A woman was left fuming with her mum after she shared that she was booking a holiday so close to her due date, despite the fact she was meant to be providing childcare
When you’re due to give birth, you’ll desperately want someone you love in the delivery room with you to offer support, or you’ll want someone there to provide childcare for your other children.
So when one woman’s mum told her she’d planned on going away when she was due to give birth to her second child, so wouldn’t be there to look after her two-year-old, she was left feeling “physically sick”.
The woman tried to explain that it wasn’t good timing, asking her mum whether she’d gone ahead and booked it – but her mum left her hanging for hours without any information.
She shared on Mumsnet: “I’m 38 + 4 weeks pregnant. I have a little one (2) who has never stayed out before. My mum is my only childcare for when I go into labour, she has my little one every Friday and they have a great bond.
“This morning she messages ‘I’m going away mon-fri is that ok’ me thinking well it’s cutting it close, but chances of me going into labour are slim as I went into labour at 40+3 with my first. I say go for it, enjoy etc! She rings me like are you sure?? Me yes why wouldn’t I be? She starts telling me about the holiday, I’m getting excited with her and say you better get packing if it’s tomorrow!
“Well she said it’s a week on Monday. My due date would be the Wednesday she is away. My face changes, I say well now I’m panicking! She’s like I don’t have to go but it sounds fully planned she has already dug passports out etc. She saw my face and was like I won’t go! I said I’ll just have to deal with it and hung up.”
She said that she felt “physically sick” because her only other childcare options were her sisters – and neither of them were suitable.
The pregnant woman fumed: “I’ve basically said to my mum that if she wants to go then go, I’ll have to take one of my sisters to the hospital while my husband stays home with my little one (and unfortunately he would miss out on the birth, we would both be really gutted about this). She hasn’t replied. It’s been a couple of hours and I’m just waiting for her to message or call now to confirm whether or not she has gone ahead and booked it.”
She said that she was “really p***ed off” and “hurt” by what her mum had done, allowing her to become so “stressed out”.
“The only reason I think I might be being unreasonable is that I chose to have another child and I know I can’t expect people to put their lives on hold because she could be overdue and she might be back in time, but I’d then be stressed hoping she doesn’t come before my mum gets back”, she penned.
In the poll, the results were split 50/50, with half of people saying she was being unreasonable, and half saying not. One person fumed: “I think your mother is being unreasonable. She has known for months what your due date is. She’s already told you she’ll look after your daughter when you go into labour. I don’t understand why she’s booked a weekend away at the very time you could go into labour.”
Another raged: “I’m astonished by your mum – is she not excited about the arrival of another grandchild? I was on standby for my daughter for about a fortnight, and dropped everything to run down to London to hold the fort and pick up my first grandchild from nursery – I wouldn’t have dreamt of going away.
“She would be unreasonable to go on holiday this week when she knows your babe is nearly cooked: to plan on going next week is just unfathomable. I don’t know what she is thinking – you have every right to be upset.”
Someone said that she shouldn’t have “assumed” her mum would just be there for her, however, asking: “Is there really no one else you can ask?”
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