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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Dont know what to do nearly 28 weeks pg and had a huge row with dh and mil

83 replies

DebbsyandBibby · 28/08/2006 15:47

Hello all does anyone fancy being an agony aunty? to me today feeling very down and low Huge row with dh and mother in law!!!
ill start by telling you the story i met my dh 14 yrs ago and in that time he has taken part in a motocross sport which takes him away alot of the weekends he enters into championships and is very good at what he does.Sometimes before i was pg i didnt go with him as his mum and dad go all the time and are very heavily involved in this sport ( so much me and mil clash on a regular basis)as they phone up every friday nite after the tmx has come out to tell him whats on at the weekend and where they can go.Whilst im pg though in order to spend time with dh i go with them all,and have asking them for sometime whats going to happen next year?When the baby is here? as its quite a cramped van and caravan and we are all a bit on top of each other,and even though his parents do their best as in cooking my favourite meal looking after the dogs i still feel such animosity towards them at times.Dh and I discussed next year and dh said he would only do these championships which equates to 14 rounds from march -november but he wasnt definetly decided as me and our son come first!!
What a joke his mother took it upon herself yesterday to tell all and sundry that he was doing these championships next year (even though we havent decided and i think its not unreasonable of me to request next year is a year of no racing whilst our son is a baby.This has lead to a huge row where i stormed off today and drove the 2 hrs home fuming as mil said i wont be happy until he packs it in and im always moaning,i lost my temper with her as i feel ive given my dh an awful lot of commitment to his racing and told her she didnt care about anything else but getting him on the bike,not even our baby mattered as she never rings ups and asks if im ok its always ringing up about a meeting or something to do with the bike.She told me that i was vile and we both said some rather choice words of which i told her dont get any ideas about pushing my son into this sport as there is no way on earth i will let it happen of which she said she could say a few things to me but she wont stoop down to my level.The cheek i dont want to fall out with anyone but i think this baby has taken us 2 years to get and should be treated as the special gift that he is.She has made me so angry i dont ever want to see her again and told her that.So where do i go from here??? What do i do?? Am i being unreasonable?

OP posts:
DebbsyandBibby · 28/08/2006 16:41

thomcat yes i thought of going with him but maybe we need to get a caravan of our own as there simply is not the room with his parents atm i appreciate your advice i really do see there are also some of the weekwnds that are down south and take 3 to 4 hrs even longer to get there and with my job (driving 250 miles sometimes further a day )it just doesnt seem fair on me.

OP posts:
Pinotmum · 28/08/2006 16:43

Once the baby arrives he will probably make the choice to cut back on his activities himself. My dh was a golf fanatic, and still is, but after missing ds's 1st birthday due to a Florida Trip has decided to cut back. Mind you 1 week per yr in Florida and 2 long weekends in Spain a year plus the odd Sat/Sun isn't cutting back to me but is to him apparently

wannaBe1974 · 28/08/2006 16:43

you really should talk about this, just the two of you, without his mother in ehe equasion. Unfortunately the situation with your mil will need to be resolved as she is your baby's grandmother, but that can wait for now. Try talking to your dh and telling him how you feel, maybe even write it down if you don't trust yourself not to be emotional about it.

If it is a passion, then it's not just about being selfish - it's about asking him to give up something that is truely a part of his life. I know if someone asked me to give up music I couldn't.

Also you will need to prepare yourself for the fact that your son might share his father's passion, no-one will have control over that. if your dh wants to take him to the races, he will do, and your son will be left to make his own decisions.

Thomcat · 28/08/2006 16:45

He's brilliant in every other way.

My DP was a proper muso when I met him, always has been, always will be. He has records in every corner of the house, music equipment, was away and out DJing every weekend, making music every spare second. Now nearly 5 years down the line he's slowly, slowly almost given it up. He still loves it but realises that with 2 younbg kids he just can't keep doing it. He's now taken up magic. Don't which I preferred, drives me mad asking me to 'look at this', 'choose a card' etc etc

If it wasn't his riding it would something else.

Please, for your own sanity, don't bug out on this too much.
If when the baby arrives he's never around then have words and comprrmise together. But for now, don't get het up, it's not worth it, think of that bubba inside you and just take a dee breath and go and relax with a book on the sofa or chat on mumsnet but maybe not about this topic anymore.

You can't ask him to just switch off a massive part of his life overnight.

Big love to you and that bump.
TC x

DebbsyandBibby · 28/08/2006 16:58

i will feeling very tired and emotional right now.

OP posts:
Thomcat · 28/08/2006 17:02

bless you and those hormones.
Have a little cry, a nice long bath and a hot chocolate and will you are soaking count all your blessings up

MadamePlatypus · 28/08/2006 17:06

I think you do need to try to discuss calmly the practical implications of your DH spending weekends away when you have a child. I think asking him to give up for a year is perhaps not the best option because as others have said, I don't think that life with children suddenly gets easier at age 1. I think it will be very tough on you if you only have 1 or 2 weekends a month with a supportive partner. I would therefore expect that on the weekends he was at home he would be 100% focused on helping you out/ and giving you a break - but I can imagine that he probably currently spends his non racing weekends doing motocross related activities - how will he organise his time when the baby arrives? I don't think there is a baby shaped hole in your husband's life at the moment. What will happen if he is injured? You won't be able to look after him in the same way that you have in the past, and frankly, injury may be a luxury that for finanical and family reasons he can no longer afford. It sounds as though it has all got a bit heated, but I agree that beyond all the emotional problems, you do have some practical problems that you need to address now.

goldendelicious · 28/08/2006 17:12

Hi Debbsy, first i'm sorry all this has happened you don't need it at this important time .

I agree that you need to sit with DH and have a talk about it, without the dreaded MIL there. If she's as stubborn as she sounds then she won't back down or apologise. Perhaps apologise to DH for the fact that it turned into a heated argument. Don't apologise for wanting what you do, and stipulate that.

Agree that MIL can wait for now. Be a bit hostile, either way you're carrying her grandson so she's gonna want to make amends at some point.

Go have a rest and try not to worry too much about it (know thats easier said than done) [hugs]

octavia · 28/08/2006 17:14

Don't worry about the row with mil,thats what their there for imo
You will probably find that he will cut down on his sport off his own back once the baby is born anyway.If he doesn't then tbh you are better off leaving him to it because the more you nag (not suggesting that you are a nag,just a turn of phrase)the more likely he will dig his heels in.As for sacrifices, well they sometimes don't see life as we do. At least he has some good points and you do love each other.

Kathlean · 28/08/2006 17:26

I know it's not something you need to look at now but if he decides to carry on as he is at weekends what will you do?

When will you get 'you' time. When will you get family time??

It is unfair if he expects you to look after the little one all week and then all weekend as well. Him taking the baby and letting MIL look after little one while he races would not be an option in my opinion.

Are you expected (or willing) to give your entire life over to a child whilst he changes nothing? I'm afraid I don't agree with this it's in his blood it's a passion. He helped make the baby he is responsible for an equal share in it's upbringing.

If that's means giving up some (not necessarily all) of his racing the he should be grown up enough to do so.

cazboldy · 28/08/2006 17:27

I can see it from both sides. I ride horses, and have 2 of my own and 2 I look after that live on our farm, but of course I don't ride whilst pg. However, sometimes this seems a big deal and sometimes I don't mind it.
You are not out of order for expecting him to cut back on the time away from you - after all I think that you are making sacrifices too just by being pg for starters! but I do feel it would be unfair to make him stop all together.
As for the mil thing if he won't tell her to butt out, then I don't think you will get very far!

podglet · 28/08/2006 17:45

Debs, have posted on the Nov thread for you.

Podglet xx

DebbsyandBibby · 28/08/2006 18:15

thanks everyone for advice

OP posts:
tribpot · 28/08/2006 19:45

I quite agree with Kathlean. I am sorry, but which of us as mums would say "I have a hobby which takes me away 3 weekends out of 4 for 9 months of the year, plus a full-time job"? We just would not do it. And the others are right, that whilst at the mo you might consider it reasonable that he knock it on the head for one year, as your ds grows and wants more of his daddy's attention you are definitely going to resent it more and more on his behalf - simply because your son deserves more.

He has chosen to have a child. Hopefully when your baby arrives he will have a spiritual epiphany (as Bridget Jones would say) but I think you need to work out what you will do if he doesn't.

DebbsyandBibby · 28/08/2006 19:46

its now turned into a slanging match me v them including dh shes obviously been stirring today with dh on at me since he got in p*ed of going to bed

OP posts:
tribpot · 28/08/2006 19:47

Hopefully in the morning the air will have cleared and you can have a proper discussion.

DebbsyandBibby · 28/08/2006 19:49

arghhhh ive had enough im going to bed

OP posts:
goldendelicious · 28/08/2006 19:58

Let us know how you get on tomorrow Debbs x

Thomcat · 28/08/2006 20:01

Ahhh mate, sorry it turned out the way it did today. Hope it's much better in the morning.

buktus · 28/08/2006 20:11

why does mil have to go and stay in the caravan anyway, why cant you go on your own

octavia · 28/08/2006 20:25

Because she still wants to be in control of her "little boy" sounds familar to me.

catsmother · 28/08/2006 20:31

Debs, I hope you and DH can sit down and discuss this rationally tomorrow.

But, FWIW, in my opinion when you get together with someone who has some sort of passionate hobby in their lives, you can't demand they give it up because you'd find it inconvenient ..... after all, as a grown adult you have choices, you can look after yourself and walk away if you really don't like it.

HOWEVER when someone decides to become a parent, that decision brings with it huge responsibilities and it's selfish to assume that your life will be able to be conducted exactly as it was before. No-one - male or female - becomes a parent without usually having to make significant changes, compromises or even sacrifices.

To my mind, if you have a hobby - "passion" or not - that should take 2nd place, if necessary, to the family you've created. Obviously, a keen stamp collector may find that their hobby isn't too affected but if that hobby impacts upon your family because it's very time-consuming, very exepnsive or very dangerous - maybe even all three - then a responsible, mature adult should agree to take a step back.

It's not a question of Debbsy being a killjoy ..... it's a question of her and her DH taking equal responsibility for their children. Why should the vast majority of childcare have to fall upon her whilst DH's "passion" completely removes him from the picture for 2/3 of the year ? When would she ever get a break, or an opportunity to "indulge" herself too ? And how about Dad actually spending some quality time with his children ? ..... at the rate Debbsy describes, he'd never really see them at all.

I'm sure Debbsy's not unreasonable, and like most people, would be prepared to give and take regarding "days off" every so often. But as she's pointed out this is totally consuming, it's not even 1 weekend a month but often 3 ! She's not "nagged" him until now, even when she's attended various events on her own, but the new baby isn't hers alone and he needs to be there both in a supporting role for Debbsy and, as a dedicated Dad.

The bottom line is that if he didn't want to give up this way of life, he shouldn't have become a Dad. Debbsy said that they discussed it and now it appears, with the encouragement of his mother, that he has made a unilateral decision.

I think it stinks TBH, and he's hiding behind his mum. I think there's a danger now that instead of this only being about what will happen next year, it will also become extra-heated because Mum's been insulted blah di blah.

I could slap women like this who completely fail to recognise their little boy has grown up and no longer needs mummy to speak up for him. I bet you anything you like that she's waded in now because she enjoys going away most weekends and she can see her little jaunts going down the plughole if he doesn't race next year. Hence her attempt to lay down the law. I think it's disgusting that she's poked her nose in to this extent I really do when it's obviously a matter for you and him to sort out and nothing to do with her.

It's also quite a horrifying thought that if you wanted to go along with your DH to these events, it seemingly always has to be with his parents. That certainly doesn't sound as if you can even salvage a few hours together in the evening alone without them being there breathing down your neck.

Hope he's more reasonble minded tomorrow. Good luck.

Avalon · 28/08/2006 20:39

On the nail, catsmother.

And, fwiw, debbsy, I don't think you're upset because of hormones, I think you're justifiably upset over this situation.
You've given the pre-baby way of life 14 years, now maybe it's time dh tried things differently.

Thomcat · 28/08/2006 20:43

That is a great post actually catsmother, well said. Well said.

goldendelicious · 28/08/2006 20:44

catsmother you are one hundred percent right there - some sterling advice

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