We Should Have Prepared for the Baby’s Arrival Sooner! – My Unforgettable Release from Hospital When My Husband Picked Me Up Straight from the Office, Our Home in Chaos, and Nothing Ready for Our Newborn – Whose Responsibility Was It Really? A Young Mother’s Honest Story and a Family Debate About Who Should Have Gotten Everything Ready for the Baby’s Arrival

Author Wanda MirandaReading 4 minViews 3

You really ought to have prepared earlier for the babys arrival!

My exit from the hospital was rather unique, really. My husband, Peter, was at work and came straight from the office to pick me up. Id asked him to take some time off, or even just a day, but his boss wouldnt allow it. I also begged him to get everything ready for the baby he swore blind hed take care of it all. If only! We couldve done the laundry, bought everything, and sorted out the flat ahead of time. But no! lamented 30-year-old Claire.

He didnt keep his promise, then?

I went into hospital utterly unprepared. Came back home and it was an absolute tip. I was mortified when the family turned up. There was so much dust I could practically doodle on the shelves. No pram, no chest of drawers, and he hadnt even got round to buying any baby clothes. Thank goodness my friends gave me nappies, Claire went on, rolling her eyes.

Claire married Peter six years ago. Now, at last, they were parents. Theyd put off having a baby, trying to get their footing first. Once things improved, Claire decided it was time to get pregnant.

I told my manager right away that I was expecting. He promptly let me go. Anyone else might have kicked up a fuss, but I took it as a sign. I settled into preparing for motherhood, tried my hand at embroidery, and embraced my free time. Money wasnt an issue, since Peter had just been promoted, Claire explained.

The pregnancy went smoothly. She read, took long walks, and leisurely picked out baby things.

But my husband wouldnt let me buy a single thing until after Id given birth. Its supposed to be bad luck, apparently. Thats what he claimed, anyway. My sister promised us her old chest of drawers and a cot. Shed set aside other little bits and pieces too. She begged me to collect and clean everything in advance. Well, I only managed to pack my hospital bag I wasnt allowed to do anything else, Claire sighed.

But when labour started, Peter panicked when he realised how expensive everything was. Claire, in the middle of giving birth, was fretting because the washing sat untouched in the machine. It all stayed there till she got home.

Thank heavens for friends who gave me clothes and nappies at least the baby had something to wear! Peter dashed about, scouring the city for baby things, but everything he found was filthy, dusty, or stained. I had to wash the lot and wait for it all to dry. At one point, I could have throttled every relative and divorced my husband, she practically sobbed.

For the next few days, Claire waged war against the mess in their flat. Two months have passed since her son was born, but she still refuses to invite anyone over.

Now my family have decided its high time for visits. Im expected to whip up a grand meal for everyone too Of course! Theyve already assigned me a new job, she said, twitchily.

Claires mother cant understand why her daughter isnt positively radiant. Its clear the flat wasnt ready, but shouldnt Claire have sorted it herself? Nine months at home, what was she even doing? She couldve asked Peter to haul in the furniture and do a bit of cleaning. Surely she couldve talked him round when it came to shopping. You have to see to these things yourself. Honestly, who relies on a man?

So what do you think is Claire right to be annoyed with her family, or is this all her own fault? Should she have taken matters into her own hands and prepared for the baby herself? What would you have done in her shoes?

For about a year, my son had been living with Kate, but we had never met her parents, which struck me as odd—so I decided to investigate I’ve always raised my son to respect women above all—his grandmother, his mother, his wife, his daughter. In my view, that’s the finest quality a man can have: respect for women. My husband and I gave our son a wonderful upbringing and education, and provided him with everything he needed to face life with confidence. We wanted to let him find his own way, but we still bought him a two-bedroom flat. While he worked to support himself, he didn’t earn enough to afford his own place. We didn’t just hand him the flat or even tell him about the purchase. Why? Because our son was living with his girlfriend—simple as that. For about a year, he’d been living with Kate, but we’d never met her parents, and I found that strange. Later, I discovered that Kate’s mother was once the neighbour of a friend of mine. She told me something that made me uneasy. It turned out her mother kicked her husband out when he started earning less, but the real oddity began afterwards… The woman started dating a married, but wealthy man. Kate’s grandmother, just like her daughter, was also involved with a married man and forced both her daughter and granddaughter to help out at his country cottage. Because of this, my son had already had several run-ins with his potential mother-in-law. But what troubles me most is that both Kate’s mother and grandmother are turning Kate against her father. The girl is clearly attached to her dad, but thanks to these women, her relationship with him is at risk. And, the cherry on top: Kate decided to drop out of university. She believes a man should take care of the family, which I understand—I’ve prepared my son for that—but heaven forbid they run into trouble down the line. Where’s the safety net if things go wrong? How will she support her husband then? By the way, I’ve reassigned the flat’s ownership to myself, because I know I raised him to be a true gentleman. Sure, anything you own before marriage isn’t split after divorce, but Kate is such a clever woman she could send my “gentleman” off with nothing but his socks.