baby

Woman gets "strange" babysitting request from her partner's ex-wife after she gave birth.

A woman’s post on a UK parenting forum is going viral after she revealed the bizarre babysitting request made by her partner’s ex-wife.

Sharing the story on Mumsnet, the woman – who identified herself as CupofFrothyCoffee – asked other mums for advice on how to handle the unusual situation.

She shared that her partner and his ex had been separated for years, and have two children together, aged 11 and 9. While she and her partner don’t have any kids together – and don’t plan to – she says she cares for her partner’s children on weekends and during school holidays, and she also has an eight-year-old child from a previous marriage.

Her partner’s ex is now pregnant, and is due next month. And bizarrely… she’s asked if the couple can “help out with childcare”.

“She said, ‘obviously we might need some help with childcare, it’d be much appreciated’,” the woman wrote on Mumsnet.

“[My partner] thought she was joking and said ‘Oh our baby days are long gone but congratulations and she said ‘Oh but you’ll be having X and Y anyway so…’

“It was left at that, as [my partner] was a bit stunned and speechless.”

The woman thought the ex’s request was “strange” and “cheeky” and asked other parents if she was being unreasonable to think the whole arrangement sounded “a bit weird”.

Mums were quick to add in their two cents, with some agreeing the ex’s babysitting request was “completely bonkers”.

LISTEN: “My step mum won’t stop kissing my baby. What do I do?” Post continues after audio.

“She’s absolutely not thinking straight if she believes you and [your partner] might actually consider that a possible option,” one mum wrote, while another added: “No, just no!”

“I would never in a million years have entertained the idea of [my husband’s] ex looking after my babies,” another wrote.

Others explained the situation may have been misinterpreted, and suggested the woman was asking for her ex to take their two children more regularly, to give her more time with baby.

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“I doubt she means looking after the baby. Sounds like a misunderstanding and she just means extra help with the older kids,” one wrote.

blended family
The couple have three kids - from previous marriages - already. Image via Getty.

But despite the request being branded as "odd" by many, some women shared the arrangement could work as a way for all the siblings to spend time together as part of a big, blended family.

"I think it's a really cheeky assumption of her to make but I also think it would be nice for all four kids for you and [your partner] to have a relationship with new baby and for he or she to be welcome at your house and vice versa when it's a bit older," one women wrote

"I also don't think any parent should automatically assume that childcare will be available from anyone but the baby's parents."

What do you think of the ex-wife's request? Tell us in the comments below.