Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Where to have a kid

24 replies

LondonorWales · 14/03/2022 23:01

My partner and I have been together over a year now. We’ve discussed having kids together numerous times and have always agreed we’d move out of London to do it. Reason being we both love the outdoors and wanted to raise our kids in the countryside well away from the hustle and bustle of London.
I am from Wales and have always wanted to move back home to have children. My partner has been fully aware of this and in agreement.
We are now pregnant.
And here’s where it gets tricky. His mum has just been diagnosed with cancer. We are still waiting on full prognosis however it is an incurable type. My partner now does not want to leave London.
I’ve thought about it and offered a compromise of living just outside London where he could commute to work and to see his mum and we’d also have to luxury of living in a quiet area and in a house with a garden rather than a flat. He didn’t want to compromise on this because he feels like the commute would be too long and expensive and that these outsider towns have nothing to offer.
I’m a bit lost now. I understand he’s close to his mum and doesn’t want to move too far away like Wales, but it feels odd that he doesn’t want to compromise for me. I will be without my family and raising a kid in London which I never wanted to do. I feel guilty for feeling this way because of his mums situation but can’t help but feel as though his priorities are off, and that we can find somewhere to live where he can travel to see her.
I have also posed the question of staying in London for a few years then moving out before kids go to school but this also wasn’t an option. His mum could live for another 10 years and I’m worried that I will be stuck here for the rest of my life. What if his mum passed then his dad gets ill? What’s the priority here? I’m not sure what the right thing to do is.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Ozanj · 14/03/2022 23:09

Where are you in London?

LondonorWales · 14/03/2022 23:11

I’m in north London and my partner is East

OP posts:
Runningupthecurtains · 14/03/2022 23:14

So you don't currently live together?

LondonorWales · 14/03/2022 23:20

No we don’t. Sorry I should have said that. We’d have to find a new place to live together in London if we stayed.

OP posts:
NavaniKholinRocks · 14/03/2022 23:31

OP, this sounds tricky. On the one hand, you had discussed your expectations and therefore thought you had an agreed plan. On the other, life has thrown you an awful curveball…

It seems a bit out of balance that you are the only one suggesting compromises to your pre-agreed plan. But I would wonder how recent was the news of your partner’s mum’s diagnosis? If it’s really recent, then he may be struggling to come to terms with it, and may therefore need a bit more time with that aspect before thinking of the impact on longer term plans.

Sympathies for having to navigate such an awful set of circumstances. If you are able to (i.e. if your pregnancy timeline allows) maybe give him some more time to try and adjust to his mum’s diagnosis, and then discuss how you can both find a new medium term plan that suits you both.

LondonorWales · 14/03/2022 23:36

That’s really lovely advice. Thank you for your kind words.

We found our the news on his mum 4 weeks ago and the pregnancy 3 weeks ago. I’m almost 9 weeks pregnant.

Very bad luck indeed.

OP posts:
NavaniKholinRocks · 15/03/2022 09:12

(Was going to reply again last night but the mumsnet servers were offline)

So both pieces of news are really recent. No wonder it feels so difficult - I bet you’re just wanting to get everything arranged so you can relax and enjoy being pregnant and looking forward to the arrival of your baby. I hope you get time to do that.

And hopefully your partner can adjust and also see the joy in your future.

For now, I would just be patient and support him however he needs. Then gently start the discussions of what your new future together should look like. Hopefully he’ll be more receptive to considering different options with you.

NavaniKholinRocks · 15/03/2022 09:13

Oh, and it’s totally ok to feel like this is unfair! And if you need a safe space to rant, there’s always MN Grin

nee22 · 15/03/2022 09:17

Maybe you can just delay your move a bit? London isn't a terrible place to have a newborn ... everything is on your doorstep. Plenty of coffee shops and places to go on rainy days when you need to get out. Lots of baby groups. It could be you feel less isolated in newborn stage. Toddler stage is different... totally understand the want for space/garden then, but maybe you have 18 months+ before you get there? xx

Totalwasteofpaper · 15/03/2022 09:32

@LondonorWales

No we don’t. Sorry I should have said that. We’d have to find a new place to live together in London if we stayed.
You are very early in the relationship to be having a baby especially as you don't even live together. Agree London isn't awful for a baby IF its what you want. Ithere are tonnes of groups and classes and the hospital care I received was very good overall.

Moving will likely become much harder once the baby is here so I would be "acting" now so everything is in place and the baby is born where you want to live especially if you def want to move out. Maybe suggest that you both try outside London for a year as a trial if its what you really want.

You are more vulnerable when pregnant (I felt this as someone who is fairly type a and assertive) so watch for that and don't be railroaded.
Your boyfriend is moving goal posts and I'd be watching his actions closely.

Pamparam · 15/03/2022 09:32

Tough one OP. I feel for your poor partner but am a london parent with a hankering to get back to my countryside upbringing. I am hoping to work on my partner for when our kids are older and move a little further out. But London is a brilliant place to bring up a baby and toddler. Classes, soft plays, children's centres, busy mum groups, museums etc etc. I personally value ethnic diversity too and want my kids to grow up experiencing other cultures rather than the wall to wall white people in my old village. Your mileage may vary here!

I think moving to suburbia would be the worst of both worlds with a long commute, expensive and be further from all the good stuff! However I do think your partner is being a little unfair about not wanting to compromise move a little further, depending on where he would like to be close to in East London for his mum, there are (just about) affordable areas in zone 3/4 which would have outside space, lots of parks, community feel - a good compromise for a few years.

Pamparam · 15/03/2022 09:34

PS I really do not agree that your partner now not wanting to move because his mum has been diagnosed with incurable cancer is 'moving the goalposts' but I think there has to be some middle ground.

Totalwasteofpaper · 15/03/2022 09:38

Ah I read it as your mum not his mum... that does make it trickier!
I think my advice still stands as his rationale seems to be around commute costs rather than specifically his mum.
If his mum is East somewhere like Essex would be a short commute into Liverpool Street which mat take less time than travelling from North London (eg picadilly or Northern line)
Essex also has amazing green space
It might be worth looking at travel times

CantStandMeCow · 15/03/2022 10:09

Anything you did now would be a massive compromise and you won’t want that either. I’d let the dust settle for a year or two and then reevaluate, although it would be easier if you lived together in London.

3LittleSausages · 15/03/2022 10:17

Go to Wales. Raise your child where you want.
He can move in once his mother is either recovered or passed, if that's still what you want.

Obviously nothing can be done about it now, but planning a baby with a man you don't even live with was poor judgement. I'd be quite surprised if this relationship works out. Prioritise you and your child, give them the countryside you want them to have.

3LittleSausages · 15/03/2022 10:18

I'm guessing your family is still in Wales?
That support will be invaluable.

ChloeHel · 15/03/2022 10:26

Hi, so as someone who has been in a very similar boat to you I can try and offer some advice.

I’m also from Wales and moved to London to be with my now DH. We lived there for 4 years before getting married. I had also stated I wanted to be closer to Wales as I miss my family! DH works in London so I knew we could never move to Wales but we compromised on Reading! We live in a lovely little place which has a train station so DH can catch the cross rail and be in London within 30 minutes! It’s only a 40 minute drive from his parents. His father has MS so I can completely understand your partners feelings on wanting to be close, however, if you move out of London, you can find a nice country area within 45 minutes, and that’s not at all far for him to travel! And if needs be he can always stay over his mums if he feels he wants to spend more time with her :)

Im glad we moved away from London as that was a very different life and in all honesty I personally don’t think I could have managed the London life with a baby, plus house prices are ridiculous!!

Why don’t you do some scoping of areas and maybe plan a few day trips together. There are so many lovely country places out there with close enough proximity to London. I hope that helps :)

fridaRose · 15/03/2022 11:25

planning a baby with a man you don't even live with was poor judgement. I'd be quite surprised if this relationship works out.

Agree

Sweetleftfood · 15/03/2022 11:34

If it was your mother having cancer, would you move away? I am sorry but I think you'll have to stay until you know at least what the prognosis say

Sweetleftfood · 15/03/2022 11:40

Oh my mum has got cancer and my husband wants to move me and the baby away - what a bastard! Seriously think about the reverse.

HumunaHey · 15/03/2022 11:49

Bit silly really. Moving the woman (who carries, births and HAS to be the main care giver if breastfeeding in the first few weeks/months, away from a possible support network and where they will be happiest is not comparable to a man moving in this situation.

Such a false comparison.

LondonorWales · 15/03/2022 11:59

I haven’t said to move to wales since the news. I suggested moving just outside London to a green area that’s between 40-60 minutes away from his work and mum. Is that not a reasonable request?

OP posts:
LondonorWales · 15/03/2022 12:03

Thanks everyone for your input. It really is helpful for me to read.
Yes you’re probably right I shouldn’t have got pregnant when I don’t even live with him. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I fully sympathise with his situation which is why this is so difficult to me. I will be the one in London raising this kid without my family, I think it’s important for me to be happy in this.
I guess I’m feeling a bit upset and nervous because I don’t feel he wants to compromise or even consider any towns further out that are quieter and more green. I’m not sure that’s right. I’m not asking him to move far away from him mum at all. 40-60 mins.

OP posts:
ChloeHel · 15/03/2022 12:37

It’s a tough one OP. I’ll be totally honest with you and won’t sugar coat it as my first post seems, even though DH and I moved out of London and are a bit closer to Wales, it’s still a bit far from my family. I love where we live but yeah, it’s not the same. I’m now pregnant with my 2nd and I can already see how much I am going to struggle. But it’s tough as DH can’t really move further.

If my in laws could help with childcare it would be very different, but unfortunately they can’t/don’t, so I rely solely on my family travelling down once a month so I can work one Wednesday.

In the grand scheme of things, would it make that much of a difference if you did move 40 mins closer to Wales? Would your family be able to see you more? If you stay local to his family do you think his family would be able to support you with childcare etc? If the answer is NO then move back home with your family. Having a baby isn’t easy and support is needed.

Or you could always do what I said I’d do but I never ended up doing because I couldn’t be away from my DH. But when you have had the baby you could just move home to Wales for a few months just so you have extra support etc. Rent out your place in London then you’ll have some spare cash too.

I lived with my partner in his flat for 4 years before we got a house together! So maybe don’t jump into buying a house with him too quick, you may change your mind and regret it.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread