Please or to access all these features

Post-natal clubs

Join our Postnatal Clubs forum to find parenting advice for newborns.

Don’t trust wife with baby

89 replies

PanickyBrum1 · 05/07/2018 22:30

I feel awful writing this and I love my wife to bits and think she’s amazing. But I’m really struggling to leave I the morning knowing it’s just her and our two and a half week old baby. I got home today and our little one was so over heated and my wife had put woolly socks and knickers over her nappy. She gave her a dummy today even though she’s a thumb sucker anyway so what’s the point???

I’ve see loads of threads about not trusting the dad with kids but in that case you can just not leave him with the kids, what can you do to improve your wife’s understanding without upsetting her???

OP posts:
pastabest · 06/07/2018 09:11

Sterilising is important but the world also isn't going to end if the dummy isn't always mega clean and super sterilised.

Newborns are more resilient than current safety advice acknowledges, as it's all based on worse case scenario.

I've also got a two week old (my second child) so I understand how shattered your wife probably is right now and how relentless it probably feels. The difference is I have the benefit of experience and know it will be temporary, but those first few weeks with your first are terrifying because you don't know at that point that things do generally improve and get easier every week at this stage.

PanickyBrum1 · 06/07/2018 09:17

As an Irish person, I'm going to forgive myself Jumblefun2

OP posts:
SoyDora · 06/07/2018 09:18

I don’t get the issue with the dummy, they’re actually proven to reduce the incidence of SIDS so actually she was making a safety conscious decision there.
Woolly socks and knickers are a bit much in this heat but as you’ve found out, just a simple ‘does she need this?’ will suffice. Many new parents stress about whether their baby is hot/cold enough. I can’t see anything in your post that suggests you can’t trust your wife with the baby.

jumblefun2 · 06/07/2018 09:30

Its offensive as fuck and based on a lazy stereotype.

PanickyBrum1 · 06/07/2018 09:33

Don't swear on the thread. What is the stereotype?

OP posts:
AgentCooper · 06/07/2018 09:41

Hi OP, and congrats on the wee one! I have a wee 9 month old (called George Wink).

One thing I'll say about the clothes issue - in the newborn fug I was forever worrying about him being too hot cold. He had a hospital appointment at 3 weeks and though it was mid-October and cold I got it into my head that he'd overheat in a sleeps it so took him to hospital in a short legged and short sleeved onesie. Before leaving the house I freaked out that he might be a bit chilly so put a wee sports jacket type thing over it. And suede pram shoes. He looked like a tiny football coach and though I can laugh now, I had zero idea what I was doing.

It is absolutely brilliant and right that you want to help ease the burden on your wife. As others say, respecting her as the baby's mum and therefore the one who knows your DD best is really important, as is telling her what a good job she's doing. Cooking, cleaning, making sure your wife has all the food/drink/cushions she needs for all those hours spent feeding are so helpful. Changing the wee one, dressing her, all the things that aren't breastfeeding.

If you do think your wife is doing something wrong (and we can all do things a bit skew-whiff occasionally in the early months because we're knackered and it's all new), just be gentle and kind about it. Ask her, do you think DD might be too warm in that outfit, as I'm roasting myself? But when you do, keep emphasising what a great job she's doing, as we don't hear that often enough. Respect that she is the one on 24 hour duty. I need to remind DH of that sometimes, that I know DS best because I am with him 24 hours (literally - we co-sleep), and that I respond to questions and suggestions phrased tactfully better than criticism!

If you do want to suggest you help with feeding, wait until DD is 6 weeks and ask your wife if she'd consider expressing so she could get more sleep, as by then her supply should be better established. And if she says no, leave it there.

PanickyBrum1 · 06/07/2018 09:44

Thanks AgentCooper, George is the best name ever and your advise is very much appreciated.

OP posts:
SoyDora · 06/07/2018 09:54

PanickyBrum1 are you the OP with a name change?

jumblefun2 · 06/07/2018 10:19

We are allowed to swear here! So, I'll be saying offensive as fuck.

Paddy is a pejorative term for the Irish people, and throwing a paddy having a paddy and the like is based on a stereotype that the Irish are prone to bursts of drunken, unreasonable rage and flying off the handle.

gretchinweeners · 22/07/2018 23:13

DUTCHYDUKE

Lol 😂😂

Sleeplikeasloth · 03/08/2018 13:21

If you do move to formula, make sure that you really do share with the feeds, as that'll make it easier. We alternate nights, and it really helps with the tiredness. It's not something to dictate on though - like all bits of parenting, it's a partnership.

And yes you can help out in a million other ways instead, but at night the only one that really counted was the feeding.

Mix feeding is also a great middle way. I know you want to help, but you really need to make sure you don't make your wife feel like she's doing a rubbish job, or that her boobs are inadequate.

PanickyBrum1 · 03/08/2018 14:11

OP here. Just an update on this as it feels like a lifetime now. Since it was written everything has changed a lot.

I want to make it clear that I absolutely trust my wife with the baby.

I was incredibly tired, stressed and confused as I think most parents of a new born are and had a panic.

Some of the comments back really helped and I'm very thankful. Some of the other comments back were unnecessarily aggressive and tbh my view on mumsnet is that it is in general a very toxic internet community. I've read so many threads, not just my own, where people have suffered completely unprovoked attacks and aggression, such a shame because the idea of a forum for parents to help each other is a really good one but I think the anonymity gives people an excuse to be nasty to one another.

OP posts:
ChampooPapi · 21/08/2018 14:50

@PanickyBrum1 I agree with this and I'd like to say kudos on posting in the first place, you did it for advice and because you care about your baby and partner. Respect to you op, and glad things are well with you and the family

All the best

Lndnmummy · 22/08/2018 17:04

OP, I agree with you and so glad to hear that things are better. Of course you trust your wife. It’s terrifying and so fraught in the first few weeks but somehow you work it out together and before you know it life becomes a new normal. You are doing great and for what it’s worth I think you sound kind and caring.

You will believe it or not look back at this fraught time fondly. My husband and I had a horrible time with our first and it took us 6 years to recover and do it all again. We are going through these first few fraught weeks again now and it’s still as emotional and anxiety filled but we manage to laugh in between. Because we have the benefit of hindsight. We can look at our 6 year old and see that we raised a decent kid. That we did a good job and came out the other side. Hard as it is, we will do it again (and my husband asked me to formula feed this time so he could help, I gratefully agreed).
You will be fine, the first few weeks are hard but you have got this.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page