New mum judged for going on date with her husband 8 days post-baby

On 6 October, Megan felt confident and happy enough to leave the little ones with their grandmothers, so that she and her husband could go out for dinner.

Which is great on so many levels: she felt well enough, she had childcare options, AND the energy to actually leave the house and be seen in public. We're high-fiving her just for that ?

What's not great on any level? The reaction she got when she shared her plans on Instagram...

Writing that she and her partner would miss their kids, Megan was probs pretty confident that the mummyhood would have her back.

"River with his Nanna ✔️ Rosie with her Nonna ✔️ With about 10 mins to get ready my man & I are out for a quick dinner date. Missing our babies ?but SO important for parents to have some couple time when / if they can grab it ?" she mused.

Sadly not. Instead, she received so many (now deleted) negative comments on her original post that she had to go back and add an edit, explicitly detailing that she had done the baby's bathtime before leaving and had expressed enough milk for 2 feeds.

"For sure we have to devote the majority of our time to our kids. However, IF it can be managed well, stealing an hour or two, here and there as a couple or an individual is a "win" for parents," she added in the caption.

"In this instance we had left Rosie with my very experienced and capable Mum after I had bathed, dressed, fed her and put her down plus I'd expressed enough milk for 2 feeds just in case.

"At the moment she sleeps for 4-5 hours and then feeds again so we knew we had more than enough time for a 1 hour dinner, which was 3mins from our house. And last night was no exception, she slept 6pm-10.30pm.

"With River I barely left the house for the first 6 weeks, out of fear, out of guilt and I lost a little part of myself and also developed what I now feel was a mild case of post natal depression.

"If you've ensured your child is well looked after in your absence, then there is nothing wrong with some alone time as a couple or as an individual.

"You'll be happier people for it and more importantly, better parents."

This is actually pretty grrr-inducing to read, right? Why should she HAVE to explain herself in this way? Why on earth should any mum have to justify how she spends her time and what works for her and her family?

Megan's edited post has now attracted almost 20.5k likes and has been deluged with supportive comments telling her that other people should butt out, and that the previous messages left had been nasty and uncalled for.

Obviously, going on a date night a week or 2 after giving birth wouldn't be for everyone. So why not just scroll past if it's not for you? ?

On that note, we'll leave the last word with Megan:

"Oh and to the ignorant, judgemental people projecting negativity on my page, it delights me to inform you that I block and delete instantly."

???

Images: Megan Gales/Instagram

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