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Am I wrong to to be upset with my mum taking my babies precious first moments from me

64 replies

ImYourDaughter · 22/03/2016 19:39

I'm 22 and this is my first baby. She is 5 months old and gets constipated so I have been giving her an ounce of water with a little mango juice once a week for the past month. She loves it so crazily much so I thought I would try feeding her properly. I bought Mango packets, silicone first feed spoons, a little bowl. I sterilised them all and was telling everyone how excited I was to Give my DD her first try of food. My mum asked me what I would be doing today and I said I wasn't going out as i wanted to find the perfect time to do the feed where DD wouldn't be tired etc. like it has been so clear that I have been excited about this!

So I sat down with DD today and began feeding her I gave her a spoon and she loved it! So I gave her another, she was happy. Then my mum said can I have a go and obviously I said yes. My mum got so carried away I guess, feeding her so much and actually finished off the packet. She was cooing over my DD so much and my DD was extremely happy to be fed... But I really wanted to do it. It was my first time feeding my first baby an i was excited an all I did was give her two spoons and my mum did it until it was all gone. While I watched. DD wasn't even hungry after that.

I am wrong to be upset about this and things like it? It's not the only sort of "first precious moment" type of thing that I've just sat down and watched my mum experience rather then myself. I don't know if I am being hormonal right now due to time of month but I actually wanted to cry today...

OP posts:
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DaggerEyes · 23/03/2016 07:26

Op, you did the very first feed, and then your mum did some. You've branded the event as 'stolen' in your mind, you need to rebrand it under a shared experience. One day your mum won't be around, and this memory will be a happy one. I get it, op, I really do....I once had a meltdown over my dd wearing a whole outfit that wasn't bought by me! (I had to add one item of 'mother' bought clothes!)

Solobo · 23/03/2016 07:30

Op do you want to live with your DP? Is a decent man?

Or is your mum protecting you?

If not go to your local town hall and present as homeless. As a family unit you have the right to live together. Even tHough you all have somewhere to live it isn't together.

Make it very clear your mum won't let your DP live with you.

Marilynsbigsister · 23/03/2016 07:35

OP, is there any reason why you can't take the baby to see her father in the evening. ?
Why did you 'move back in when you were pregnant ' ? As that sounds like you were living with him but made the choice to move back.

I'm not sure about this, sounds a little bit like you want best of both worlds in that granny is constantly on hand with babysitting so you can go out and see your boyfriend, yet don't want her overly involved..but also happy for her to house you/support you. How old are you and your bf OP ?

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SouthWestmom · 23/03/2016 07:41

This all sounds a bit odd.
Why did your mum want you to move in and why did you agree? Is there something like DV involved?

Chocolatteaddict1 · 23/03/2016 07:44

Ooh just seen your updates.

They'd not a great situation at all and sounds like your mum is pushing your dp out. She has no right to tell him not to come to the house and see his child.

solobo is right. I'd go and to local authority.

sepa · 23/03/2016 07:49

You need to get out of your mums house and living with DP (unless there is concerns about him at all?)
Go to CAB and see what you can do through them. Get on the council list, look at private renting even if it means slightly moving out of the area.
What are DP parents like? Could the help you both as surely if DP isn't seeing his daughter then you have a set of grandparents not seeing their granddaughter?

CinderellaFant · 23/03/2016 07:50

You are worried about your mum stealing your thunder and experiencing precious moments...how do you think your partner feels?? Presumably he wasn't even there for her first spoon feed and his missed plenty more precious moments completely

IdealWeather · 23/03/2016 07:55

Seen your update, I think this is not about this incident at all butabout the overall situation.
This is not acceptable that your dd can't see her dad.
This is not accpetable that you can't see yoyur bf, the father of your dd.

Tbh, if she has some much issues with having guests, and she includes your bf (or shall we say her soon in law) in the 'guests', then she should never have proposed you to come and stay in your house.

I think you need to have a chat with your mum and 'assert yourself' as you have said before. She can't stop you from seen your bf and certainly can't stop your dd's father from seeing her.
In some ways, you need to find some sort of compromise.

And yes, move out of the house as soon as you can.

MorrisZapp · 23/03/2016 07:58

If we asked your mother, why doesn't the babies dad come over to yours, what would she say?

kiki22 · 23/03/2016 08:05

My mum was a bit like this with my niece, my sister was 18 so still lived with my mum she sort of treated dn as her child and took over because she felt she was entitled to do all these things, its really knocked my sisters confidence as a parent and has had long lasting effects my sister still reverts to a stroppy teenager when it comes to my mum. My mum tried the same with my son but I was 25 and had my own house with dp so she didn't really have the chance I didn't let her.

I would try to move out before this becomes a serious problem you need to learn to parent yourself and by living with her you are giving her way to much control over your life. She feels that your baby is her child that needs to be stamped out asap it's not healthy for any of you.

DontBuyANewMumCashmere · 23/03/2016 08:13

Do whatever you can to move out.
Your mum sounds like a massive control freak. Your dp needs to have a relationship with his DD.
Has he been moaning that his mil had all the goes with the spoon?! He doesn't even get to see his daughter! Poor chap

Unless there's something you're not telling us it's not fair on him or your daughter to deprive them of having a relationship because your mum isn't keen on having guests over. Wtf

Bluesand1 · 23/03/2016 08:16

I was a little annoyed when my mum bought baby food and tried my then 4 month old on it when I wasn't there mostly because I did not want to wean until 6 months but I let it go pretty quickly to avoid an argument over it....im quite a sensitive person too. Try not to make it a big deal as there are so many other firsts

contrary13 · 23/03/2016 09:41

I can relate to what you're saying, OP, because it sounds very similar to the situation I found myself in 20 years ago when my DD was born.

I was 20, had moved back in with my parents to have my DD (her biological father was very abusive and I walked in fear of my life, just before I discovered that I was pregnant with DD). My mother took over, completely. Like your DM, mine would refer to my DD as "ours" even whilst I was still pregnant. She insisted on being at the birth and got very shirty when I refused to allow her to name my DD with some weird made-up name (Jances) that mashed my mother's first and middle names together into one. My mother pretty much isolated me from my friends completely both before and after my DD was born - she wouldn't watch her in an evening so that I could go out for an hour or so with my friends, because my DD was born with a few issues (easily treatable, and a ludicrous excuse, really, in hindsight, because my mother had been a paeds nurse for years!). She also insisted on involving my abusive ex and his equally abusive/controlling parents in my DD's life against my wishes - and I felt completely unable to stand up to her. Because I'd spent my entire life being too frightened of my mother to do so.

Even today, years after DD and I moved out, she still feels more like my younger sister than my daughter. My mother still wields her influence over my DD (because they're actually more alike than I particularly care for!) - but not my DS (11) who was born 6 years after I took my daughter and walked away from my parents home. When I told her that I was pregnant with my DS, she sneered "I didn't even know you were having sex!" - when she knew that I'd been in a relationship with his DF since my DD was about a year old (he was the only friend who stuck by me when she was busy isolating me whilst I was pregnant with my DD, so that she could control me). She did try to take over with my DS, actually, by attempting to bully his DF into doing what she wanted rather than what we wanted for our baby... but my DS' dad stood up to her. Consequently, she loathes him and now goes out of her way to make snide comments about him and his parents in front of my DS at every given opportunity (needless to say, she has very little relationship with my DS... and, unfortunately, his DF and I split because I'd had enough of everyone trying to make me tow their line rather than the one I needed my DC and myself to follow).

My advice, OP is to pick up your DD and run. Find your own line - whether it's with your DP, or not - and stick to that. Because, believe me, if your DM is even remotely like my own, this situation will only get worse! If you want your DD to be your daughter and not your DM's, then you need to find your spine, find your line and stick to it! Being a mum is about doing what is best for our children. Setting a good example to them. And standing up for not only them, but ourselves, too!

And, actually, as much as I adore my DD - I do wish that I'd found my own spine and stood up for my rights as her mother whilst I was pregnant with her, not when she was 2 years old. I wish that I'd listened to the people who said to me what I've just "said" to you. To the family GP who had spent years - from the time I turned 16 - urging me to get as far away as I possibly could from my mother before she destroyed me completely. To my grandparents. To my oldest brother who had run as far away as he possibly could, as soon as he could. Even to my own father (who actually enables her). But I didn't. And I will regret that for the rest of my life. Because I lost out on so much of my DD's early childhood - and later...

Please don't let that happen to you and your DD.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 23/03/2016 10:49

Contrary Thanks - that is such a moving, powerful and sad post. I really hope the OP pays close attention to it and finds her own backbone. x

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