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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Overexcited 'friend' and baby

168 replies

AllTheGrrrrsAreTaken · 23/09/2019 10:14

Long-time lurker looking for advice.

Background, as to not to drip feed: DD is 6 weeks old, first child for DH and me. My family lives overseas and we like them, DH's family lives 45min away and "it is complicated". We go NC when MIL goes full-on narc but otherwise, have a polite visit every 4 to 6 weeks or so. They are not allowed to babysit and never will be.

While family support is limited, we have great friends who support us and are our part of our family. DH's "childhood" group of friends includes one woman, let's call her Abby, who became part of that group because she used to be BFFs with DH's best friend's girlfriend. I say used to be, because best friend's girlfriend hinted to us that she has outgrown the friendship but doesn't quite know how to deal with it. Abby is 28 but has never quite gotten past the teenage "we are going to be best friends for ever and ever" stage, which means she is not noticing the otherwise difficult to miss signs that the friendship is on its last legs. Not my circus, not my monkey, and naturally, we are staying out of this.

Abby has been babycrazy all her life (you can see where this is going) and wants nothing more than to get married and have children. She only ever had one boyfriend in her early 20s, which lasted for a couple of months. She does not date casually, which obviously is a perfectly fine choice but I imagine it makes it more difficult to find someone. When DH and me got together, I sensed some slight jealousy but decided to ignore it. I knew that DH asked her out once but nothing came of it because she seemed unenthusiastic and he didn't want to pressure her. Even if they did have a thing in the past, I wouldn't care, so really no reason for him to lie and she confirmed his story. When we got engaged, her response was "He asked me out first", eventually followed by "congratulations". I am not easily threatened, so at my end I just find it mildly annoying.

DD's "godparents" (we have an outing non-religious name for them) are DH's best friend + girlfriend and my best friend + her partner, who live a few hours away.

The Situation: We always used to have gatherings at our place, as most of that sub-group of our friends works in the city we live in, but lives just outside of it. It the most practical option. Now that DD is here even more so. We also want her to build a relationship with her godparents, as these four people really are like family to us.

The issue is that as soon as Abby hears someone else is here - even if it just DH's best friend stopping by to say hello and have a quick pint with DH on his way home - she will be over like shot and trying to babyhog (which we stop). She thinks she knows what sort of mental stimulation DD needs because she is a primary school teacher (I have a PhD in Developmental Neuroscience...still don't think I know what is best for someone else's child). She keeps talking about all the things she will do differently when she becomes a mother (like be a SAHM - which just isn't for me and that apparently makes me a substandard mother Hmm). She gifted us mountains of Disney stuff, although we have repeatedly told her we have got everything we need and want (she is really into Disney - I have no strong opinion on Disney but I am slowly getting to the point of hating it...). All of it plastic (toys) or high in polyester (clothes), which I don't really want to have near a newborn in these masses. Breastfeeding in front of people (in my living room, discreetely) was apparently something "she had always expected of me", because of my promiscuous past. I told her I am glad she knows that sexual exploration can make a woman more confident and comfortable in her body, and recommend she gives it a try.

And of course, there is the judgemental look and silence when we do something in relation to DD she does not approve of, and generally ruining the mood. The bottom-line is that she is probably jealous of me/us/"the life she could have had" and cannot hide it well. Normally I would just repeatedly put her in her place but I am lacking sleep.

The Question: Would I be unreasonable to ban Abby from our house? At least for a while?

I honestly have to ask. We usually have an open door policy. My hormones haven't quite calmed down yet and I don't have any shared history of "going through good and bad times together" with her, so I am not sure if I am being unfair. Neither does DH, technically, but I don't want to rip "his" group of childhood friends apart. DH feels similiarly but hopes that his best friend's girlfriend will finally cut Abby off, so that we don't have to do anything. He would support me either way but I am not sure if banning her might not be a little over the top?

OP posts:
whogoncheckmeBoo · 23/09/2019 17:20

What a brilliant response! Well done! I bet her face was a picture.

I disagree, the conversation sounds like a bad episode of Friends.
Why does your husband’s friend’s girlfriends friend know about your sex life? And feel comfortable talking about it in your home. You’re say you are an educated woman, not afraid of confrontation or in severing familial ties. I don’t think having a baby can have affected you that much that you can’t see a solution to ‘the scenario’. Lots of good sensible advice here from other posters if you can’t.

GreySheep · 23/09/2019 17:35

@AllTheGrrrrsAreTaken
I told her I am glad she knows that sexual exploration can make a woman more confident and comfortable in her body, and recommend she gives it a try.

This is GOLD Grin well done.

That aside, she’s a jealous territorial know it all. Sack her off. Life’s too short to put up with that kind of bullshit.

Glumpty · 23/09/2019 17:48

Have you considered that she may be on the autistic spectrum? This behaviour sounds so similar to my own sometimes. Feeling so socially awkward that I say things that in hindsight were offensive, because I misunderstand how close I am to someone. I've often offended when honestly it is a nervous teasing nature I have when I like someone a lot. I've been called out on it and it mortifies me that I have hurt people.

Same with gift giving. I find it very hard to express love and affection other than through presents.

Anyway, if you dislike the behaviour then you don't have to put up with it. High functioning autistics shouldn't just get a free pass to behaving badly. But it may help to find new strategies to deal with it if you aren't able to get rid of her completely.

AllTheGrrrrsAreTaken · 23/09/2019 17:54

Decidedly not autistic. She is more like a high-pitched, very social Duracell Bunny. Not my kind of person but perfectly okay in concept.

Obviously, never say never, but if I were to suspect her to be non-neurotypical, ADHD would be far higher on the list - which I also do not think she has.

OP posts:
Sagradafamiliar · 23/09/2019 17:58

I can't see why this is justified yada yada yada

I could. That's why I said it.

Sleepingboy · 23/09/2019 18:43

Is this an episode of Friends?

MadameButterface · 23/09/2019 19:06

Sleeping it’s the one where chongler makes everyone a coffee and accidentally puts mona’s expressed breastmilk in it and they all spit it out and hilarity ensues

Menandsecondfamilies · 23/09/2019 19:38

Sorry, I can’t get over how the op is presented - is this a gcse creative writing exercise? Confused

Rachelle11 · 23/09/2019 19:44

I keep waiting for the handsome man to enter.

ElevenSmiles · 23/09/2019 20:00

Mens.... OP has a PhD could be a BaB who knows?

DuchessDarty · 23/09/2019 20:08

I got deleted for writing an allegory about Disney princesses Grin

I did wonder about high-functioning autism too, I can see how from a certain angle the getting your breasts out comment was a joke that flew wide of the mark, being delivered as it was with someone you don't have that sort of affectionate teasing type of relationship with. And her buying your DD loads of Disney presents is sweet! But she oversteps the boundaries by continuing to buy a lot when you've asked her not too.

High functioning ASD comes in various stereotype-busting manifestations, particularly in women. I know several women & girls with Asperger's who are very social.

Harriedharriet · 23/09/2019 22:19

I have often seen women, who are the only female in a friendship group of guys get "dumped" when everybody settles down. Very sad and for those women, heartbreaking. I don't know what you can do about it but, crowd management to get her out does seem cruel to me. On the other hand, new baby with agression coming your way? Tricky...

ReanimatedSGB · 24/09/2019 10:33

@Harriedharriet - sometimes these women do bring it on themselves, though. They are often the kind of woman who really doesn't like other women, and are a bit too fond of their 'special' status as Smurfette, so they regard all their male friends' new partners as competition and patronize them and try to disrupt the relationships.
Of course, sometimes it's the New Girlfriend who dislikes other women and comes into a friendship group where some of the other women are single, and the New Girlfriend is the one stirring shit and trying to cut these women out because they must be a threat to The Relationship.
Generally, though, I think OP's situation (like a lot of these situations) is more a matter of one person in a longstanding group being a PITA, having always been a bit of a PITA, but general inertia and the length of the friendship makes it difficult either to continue putting up with the PITA's tiresomeness or actually get to the point of saying, we don't want to spend time with you any more because we have outgrown you.

FlutteringFeathers · 24/09/2019 17:03

You're not being unreasonable at all. I think had she made the comment about breastfeeding to someone else she could well have really shaken their confidence/mental health, you did so well with your answer! I was much less certain of myself for a period of time after my first baby, and I just wanted to say well done! Her behaviour sounds so rude and must be very frustrating. You could consider a direct message to her about all her parenting related comments and that you want to take time out from seeing her, but from the sounds of it I doubt she'd take it well. I'd explain to the other four friends that you'd appreciate if they didn't mention to Abby if they're over in your house as she's making you uncomfortable with her overstepping boundaries around your parenting. I bet they'll totally understand and be glad of an Abby-free zone!

Jimjamjong · 24/09/2019 17:33

I think your best way to get ride of Abbey tactfully would be to say that you would prefer it to be quieter now that you have the baby so could they please message you in advance to arrange meeting (4 months sleep regression is just round the corner, perfect excuse), but then say to Emily and others in private that they can still drop by as they are actually helpful and you enjoy the catch up.

AllTheGrrrrsAreTaken · 24/09/2019 17:50

I think we will see how it goes now that Emily agreed to not tell Abby when they are here. They have been a close-knit group of five people since childhood and as someone who only joined them in our 20s, I don't really want to be the one that kickstarts any separation process - it just doesn't feel like my place to do so. Which is precisely why I poster this question.
That being said, Abby is not welcome in our home for the forseeable future. I don't think she will ask anyone directly why when she notices but if she does, DH or me will explain why to her. We'll see if she takes the hint or if she returns to a tolerable level again but my hopes aren't high.

OP posts:
ReanimatedSGB · 24/09/2019 18:12

This really is a common problem with people who have been friends from childhood - there's always at least one who wants to move on, and one who resents the rest of the group moving on - because an awful lot of childhood friendships are based on proximity more than anything else and kids, in particular, can usually find enough in common to be friends for some time. But when you get to adulthood and one of you is hugely ambitious and another wants to be a travelling storyteller living in a hippy bender, and maybe one couple among the gang got together in their mid-teens and have stayed a couple eve since but the rest are busy dating outside the group, and one's got religion and one's got into a demanding sport or hobby... the friendships start to taper off to maybe one meet-up a year.

Grumpelstilskin · 24/09/2019 18:25

As AIBU’s go, it is fairly low on the drama stake. I’ve never watched ‘Friends’, so can’t compare notes. But my DH lived pretty much in one area all his life, while I moved countless times and do not hail from the UK. Therefore, he has a long-standing group of friends. Not all friendships stood the passage of time well though and he outgrown a few of them. I’ve witnessed the thinly veiled jealousy and possessiveness of some of the women in that group. One especially tried to be territorial about DH. In his case, he had no relationships with anyone of that group. But I got digs. That one former female friend was trying to wind me up in various ways and kept trying to make me jealous, constantly going on about how I need not worry, that there never was anything serious going on between her and my DH. There was nothing going on at all, not even casual but I’m not the slightest bit bothered about his past. I did not bite and ignored her shit-stirring for the first year. However, one day though, she said the same passive aggressive bullshit in front of several people, so I smiled and replied “I know dear, DH is only attracted to intelligent and strong women”. It stopped the digs after. However, I’m no martyr and these kinds of toxic frenemies are not welcome in our house nowadays. And that’s down to my DH, he does not take kindly to any supposed mates trying to have a go at me.

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