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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Partner wants to go camping 6 days after dd2 is born

174 replies

tbear101 · 22/07/2018 17:01

He has been invited on a night out to go camping, about an hour away. He hasn't even told his friends that his partner is due another baby and so won't be able to go Angry aibu?

OP posts:
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 23/07/2018 01:28

He sounds absolutely foul, OP.
I realise that you have no one else and have 2 children with him, as well as your other son, but realistically he thinks he can do what he likes and you'll just suck it up.
You should not marry this man, it will not go well.
Are you his FB friend? Can you post something on his wall about how excited you are to be seeing your new DD soon?

Mind you, if they're all 19/20, they might not realise that a c-section plus 2 small DC to care for would be any level of work at all - they might know someone like the umbongo one upthread, or the one who managed to get up and do everything 2h after having a c-section (which isn't that clever, it's major abdominal surgery and should be taken care of) and think it's just a walk in the park and nothing to worry about. So I wouldn't bank on any of them thinking he should stay home with you!

I'd start planning to leave him in all honesty. He can't "take your DDs", especially not the new baby, especially not if you're breastfeeding her.
Get some legal advice somehow and plan to leave.

TheSerenDipitY · 23/07/2018 02:46

wow they must work fast in the UK, up 2 hours after having a shower?? i wasn't even back from recovery at the two hour mark and i was still completely numb a long time after i got rolled back to my room and they wouldn't take the catheter out until the next day ( or even remove the drip so i could move about a little more freely)
makes you wonder if the care was extremely sub standard, i would be looking in to that if i was you, 2 hours isn't even enough time for the drugs to wear off and to ensure that you wouldn't get faint or have a dizzy spell... very irresponsible or them to allow that

AjasLipstick · 23/07/2018 03:08

Well it's obvious. He really wishes he could go and is reluctant to kiss the idea goodbye because it's more comfortable to live in the fantasy of the idea than to be honest.

AltheaorDonna · 23/07/2018 03:45

I was still in hospital until day 8 , after my C-section went more than a bit tits up. They did give me a lovely morphine button and a few pints of blood though. I am certainly not a cool wife, I needed my husband home to look after me and the baby after giving birth, and he wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. Unfortunately you're guy sounds like a useless man child, you'd be mad to marry him, it will end in tears.

AgentJohnson · 23/07/2018 04:49

You’ve been pregnant for half of your relationship and he has difficulties telling people, you don’t sound particularly integrated into his life. Why haven’t you called him out on his obvious bullshit? He doesn’t sound old enough to be a father to three kids.

TheNoodlesIncident · 23/07/2018 07:17

OP your self-esteem must be rock bottom if this doesn't seem like a hideous set up to you. Your partner has no respect for you as a person, never mind the mother of his children. He sounds like he's not interested in family at all and I'm betting that he didn't tell anyone that you were pregnant til 25 weeks because there was the chance you could MC and "save him the bother" of telling people.

This is not how relationships are supposed to be. Your partner should make you (and your dc) feel safe, secure, wanted, cherished. Does he do that? Like, ever..?

You deserve better than this. Your children deserve better.

lapenguin · 23/07/2018 07:18

Tbh he sounds too immature to take them from you, even if he some how did I'm sure he would see how much work they are and how he can't just go off camping with a bunch of teenagers, especially with a newborn. He sounds manipulative. Get some advice, send him camping and make sure he can't get back in or that you are somewhere safer.

Minniemountain · 23/07/2018 07:35

I can't believe he hasn't even told his friends about his step-son Shock

Shitonthebloodything · 23/07/2018 07:44

Op this is really bad.
You deserve better than to be with a partner who's ashamed of you and your children, who threatens you, who seems to enjoy keeping your self esteem as low as possible to suit himself.
It's not right, it's not normal.
He is controlling, he is manipulating you.
You are very young, it's ok that you made a few mistakes when you were even younger, nobody gets to hold that against you for the rest of your life.
Please don't sign your self up to a lifetime of this or a messy divorce.
Get your ducks in a row now. When is the baby due?

ProfessorMoody · 23/07/2018 07:48

Do you have parents, OP?

Livinglavidal0ca · 23/07/2018 08:04

OP at the beginning of your thread I just thought cor what a tool, then it just got weirder and weirder. He won’t be taking your children, I think you should up and leave first if I’m honest.

You sound scared of him, and he sounds quite manipulative and I don’t want to throw the word abusive around, but I think that might be what’s going on here.

C0untDucku1a · 23/07/2018 08:20

This is an abusive man op. What’s the living situation?

Btw what contraception failed?

Branleuse · 23/07/2018 08:42

I must say that i agree, he doesnt sound weird. He sounds like a total cliche.

You need to get out as soon as youre able really x

tbear101 · 23/07/2018 09:06

Thank you for all your comments,
I genuinely do not think I'm in an abusive relationship.
Baby is due in 14 days but may be sooner due to a few issues.
I have my mum but I'm not close to her and she wouldn't want me to stay at hers with the children.
I was on the pill but my grandmother had just passed away so I don't think I took it at the correct time Blush I went for the MAP when I had realised but it must have been too late.

OP posts:
Larrythecat · 23/07/2018 09:10

I'm concerned that the thread seems to have turned into OP's partner bashing thread. I might have missed something but as far as I read, he said I'm not going to OP, he's said I'm going to friends, BUT he hasn't got any camping gear, he has not bought any and he does not like socialising. It really sounds to me like he just doesn't want to say no, but he will find an excuse near the time. Many people do that for many reasons: feeling part of the group of friends and being involved in the preparations until the end, anxiety about declining offers (I do get this), wanting to please everyone, etc. Not saying he's perfect, but all these arguments are based on something he said to his friends that you cannot be sure he meant, as everything else would point to the contrary (e.g. not having camping stuff and having reassured you he wasn't going). I would only worry once he gets a tent, borrowed or otherwise.

tbear101 · 23/07/2018 09:11

Of course I'm grateful to him for being with me, apart from this issue he has stepped up and really taken care of my son when I was too unwell to (HG in both these pregnancies)
And after what I done at the beginning of the relationship he could have easily walked away, Lord knows I would of.
I also had something traumatic happen to me about 5 weeks into our relationship and he stayed by my side when I had to go the police station and held me when I cried after being examined etc.
It's been a gruelling few years, obviously that doesn't explain why he hasn't told his friends about me and the kids etc but I honestly think it's because these friends that are coming back to the area, he just doesn't see them enough to bother telling them 🤷

OP posts:
tbear101 · 23/07/2018 09:13

And it could even be an ego thing? Maybe he is waiting until I've had the baby to then say "can't go tbear just had our dd" so then messages of congratulations will pour in 🤷 if he told them now, they probably would just say "shame you can't come" etc

OP posts:
Kardashianlove · 23/07/2018 09:16

his reply was simply "you'd be f-ing stupid to do that, biggest mistake you'd ever make"
Honestly, threatening you to take your DDs is abusive. His actions are controlling as it’s frightening you into staying with him for fear of losing your DDs. Even if you think that you won’t, that seed of doubt is still there plus the fear of having to fight for them.

This isn’t a normal healthy relationship but a controlling abusive one. It’s not a good model for your DC as they will view this as ‘normal’. How would you feel if your DS spoke to his partner like your DP speaks to you? Or your DDs were treated like your DP treats you?

HurricaneHalle · 23/07/2018 09:21

Please tell the maternity staff at the hospital that you need help and that you are in abusive relationship. Before you are discharged as you know they will ask you make sure you are honest. Hopefully they won't ask you in front of him which is what happened to me.

GabsAlot · 23/07/2018 09:36

of course its abusive-saying things like biggest mistake you'll ever make and i'll take the kids are all abuse

NotBeforeCoffee · 23/07/2018 09:43

He is controlling you.
Using the children to make you fear leaving him.
Making you think he's ashamed of you to make you feel bad and break your self esteem.
Using whatever it is you did as leverage.

Please take back control. Ask for help.
He cannot take your children, and in reality do you really think he'd want to be the children's primary carer given that he wants to be free to go off partying with teenagers?

Ariela · 23/07/2018 09:55

We went camping a week after firstborn was born. Was just me, OH and baby, no c/s, no other kids and was on site with friends who were happy to baby sit a sleeping newborn while I shopped/showered etc.

That was easy.

IMO, in your circumstances, he is being very unreasonable.

Larrythecat · 23/07/2018 12:23

OP, take the advice with a pinch of salt, only you know really what is going on in your relationship. People are taking words said in one argument (in the past, it seems?) and making a generalisation. However, if it was just one heated argument and it was all "I'll do this, I'll do that", I wouldn't consider this an abusive relationship, just a bad heated argument. Unless it's something he drops often to scare you.

I wouldn't be upset until he is actually getting stuff to go. I think he's bluffing to friends and he will turn around near the date and say something like "baby came early, sorry I can't go but you can visit. The friends have no way of knowing it's a planned C-Section, he will get lots of sympathy and they might even come to see you/him. Otherwise, if he had said I cannot go, he would have just been dropped from the details and organisation, and friends might lose that instant enthusiasm to come and visit. I think he is keeping himself in the spotlight for them. I agree with the ego thing.

I wouldn't take words out of one argument to make it an example of a relationship. I've said things I didn't mean just because I was hurt and wanted my DH to feel hurt. Wrong, I know, I've stopped doing that because he actually took the words to heart and felt it was emotional blackmail. Something said in the middle of an argument does not mean he actually feels or thinks or has any intention to follow up what he said. If it was a one off, and not something he threatens you about to do what he wants. He seems to have been at your side in a traumatic experience, I don't think he's a selfish tw*t with the details given, just immature. But again, you know your relationship best.

Mummyoflittledragon · 23/07/2018 16:35

@Lanadelrat
You are not debilitated after a csection
No you weren’t debilitated after a c-section. You are very unusual. Did you also have 2 children to look after in addition to your newborn or just the baby?

Please don’t marry this boy. He isn’t a man. You deserve someone, who loves and cares for you and who is proud of you. Think of the message you are sending your children when they see you being treated as a second class citizen.

The question to ask yourself. Would you want them to be in this sort of relationship? I’m not saying definitively split up either. Perhaps you can work something out. But you need to confront him and give him ultimatums and boundaries. Not just let it go and wonder how it will pan out.

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