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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu - wanting to spend time with my husband

22 replies

Amireallyabitch · 15/07/2021 23:12

My daughter was born a couple of years ago. Since then my husband and I have struggled to get any time alone together. My daughter sleeps very badly - we were going to start to transition her into her own bed but then she had a very long seizure at night following an illness and now we're terrified of leaving her alone and also don't send her to nursery because of fear of illness. Basically, my husband and I are juggling full-time jobs, full-time childcare - and between trying to make up working hours and keeping some semblance of order at home, we have no time for ourselves or eachother.

Since my daughter has been born we've both clearly been very stressed out :( the environment in our house is toxic with stress sometimes. We are snapping at eachother all the time.

My husband usually tidies up downstairs while I get my daughter to bed and once she is in bed I will sit with her upstairs and work (fear of seizures) while my husband tidies downstairs and then works. He tends to come up at midnight and then I'll brush my teeth and we go to bed. My husband sleep in a separate room so that he can wake up super early without disturbing us.

The above is to create context.

I get upset that we never spend any time together - even if it is sitting together upstairs watching something on the iPad while my daughter slept. My husband will occasionally make time to chat with his friends in the evening. But when it comes to us, he's either working or he's tired. I find myself getting upset that he makes time to speak to his friends (admittedly on v rare occasions) but not for me.

Recently we stayed with my husband's family (having not seen them for 18 months) for 3 nights. Each night he spent time with his family after my daughter went to bed and I would stay with her. On the final night I was hoping that maybe my husband and I could spend a little bit of time together while my daughter was sleeping - we were staying in a holiday home, it was one of the only holidays we have taken together - but he came to bed at around 1am. I hadn't told him that I had wanted to do this - when he came to bed I told him I was upset that we hadn't spent any time together. He got really angry, called me a bitch and told me that I had ruined the whole time away. It made me so sad.

I raised it with him tonight and he said that he stands by the fact that I ruined the whole time away. That it was the first time he had seen his family in a long time. He said he doesn't speak to his friends anymore either because I always react in the same way.

Am I being unreasonable?? When I try to speak to my friends, it's always during the day with my 2yo daughter in tow while my husband works... So not relaxing, but also not eating into time we could be together.

I don't know - I just feel like we're not investing in our marriage and it's slowly crumbling away.

OP posts:
HilaryBriss · 15/07/2021 23:22

YANBU wanting to spend time with your husband but if you won't leave your daughter whilst she is asleep and insist on sitting with her, I am not sure what you want him to do. And of course he is going to want to see his family, not disappear off to your room early because its your 2yr olds bedtime.

I get that it must have been really scary to see your child have a seizure, but it really isn't healthy to watch over her 24/7 just in case it happens again. At what point will you stop doing this?

Hankunamatata · 15/07/2021 23:28

Stop sitting with 2 year old and sleep train her.

Put her into daycare or get a childminder or nanny. You both cant work full time and look after a child.

Your husband hasn't seen his family in 18 months and he has 3 nights to catch up with them so on that count yabu.

Theres lots of 'my daughter' in your post. Do you have anxiety around your daughters health?

mistermagpie · 15/07/2021 23:29

I think you both sound incredibly stressed and the seizure thing must have been scary, but it sounds like it was a one-off thing that you have both (or maybe just you?) turned into a real health anxiety.

It's not realistic for you to watch over her 24/7, you must see that? It's not good for any of you, her included. And you can't possibly work around this forever.

I don't think your husband was unreasonable on the trip, what else was her going to do? Sit with you while you both stare at your sleeping daughter? Although the way he spoke to you and name calling is not ok. It does sound very toxic.

I think you both need a bit of outside help, for the trauma around the seizure thing and also to come up with some strategies for coping with anxiety and letting your child have a bit of independence. If she's two, I'm a couple of years she'll be at school - what then?

Hankunamatata · 15/07/2021 23:31

So has she just had 1 seizure?

ILoveYouILoveYouIDo · 15/07/2021 23:31

YABU. You've both got yourselves into such an unhealthy routine since you left daughter had a seizure, its a no wonder your home life is an unhappy one. Your daughter will be picking up on the toxic environment too.

I have no doubts that seeing your daughter have a seizure changed your lives and scared you both but you clearly suffer with anxiety to want to be with her 24/7. My daughter had 2 seizures, one at 18mths and the other just under 2. We got some answers as to why they happened and it never happened again.

I don't agree with your husband saying you ruined his whole weekend & calling you names but he must feel like life is pretty rubbish right now. If you don't get some help with your anxiety, it could be the end of your marriage.

Nicknacky · 15/07/2021 23:32

Was it febrile seizures? My daughter had two when she was young and yes it was scary but it never crossed my mind we had to watch her 24/7.

What did the doctor advise?

notangelinajolie · 15/07/2021 23:34

Is this a reverse? Are you the husband?

Saidtoomuch · 15/07/2021 23:34

What are the doctors saying about your daughter, why did she have a seizure? What are the chances of her having another? Could you use a video monitor?
It sounds like you are under a huge amount of pressure, but if you want something - time together, a break, then you need to ask for it. Your DH sounds as though he feels pushed away but the name calling isn't acceptable.

Embracelife · 15/07/2021 23:36

Speak to the doctor about risks and what to do how likely another seizures how to prevent?
Get a monitor maybe to alert you if seizures
let her go to nursery
Get some counselling for the anxiety

Elieza · 15/07/2021 23:41

When kids temperature rises to fight infections they can have febrile convulsions. It’s very scary but very common.

Did your child have one of those? If so did the gp explain what caused it and whether to expect more?

You seem to have it in your head that watching her is what you need to do but what about overnight when you sleep? What’s the difference between evening and night? If she’s going to have one she will have one. You can’t watch her 24/7. And if she only has the seizures when ill them surely she doesn’t need watched when her temperature is normal?

I think you need help to get past this. That may help your relationship.

VimFuego101 · 15/07/2021 23:43

Did you get any advice on sleep monitors after her seizure? A monitor might help you worry less about having to watch her constantly.

Your husband was horrible but I would not have expected him to sit in the room with you while his family were there, and miss out on spending time with them.

AnneLovesGilbert · 15/07/2021 23:43

I think the investment needs to go both ways.

Him calling you a bitch is completely unacceptable and you’re obviously both having a hard time but you need to talk, properly talk. He’s not a mind reader and you shouldn’t both be living in a prison or worry and stress like this. I don’t think it was fair to expect him to stay upstairs with you instead of spending time with his family. He doesn’t do that at home so it wasn’t reasonable to think he’d do it when he could be catching up with people he hadn’t seen in ages.

You should both be chatting to your friends. Life needs to include the other people you care about. If you don’t nurture those relationships, they’ll die. If you don’t invest in your marriage it’ll end in resentment and bitterness and misery.

How long ago was your daughter ill? How long do you think you’ll want to sit with her all night? What has her doctor said? Is she healthy at the moment?

You say things have been bad since she was born, do you know why? Children obviously change things in many ways but they don’t inevitably ruin your relationship. That’s incredibly sad.

I feel for you but I think you need to stop expecting him to make all the changes that are needed.

Amireallyabitch · 15/07/2021 23:45

My daughter had complex febrile seizures - even with medication she had 3 seizures back to back lasting nearly 2 hours. In the end they had to sedate her and put her on a ventilator. It was the most frightening experience. I thought she was going to die. The thought of her having a seizure and us not realising terrifies me. Her seizures were silent with minimal movement.

In hindsight I know I was being unreasonable re the time with his family. I didn't expect him to spend the whole evening with me though - just an hour - to relax together. It was a bigger bed, we were in holiday, not having to tidy/work. We were staying with my bil and his wife - during the day they had gone for dinner while we looked after their children. It made my heart ache to see them make time for eachother and to know that my husband and i don't seem to do the same thing. Like I said - it's not that I wanted him to stay with me for the whole evening - even an hour would have made me feel like he wanted to spend time with me.

In the evening I stay with my daughter, but it was a joint decision between my husband and myself to do this while we get over what happened, rather than a reflection of my own anxiety (although it's definitely something I experience since her seizures). We were told there is a 50% chance it will happen again

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 15/07/2021 23:47

How long ago was this? And why were things so bad even before it happened?

Amireallyabitch · 15/07/2021 23:50

My daughter has always been a terrible sleeper. We co-sleep but don't have the space for a setup that means she can be left (we're worried about her falling off the bed). But I think we do need to find a set up that means we can leave her - even if only for an hour

OP posts:
Amireallyabitch · 15/07/2021 23:52

The seizure has just meant that now we're terrified of leaving her - but I agree that we need to get over it. I am seeing someone about it.... Let's hope she can help me can m deal with my anxiety

OP posts:
ILoveYouILoveYouIDo · 15/07/2021 23:58

But there's also a 50% chance of it not happening again. Can you buy a baby monitor so you can watch over her while she is sleeping?
You've both got so used to not spending the evenings together that he probably doesn't see the point.
I think you need some counselling because it has obviously massively affected you.
My daughter had her second seizure in my arms while my husband was outside. Once I knew she was safe, I had to scream for him to call an ambulance. It was the scariest time of our lives. Especially after what we went through to have her. It never happened again after that.

Does it happened when she has temperatures then?

AnneLovesGilbert · 15/07/2021 23:58

How about a floor bed? Or is that what you don’t have space for?

DD is two, recently moved to her own room and we lie with her till she’s asleep then roll away. She has a single mattress on the floor. We had on a floor bed in our room till she moved. Because the bed set up stayed the same the move went really smoothly and she settled straight away.

ILoveYouILoveYouIDo · 16/07/2021 00:00

@Amireallyabitch

The seizure has just meant that now we're terrified of leaving her - but I agree that we need to get over it. I am seeing someone about it.... Let's hope she can help me can m deal with my anxiety
Didn't see this post. Im glad your getting help for it.
Elieza · 16/07/2021 00:00

Why did she have the seizure?
Was it due to infection raising her temperature?
So if she is normal temperature she will be fine?

Skullycup · 16/07/2021 00:01

I really feel for you reading this OP. And I understand why you are so concerned about your daughter. But your anxiety over it is really not healthy and it will destroy your marriage (and possibly your relationship with your DC) in the long run.

The only hope you have of fixing your marriage is to work on your anxiety regarding your DC's condition.

Dugi3 · 16/07/2021 00:10

I completely understand your feelings OP and I think some have been unintentionally unfair suggesting that the seizure was a one off/you should be over it. My son suffers seizures and it sent me to a really dark place with anxiety, I couldnt leave his side, but it's totally natural, it is what we are programmed to do as mothers/parents.

Over time the feeling of anxiety will lessen but the one thing that really helped me was a sensor pad for his mattress that alerts us should he have a seizure, is this something you could look in to for her new room? Do not beat yourself up about this, in fact I think you and your husband are remarkable parents for putting your dds health first at the moment

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