At least the 9 yo would get to enjoy their birthday and have a whole year getting used to the idea of sharing a birthday with a half sibling.

WillRikersExtraNipple · 11/07/2017 02:15

Right so , if you were 9 yo mother - you would let their dad spend time with them on their birthday? And let them introduce new sibling ? Or would you make them wait as to not ruin 9yo Birthday?

Well if I were the 9 year olds mother I would expect the father to be involved in the party etc (if we were on good terms), to tell the birthday child about the sibling but maybe not to actually introduce them that day...unless the 9 year old specifically really wanted to.

And considering how you worded your query, please don't pretend it's odd that people are asking if you are the mother of the baby. You knew well it looks that way. Hmm
So are you the mother of the 9 year old?

WillRikersExtraNipple · 11/07/2017 02:15

Right so , if you were 9 yo mother - you would let their dad spend time with them on their birthday? And let them introduce new sibling ? Or would you make them wait as to not ruin 9yo Birthday?

Well if I were the 9 year olds mother I would expect the father to be involved in the party etc (if we were on good terms), to tell the birthday child about the sibling but maybe not to actually introduce them that day...unless the 9 year old specifically really wanted to.

And considering how you worded your query, please don't pretend it's odd that people are asking if you are the mother of the baby. You knew well it looks that way. Hmm
So are you the mother of the 9 year old?

steff13 · 11/07/2017 02:22

OMG, is this a reverse?!

SparklyMagpie · 11/07/2017 02:28

I got half way through and thought reverse

steff13 · 11/07/2017 02:29

Ugh

Pikachuwithyourmouthclosed · 11/07/2017 02:29

I've never seen a reverse in the wild before.

notangelinajolie · 11/07/2017 02:38

9 year olds birthday party goes ahead as planned. Father is present. Makes 9 year old feel special and loved. Doesn't make a big announcement during party as that would be taking attention away from 9 year old. Tells 9 year old later in private when party guests have gone home or next morning if it is getting late.

Mother and baby rest in hospital.

Father takes 8 year old to visit baby.

SerfTerf · 11/07/2017 03:07

Would it make a difference if they weren't half siblings? Does being a half sibling automatically make you less important than your older brother / sister etc?

ConfusedHmm

No the difference with full siblings would be that both parents would be equal parents to both children and there wouldn't be an extra parent somewhere to help with the juggle.

Why are you jumping to interpretations about younger half/siblings being less important? Nobody said that.

SerfTerf · 11/07/2017 03:10

How can it be a reverse? She's not said who she is in this hypothetical?

Although it's becoming glaringly clear