You can always tell some women are childless by the fact that they....

[NinaInCognito]

...get in the way of you when you are in the supermarket dragging around a pram, trolley and fiddly child and then they sneer down at you with their basket full of organic lettuce, baguettes and mini-tampons while your trolley is loaded with nappies, a giant pot of Sudocrem and enough chocolate bars to re-sink the Titanic.

You then have to manoever around them while they continue said sneering.

God you can tell what sort of evening I have had, can't you? And I am embarrassed to admit that I used to be one of those women. I apologise to all you mums out there unreservedly.

Now for chocolate bars and MN......

[pgwithnumber3]

Aitch, I yearned for a child for 6 years before conceiving DD1 through IVF. I certainly wouldn't have flamed the OP and used that as an excuse. Maybe you saying "yes, well, maybe those women are desperate for a baby and are looking at your children longingly" would have been a bit more tactful.

[scottishmummy]

what a horrid curious thread.mind yer beak nina.worry less about perceived sneering.do you often feel people are out to get you (or your shopping)

[expatinscotland]

maybe htey're not barren. maybe like me they married a man who came to find out he never wanted children, so it broke your heart, and then you went through a divorce and horrible rebound relationship and did most of your shopping in a liquor store and the fast food burger joint across the car park from there, with a pitstop in the petrol garage for your cigarettes.

[NinaInCognito]

Oh come on. I have two infertile friends, do you think I am smug with them because I have a son? I wasn't intending it to be like this, just a light piece of fun for a Friday night.

[fryalot]

don't think aitch was trying to have a go at a newbie, tbh. I think she was stating that she took offence at the op.

And, knowing aitch, I'm sure she would have posted exactly the same whether the op was brand new, or tres famous in MN circles.

[LittlePeanut]

I don't think anyone is assuming that, Aitch?

If you didn't have any empathy for the OP then you didn't have to post. Although your first post wasn't actually hostile it was designed to make the OP feel silly, IMO. At least that is how it reads.

[olympicsnotfederer]

but I don't understand this venom towards;-

a) childless women- you don't know why she is childless, perhaps not through choice?

b) women with older children- supersize tampons?? whats that all about ?? Theres nothing wrong with the size of my fanny thankyou

there is no female solidarity on this thread

should we be advocating that women be divided into 3 camps? And the camp with the women with littley children are the most hard-done-by by other women ??

sheesh

[pgwithnumber3]

A personal view I have Aitch. I wonder if one of the frequent/older members such had posted such a thread you would have left such a reply. I doubt it.

[lilolilmanchester]

come on, we all feel for women who can't have children but I am sure that is not what Nina intended with her OP. I am sure she meant childless as in "women who haven't yet had children but think that when they do they will be perfect mothers" rather than childless as in "those who would dearly love children but can't have them".

[cheesesarnie]

i agree with aitch-and dont understand what was soooooo bad about her first reply to op?

i never did this before children(and i did want them) .but not every one has to like children.

[expatinscotland]

having empathy with the OP is not a prerequisite to posting on any thread.

posting different points of view is what makes this board different from many others.

[Aitch]

er... maybe not posting the OP in the first place would have been more tactful? and i didn't flame her AS A MATTER OF RECORD, i said 'i never was, nor do i remember meeting them...' and in fact nina got all victimish and persecuted for no reason whatsoever, rather pathetically. it was a nice move, though, i'll grant her that.

[expatinscotland]

oh, yes, older members are never challenged, slagged off, have threads started about how bitchy and 'mean' they are, are called bullies, etc.

[WideWebWitch]

I've met these women, I used to be one! C'mon, let's not pretend they don't exist! It seems a bit touchy to get offended at the OP making some assumptions about women she's seen in the shops today on the basis that SOME women can't have children/aren't childless by choice/some other reason.

[lilolilmanchester]

olympics, I was talking about myself there as a Mum of older children whose mini-tampon days are way way behind her. Sorry, no offence intended and will leave this thread now. Obviously too sensitive a topic for too many people, tho I fully understand where Nina is coming from

[NinaInCognito]

I think, like most people I know the difference between looking longingly at my ds and sneering.

You know what, forget it, forget this whole post everybody. I am not the sort of person who wants to offend anybody, am in fact quite mortified that I have done that. I am sorry to anyone that has taken this the wrong way.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

What SEA said.

Women who havent yet had children were always the ones to give a "you made your bed you lie in it" look when pg and struggling, or, trying to deal with a tantruming toddler in the supermarket.

Twas always other mothers (who know how it feels) that helped out.

I dunno, maybe it's a London thing?

[WideWebWitch]

And I don;t think people necessarily ought to be tactful when they start threads on mumsnet, surely we're all here to JUDGE? That's what makes it such fun! Well, and to have a good old ruck sometimes too

[LittleBella]

This thread has lost me

Particularly as I have a mooncup and don't need to concern myself with tampon sizes

[olympicsnotfederer]

I don't know what sorta member I am {wink]

But if I don't agree with a point of view, I am quite at liberty to say so, it don't matter who it is

[WideWebWitch]

It's been a long time since I used a mini regular sized tampon I can tell you

[amummi]

Aitch you leapt on her as soon as she posted. Accept it and say sorry.

[Aitch]

i can absolutely 100% assure you, pgwithno3, that my own personal history would GUARANTEE that i would respond to such a naff OP in exactly the way i did, regardless of who wrote it. and if you don't believe that, then sod you tbh.