Family and pregnancy issues

Anonymous

Family and pregnancy issues

Hi IM’s I’m in desperate need to vent and maybe some advice/support.
It’s bit of a long complicated story but I hope it makes sense.
I’m currently 37 weeks pregnant with our 3rd child, this is our first planned pregnancy and it’s been a bit of a roller coaster. We found out we were expecting while we were overseas visiting his family, his dad has been of poor health and the good news gave him a bit of a boost which is awesome. I found out at about 18-20 weeks that I have gestational diabetes and while I know it’s not uncommon or life threatening it was a bit of a shock. This news caused me a lot of anxiety and took me time to get my head around it. At around the same time I was given blood pressure meds and a blood thinner also. My husband was supportive which is great but he had his limits as to how much he wanted to hear and deal with. In this time I had also had issues with my work with them not giving me shifts and hiring other people to take the shifts I was doing originally and this added to my stress. So fast forward to 35 weeks and things had calmed down, a few small issues but all was going well. Hubby and I talked about a few issues and I told him that I needed him to focus on me for the last few weeks because I felt alone and unsupported, he agreed and things were going ok. Next thing we hear is that my FIL’s health started to decline and he ended up in hospital for a couple of days but then discharged and seemed to be getting better. While this was going on I went for my 36 week growth scan and was told bubs weight was on the 29th percentile (at my 28 week scan she was on the 62nd). So at my 36 week appointment last week I was given an induction date due to my health and bubs growth. I was sent to FMU to be monitored and they found that Bub had flipped over the weekend and was now breach. This stressed me but I could deal with it. On the Wednesday hubby called me while he was at work and said that his dad had been taken to the ICU and was put on a ventilator. We agreed that he needed to go to be with his mum and see what’s going on, he left that night. He planned to go for just under 2 weeks and come back the day of my induction. So he gets there and finds out that his dad can’t breath on his own and his kidneys aren’t working and he is on dialysis. This Monday (yesterday) I went in for a ECV to flip Bub but she had done it on her own which is great. So while I was there trying to get my blood pressure under control so I could be released he called me to tell me he will be staying longer, this really upset me and I burst into tears in front of the midwife. He just called me again and told me he is planning to come back on the 26th which will be when Bub is 2 weeks old. I again burst into tears. He wanted me to talk to him about it and I told him the extra 2 weeks isn’t a long time to be there but it’s a long time to be away from here.
I don’t know what to do, in a way I feel let down because he should be here for her birth in 6 days but then I know he is struggling with everything going on over there with his family. It’s a very tough situation and I don’t want him to feel pressured or have any regrets about his dad dying but we are his family and need him too. His family keep telling him to come home as he needs to be here but he says he just can’t. Honestly his dad won’t get better but they won’t stop dialysis so he can die but he doesn’t want to leave his mum there but I’m feeling like I’m really struggling with this. I don’t think it’s fair that we only get 5/6 days of his time before he goes back to work when he would have had nearly 6 weeks off in total.
Please help!!! I can’t handle the stress of the situation anymore and I don’t know what to do, I’m not sleeping properly and too depressed and stressed to eat and take care of myself. Even our kids are starting to get upset saying they want daddy to just come home.

Posted in:  Relationships & Marriage, Mental Health, Loss & Grief, Pregnancy

3 Replies

Anonymous

I am so sorry you are facing the birth of your child without your husband.

I absolutely needed my partner at the birth of our child. I was induced but need an emergency csection and then I hemmoraged and my partner was with our baby until I was stitch up and in recovery. I spent 5 days in hospital but the next week at home, my partner did everything for us as I wasn't able to.

How are you going to look after a baby as well as your other children by yourself? Do you have someone that could come and stay with you till he gets back?

What if you need an emergency csection or God forbid if something goes wrong and he is not there? Your hubby will never forgive himself.

I understand that he wants to be there for his dad and his mum but what about you and your children. I would be feeling the same as you and I definitely feel I would want my partner with me

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Anonymous

Either way, your husband is going to have regret.
I know that the birth is a time for both parents, but I think staying with his dad for what seems like the last days of his life is a good thing.
You can get through this.
If you're nearby, I'd offer to help with the kids.

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Anonymous

I think he should be with his wife. He has time to say his goodbyes to his father, some people don't get that opportunity. His wife needs him to welcome another life into the world that they created together. His family, the one he made, is relying on him. Maybe he needs to think of their wedding vows; in times of need, sickness, health, forsaking all others??? If he isn't with his wife that will do damage to their relationship. Who knows, maybe dad will hold on longer... He needs to be there for the family he created.

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