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Relationships

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

Be honest- would you judge this?

131 replies

Hairybiked43 · 28/10/2025 07:57

Maybe I’m being a judgey cow🙈 but would appreciate your thoughts.
my long time best friend had a baby a few weeks ago. The guy she got pregnant too was a fling and she hasn’t really heard from him since she told him she was pregnant. Shes been online dating the whole pregnancy. She met a man 2 weeks before her due date and now they are in a relationship, all over social media with ‘family’ style posts, I’m sure everyone assumes he is the dad.
she said it’s better to date when the baby is young and “won’t remember anyway” if they split up.
Shes a 39 year old woman not a teenager

OP posts:
Drylip · 31/10/2025 14:07

DingDongJingle · 31/10/2025 14:04

I didn’t say we could do anything. And it sounds like the OP can’t either… she’s tried talking to her and it’s fallen on deaf ears. My point was just that there are far more important things in this scenario than the wording used in the OP’s post, and that’s the fact that this woman is potentially putting her newborn at risk.

Indeed

however the Op was framed as “do you judge?” No request for guidance, advice, suggestions

DingDongJingle · 31/10/2025 14:11

Drylip · 31/10/2025 14:07

Indeed

however the Op was framed as “do you judge?” No request for guidance, advice, suggestions

Yes it was. Not sure what continuing to point that out to her will achieve though.
Thankfully she has had some guidance, advice and suggestions regardless.

TwoTuesday · 31/10/2025 14:22

How dare she "play happy families" when she should be struggling and stigmatised right? Keep a close eye on her if you are concerned about child abuse, especially if the new bloke is living with them, but if it's just a few social media posts, so what? The real father would be just as much of a stranger risk really?

Drylip · 31/10/2025 14:38

DingDongJingle · 31/10/2025 14:11

Yes it was. Not sure what continuing to point that out to her will achieve though.
Thankfully she has had some guidance, advice and suggestions regardless.

She’s left anyway it would seem 🤷‍♀️

ConstitutionHill · 31/10/2025 21:12

Notsoother · 28/10/2025 07:58

And this is your best friend?

This is how you treat your best friend… starting a gossipy mumsnet thread to debate her life choices?

This forum is anonymous.

Daisy12Maisie · 01/11/2025 07:50

I don’t think it’s a good idea.

However I don’t think people realise how difficult it is to be on your own. No emotional support and no one to give you a hand with a new baby.

My husband left when I was pregnant with our youngest. I had no family around. Friends were lovely but had their own families etc.

I have stayed single until the youngest was 12 and only started seeing the bf a couple of times a week at his house so I’m wasn’t bringing him into my teenagers home although we have been on (disastrous) joint holidays with his children and mine.

Yes it’s the safest thing to stay single but it’s very, very hard emotionally to have no one to talk about your day etc. No one to run to the shop when you all have a sickness bug etc.
No one to help when things break in the house etc.

I think there should be more pressure from people/ society to make the dads actually help and be responsible. Difficult as you can’t force them but people seem to be fine with the fact that the dads have just walked out and don’t see their kids/ barely see their kids. Even if baby was a fling the baby exists so it’s pretty poor that the dad wants nothing to do with them.

If dads had their children 5050 this situation wouldn’t arise in the first place as both of the parents could date in the time they didn’t have the children.

I also think that people that have a partner should be a bit more considerate with those that don’t. Eg saying I’ll pick both kids up from football so you can stay at home with your youngest and my partner can stay at home with our youngest. That never happens. In fact I have found the opposite. People see how much single parents juggle so think they are super capable and end up asking them for help. Like what happens at work when the busiest person gets asked to do more tasks as they are seen as the most efficient.

Loads of benefits of being a single parent but it can’t just be seen as no big deal that someone needs to stay single for 12 years and have no help or support raising a baby/ child.

So yes I would judge and worry about your friends baby but I would also understand.
you could do a Claire’s law request so if he has any history of domestic abuse/ abuse of children it could be disclosed to her.

You could also pick something supportive that you could do but only if you can stick to it. Eg ring me any time day or night if the baby needs medicine/ to go to hospital and I’ll get the medicine/ take you to hospital.

Encourage her to go to baby groups and meet lots of mum friends as she may have less need for a bf if she is getting emotional support from friends.

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