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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want her help?

18 replies

Ellabella8999 · 01/11/2021 12:06

So I’m currently 39+4 days pregnant. My partner and I used to work for this company a few months ago and had a small group of friends. Since we’ve all left our place of employment we don’t really talk but have a group chat where the odd person will ask how everyone is every couple of weeks or so. I was close with one of the girls and we would hang out all the time when we were working before I was pregnant. This was COVID related work and so we’ve all only known each other for a year or so.

Since leaving this company I’ve tried to distance myself from her, she’s really attention seeking, a bit childish and I’ve realised that we don’t have much in common. When I told her I was pregnant she was surprised but it wasn’t like a happy congratulations that I received. Instead she asked “are you okay?” “Is this what you want?”. I’m grateful for her checking up on me during the pregnancy but it seems as though she’s only trying to find out if I’m unhappy. She’ll ask things like “are you taking care of yourself” “how are you feeling, pregnancy must be so hard on your body” asking how me and my partner are doing. She got upset once because she thought I was ignoring her text messages.

She’s now offered to stay for a week with us when the baby’s here because “we’ll need sleep” yet in the same breath she jokes about handing the baby back if she throws up on her or if she farts. She keeps saying “you’ll need to tell people no if you don’t want something” and “make sure you look after yourself. She apparently likes kids but is glad to hand them back. She’s just really childish and can be patronising. I’m 25 and she’s 27, no kids but lives with her partner two hours away from us.

She keeps asking if there’s anything that I or the baby need, and she saw some cute baby jumpsuits. I’m grateful but I feel like she’s trying to get too involved and especially questioning me and trying to make sure I’m okay, as if she’s my mother. She offered because she works from home. I really don’t want her around, I’ll send a few pictures in the group chat but that’s about it, it’s me and my partners first child and I would prefer that we spend the first few months with our child, getting to know her, how she is and get the hang of parenting. My partner is friendly with people though and I don’t want to come across as overbearing or rude but we’re also in a bloody pandemic. I don’t mind close family coming to visit but we won’t even be seeing distant family members and close friends for a while after she’s here! We’ve only known this friend for a year! I’ve told her we don’t really want too many people around when she’s here etc but she’s the type to keep asking. Not even my mum is coming to stay with us, of course she’s offered and so has my partners grandparents which I’m fine with because they’re family but not some friend who seems to just want to get involved because she’s bored or something. If we do need help we will turn to family, not a friend who we’ve known for a year.

Am I being unreasonable to not want her around? I’m also not sure if I should mention that she asked to my partner, in case I sound a bit crazy lol.

OP posts:
candlelightsatdawn · 01/11/2021 12:21

Ahhh pregnancy hormones. They can really mess with your head, so your not being unreasonable but your also not being clear minded.

Thing is with pregnant women the general public (along with your friend and what will be others) tend to view you as public property. At what other time in life would a perfect stranger be able grope to your stomach or commenting on your size and it be socially acceptable. Even more socially acceptable for the very old who are the main perpetrators of not respecting boundaries with pregnant women. So I totally get it.

I would start being very vague with your pal, mmm we will see, mmm I don't know what the plan is when babies here. Vague vague vague, put it down to baby brain. Keep her at the distance you feel comfortable at and don't feel bad.

Protective instincts really kick in later in pregnancy and in 4th trimester. Good luck xxxx

AryaStarkWolf · 01/11/2021 12:28

It's really odd for a friend (a relatively new one especially) to offer to stay for a week after you've had a new baby, who would want that?

Hankunamatata · 01/11/2021 12:30

Fine to not want her around but she hasn't done anything wrong imo. Her texts seem fine to me and what a close friend would send - you said you hung out with her all the time so why wouldn't she think of you as a close friend. Your basically ghosting her.

Tell her straight that you will be focusing on partner/ baby and you wont have time for friendships

Laserbird16 · 01/11/2021 12:39

It's weird to offer to stay with you. Is she joking? If not, just tell that it's not necessary as your family have offered to stay but that's a very generous of her...and very strange.

I'd be wary about her getting annoyed you didn't answer her messages in the time frame she expected. I wouldn't put up with this weirdness from an acquaintance.

Is this friendship really that important? You could always just not bother and then use the baby as a very valid reason you cannot hangout.

Tilly18101 · 01/11/2021 12:39

God no! I’m due my first baby, and I don’t even want immediate family round the first day in case I’m overwhelmed, let alone a friend!

You just need to tell her what you want/don’t want and leave it at that. Don’t beat about the bush.

Sparklesocks · 01/11/2021 12:47

Its not a normal request at all, most (sensible) people wouldn’t ask. You’re perfectly within your rights to push back. Be firm and clear. It might upset her but that’s not your issue, your boundaries and feelings are your priority at the moment.

Fraine · 01/11/2021 12:47

She sounds irritating AF.

Ignore her, there’s no law that says you have to respond.

IAmTheLovechildOfYvesAndIsabel · 01/11/2021 12:55

No I think she sounds like someone who needs straight answers - or she just fills in the blanks herself!
Regarding her very odd offer of coming to stay - either she's not expecting you to say yes or she has no idea what an imposition that would be.
Just say "no thanks, obviously our families have offered similar and I am sure you understand they'd be upset if I said you could stay."
Or just laugh or write lol I'm a text.
I personally think it's a bit weird considering you haven't known her for very long. But maybe she really wants a baby herself and wants to prove to herself or her partner that she can look after a newborn.
In terms of going forward, when your beautiful baby gets here you really will be very busy and it's older friendships that tend to weather the storm, in the sense that an old friend will understand if you go quiet for long periods or not be able to text back immediately because you are holding the baby and dare not move an inch incase she wakes or she just looks so comfy! Maybe not just old friends but close understanding friends.
Then of course you'll wanting to meet other mums, baby groups etc so you'll probably find you just see less of certain people.

Apart from anything else, I don't think you have to feel obligated to have patronising, childish people who you don't really want to spend time with, in your life at all.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and really cherish the special time for the 3 of you when your baby arrives!

Chamomileteaplease · 01/11/2021 12:55

As above. Ignore her.

You don't like her.

She lives two hours away

You don't want to see her for a cup of tea, let alone a week! And yes she is weird for suggesting it.

If you don't care too much about the others I would get off that group chat and concentrate on new friends Smile.

But please do not have her round if you don't want to.

HikingforScenery · 01/11/2021 12:55

How dare she show care towards a friend!
Seriously, it’s no big deal at all. Just tell her you don’t want her to come ( that odd).
Maybe ignore her texts and distance herself. She sees you as a friend when clearly, you don’t like her. Save yourself and her from wasting any more time

TrickOrTreat21x · 01/11/2021 12:56

I'd be really weirded out and would put a lot of distance in between us if a friend of a year who I didn't like much started offering to have my baby for a week when born.
That's overkill.

FetchezLaVache · 01/11/2021 13:02

Thanks, but DP and I have talked about your kind offer and actually we just want to bond with the baby as a family of three. We'll let you know when we're up to visitors!

Feedingthebirds1 · 01/11/2021 13:04

It sounds like she thinks the friendship is more intense than you do. You said yourself that you used to hang out a lot and you were close. What's changed is how you see her now that there is some distance between you.

Reply that you're fine and you're looking forward to having the baby here and it being just the three of you (you, partner and baby).

I think you're being a bit unfair to her. You've moved the goalposts but she doesn't know it. By all means withdraw from her if that's what you want, but do it in a way that that is as kind as possible but without being able to be misinterpreted.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 01/11/2021 13:08

I personally find her texts fine. You sound like you think she is looking for problems but on the face of it, she is just being realistic and letting you know that she is there to talk about the shit part of pregnancy. Lots of pregnant people feel they can't discuss the shit parts as they 'should' be loving every minute and they don't want to offend anyone and it can be quite lonely if you're struggling.

As for coming to stay just say no thanks you just want it to be you and your partner for a few weeks but it was a lovely offer

Bathtoy · 01/11/2021 13:09

Fine to not want her around but she hasn't done anything wrong imo. Her texts seem fine to me and what a close friend would send - you said you hung out with her all the time so why wouldn't she think of you as a close friend.

But she's not a close friend. She's a former colleague the OP has known for less than a year, and from whom she's trying to distance herself.

hauntedvagina · 01/11/2021 13:29

OP, I could have written your post myself a few years back. I too had a friend become completely overbearing once I was pregnant. Much the same as you the comments would start innocently enough, almost jokey, but it became clear to my husband and I that she really did feel entitled to an odd level of involvement in our family.

Insisting that we used her hand me downs and didn't buy new (I love a hand me down, but this was everything from bedding to cots and prams - she a was happy to give me a "good price"), wanted to be at the birth instead of my husband and couldn't fathom why we weren't using the smallest room in the house as a nursery as it would mean she'd have to sleep on the sofa which wouldn't be comfortable for extended visits. These were just a few examples.

I had a difficult labour and wanted to spend the first few days with immediate family and a few very close friends so after I'd sent out the initial "baby's here" message I didn't really look at my messages much. That's when she started getting in touch with friends and family members asking for updates.

In the end it all just became too much and I effectively ended the friendship, I just couldn't see another way to resolve things.

Spoonio · 01/11/2021 13:49

"No thank you, we have family to help if necessary"

And do not engage or elaborate further.

Saoirse82 · 01/11/2021 14:10

Tell her your mum is staying and you're very grateful for her offer of help but due to the pandemic and winter with all the respiratory virus around at this time of year that you'll only be seeing immediate family until baby has first immunisations at least. I'm 37+2 with my first and I'll be limiting the number of people coming to see the baby, I think that's normal especially in these times and hopefully it's something that stays in place in future as a newborn shouldn't have hoards of visitors anyway. She lives 2 hours away and once the baby is here you'll have even less time to message back and forth so just gradually phase her out.

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