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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think I should have been allowed to hold my new nephew

222 replies

milliec · 17/06/2008 18:41

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
ScottishMummy · 18/06/2008 09:04

i remember having a nb, no sleep, house was a dump, forgot to feed myself let alone guests. i was tired,scared,overwhelmed

i probably did neglect to offer tea, say the wrong thing, appear scatty,and my house was a dump, i wore PJ for weeks. certainly no one told me or posted it on MN either

The woman has just had a baby - she is entitled forget tea, feel embarresed her previously clean house is a dump. i did not let anyone else clean my house too embarressed and couldnt actually face all the bustle

Sheesh cut the new mum a bit of slack people

a baby is not a commodity to be passed around and gawped at. It is a beautiful precious baby and if mum and dad chose not to well fair do

cupsoftea · 18/06/2008 09:06

should have let you have a cuddle - but agree on the pfb syndrome!!!

margoandjerry · 18/06/2008 09:58

I don't understand the concept that the baby is a "commodity to be passed around and gawped at". What is actually happening is that loving and close relatives have come to show their love and support and care for the baby. That's what families do.

I didn't have a hypersensitive baby so I can't comment on that and that does sound tough. But the OP hasn't mentioned that as a problem.

I don't get why you wouldn't want loving and dear people to gently hold a baby (given that three week old babies don't yet suffer from separation anxiety).

ScottishMummy · 18/06/2008 10:03

to clarify i said a baby is not a commodity to be passed around, and most of all family should be able to accomodate and understand parental wishes/preferences

there will be other times to hold.

it is not a competition "see who held the baby first"

many other events eg birthday, xmas etc to participate have a cuddle etc

KerryMum · 18/06/2008 10:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

handlemecarefully · 18/06/2008 10:05

YANBU.

I can't abide overly precious new mums (even though I was one once )

MrsTittleMouse · 18/06/2008 10:05

Oh boy, in my family it certainly was a competition to see who held DD first. Never mind that the medical professionals told us that she shouldn't be passed around, never mind that I had gone through Hell...

(not directed at the OP, by the way)

handlemecarefully · 18/06/2008 10:12

Not quite the same MrsTittleMouse surely, if the medics had said that dd should not be passed around for some clinical reason?

CrushWithEyeliner · 18/06/2008 10:19

YABU

It is her baby and 3 weeks in is still very very early. It is absolutely appropriate not to pass your baby around at the stage. I didn't and had loads of stick, I have stepchildren and their Mother even criticised the fact that they didn't hold the baby.. I had PND and found it v hard to cope. I just needed someone to understand. I remember saying to a distant relative who had visited "Sorry but she cries if I pass her around you don't mind do you?" and she was so sweet and understanding to me I felt so grateful.

Give her a break.

Lazycow · 18/06/2008 10:22

I think the whole thing about not wanting ANYONE to hold your baby is frankly quite strange. I only have one so Ds is defacto (according to MN lore anyway) both a PFB and POB. Also ds was what I would consider to be a high needs baby and easily got overstimulated and cried a lot.
I still generally let visitors (any of them) have a quick hold if they asked to.

Then again I find the whole concept of a child (even a baby) 'belonging' to me an odd one too. Ds doesn't belong to me, he is on loan and in my keeping until he gets old enough to take care of himself. My job is to work out what I think is best for him while he can't work it out for himself but he doesn't 'belong' to me.

So if as a newborn he was upset or crying I might have preferred to hold him myself as it was more likely he would settle though not always, (my 80 yr old father was incredibly good at stopping him crying and has always been very good with small babies so he often succeded when I failed at stopping ds crying in the early days)

If however he seemed reasonably happy I'd have no problem with any visitor holding him.

The flip side of this is when people get upset if you DON'T want to hold their babies. Before I had ds, one of my friends asked if I'd like to hold her newly born first child. I said that I didn't really want to (I didn't feel like holding him as he seems so small and fragile). She was actually quite offended.

I'd be very upset if I was the OP and had had been invited to visit, had gone out of my way to travel a long way with a toddler (which has it's own challeges and difficulties) to be met with such a welcome.

Lazycow · 18/06/2008 10:25

As for pnd as an excuse, I had very bad pnd and I was frankly desperate for someone to hold ds. I think this is more to do with how we view being a parent and what we see or role is from day one than whether we have pnd or not.

some people beleive a child is the property of the parent and some don't.

Please note I am NOT saying you need to hand a baby round to everyone, strangers and all willy nilly BUT to refuse to let your SIL hold a baby even for a couple of minutes when you have invited her and she has made a long journey to see you is frankly rude and having a newborn is no excuse.

Highlander · 18/06/2008 10:26

sorry, YABU. It's horrible when you're a PFB - people turning up at your house, expecting hospitaltity and to hold your baby like he's a new toy. Hormones all over the place and all you want to do is be alone with your baby.

Yes, PFB-itis is funny when you're a seasoned pro, but those first few months are just horrible.

As her sister, you should understand this, and be there for her, to helpo her adjust. Sorry, but it's not about you, regardless of how far you've travelled.

CrushWithEyeliner · 18/06/2008 10:27

people should have some respect for the mother's feelings - she could be going through all kinds of emotions.

Not everyone can be so objective 3 weeks post partum as to say "my baby doesn't belong to me". I felt DD was totally dependent on me. But like I said I had PND.

CrushWithEyeliner · 18/06/2008 10:29

life doesn't always follow logically, nor does anyone have any "rights" over a newborn because they have made a journey ffs

KerryMum · 18/06/2008 10:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CrushWithEyeliner · 18/06/2008 10:36

So you were cool with passing your baby around good for you lazycow. This Woman is not and this should be respected, it is her baby her choice. There is not a gereral rule you know.

Lazycow · 18/06/2008 10:39

I'm not sure where the pnd discussion began but I can't find any indication that the OP's sister in law has pnd or in fact any signs of it. If obsessive possesiveness of our babies was a major sign of pnd then pnd would be even more common than it is.

The Op WAS INVITED to visit, she didn't just descend on them, she offered to make a cup of tea but wasn't allowed to. In those circumstances I stand by what I said, the OP is not unreasonable to be upset and I think her SIL bahaved in a rude and ungracious manner.

shrinkingsagpuss · 18/06/2008 10:40

I think you a reNOT BU - but when DS was born, we visited DH's family up north, and after a day of being handed round DH's family, my 4 week old baby smelt of everyone but me, and he screamed and screamed and screamed.

If it were your sisters baby, then I think it would be different - but mothers rule, and your SIL is not related to you by blood. I would find it hard not to hand my new baby to my blood relatives, but would eb far more inclined to refuse DH's rellys. Sorry if that sounds awful.

ComeOVeneer · 18/06/2008 10:40

I think it was rather cruel to allow gp to hold the baby, but not the OP. The stranger comment was pretty rude to. But as others have said, those early days of being a new mum does crazy things to us!

bergentulip · 18/06/2008 10:46

'Spose it is her choice, but she needs to chill out a bit, otherwise she'll just wear herself into the ground. That goes for anyone really.

Besides, all this PFB stuff. I actually found 2nd time round far more stressful, out of control, had all the time in the world to work things out with DS1, so technically, less stressful, less excuse for rudeness and self-absorbtion and neurosis....

having said that, I still would leap at, always still do, leap at the chance for someone else to take my baby(ies) if they want a cuddle, before the separation anxiety kicks in in a couple of months.... DS2 now 7mths.
Even in hospital, ie hours after having both, was always best pleased when DSs were asleep or with a relative, as meant I could wash/drink coffee etc.... before having lots of lovely cuddles when they did wake up.

CrushWithEyeliner · 18/06/2008 10:51

I was so messed up when DD was born. God I said some ridiculous things....

cornsilk · 18/06/2008 10:53

It's not just about the passing the baby around though is it? She'd travelled for hours and wasn't even offered a drink. That's just bad manners.
Everyone is strange to a new baby - even their father.

2point4kids · 18/06/2008 10:57

I got a bit offended when people came to visit us after DS was born and didnt ask to hold him!

ScottishMummy · 18/06/2008 10:58

oh well manners eh!.sheesh you think she could find the tea bags oh and throw in a biscuit maybe a homemade cake. new mum may be tired/sleep deprived/bit over whelmed but my goodness one must not forget one's manners

cornsilk · 18/06/2008 11:00

Yes why not if someone has travelled hours to visit you. Blimey.

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