A new mother has shared her frustration over her mother-in-law's (MIL) behavior during and after the birth of her first child.
The woman and original poster (OP), Reddit user cetii, shared her emotional story on r/AmIOverreacting, explaining that during labor, her MIL continuously made phone calls and held video chats from the delivery room.
"She was on the phone FaceTiming, making calls, putting the camera in my face, pretty much making my whole experience about her," she wrote.
However, the situation escalated a few days later at her baby son's first doctor's appointment, when the OP's MIL picked him up and placed him on the scale before she had a chance to do so.
"I can't even put into words the absolute rage I felt inside," the OP wrote. "Husband noticed I was upset and made sure I was up close to the scale to be able to pick baby back up, but the damage was already done.
"I feel like this woman is robbing me of my newborn experience, but I also feel guilty because this is her first grandchild and I know she's excited. It also irks me to the highest degree when she calls him 'her baby'.
"Please help. Am I overreacting and overthinking this due to postpartum brain? Or is she really overstepping boundaries every mother should know?? Because I really feel like it's the latter, and I hate to have such a negative opinion or feeling on my MIL but I'm being pushed past my limits."
The post drew an outpouring of support for the OP, with many users urging her to set clear expectations with her husband and MIL.
One user advised, "Your husband needs to step up and say something. This is unacceptable," while another suggested not telling her MIL about appointments to avoid similar situations in the future.
Several Redditors pointed out that it should be her husband's responsibility to intervene, with one writing, "If she says something to MIL, she will be the villain. OP needs to talk to her hubby and hubby can be the villain in his own family."
In an update, the OP revealed that she had finally texted her husband about her feelings. "It was almost like he already knew what I was talking about," she shared. He admitted he had been too lenient with his mother and promised to help address the issue moving forward.
Balancing Family Involvement
According to Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine, new parents often face challenges in balancing how much other members of the family are involved.
The publication notes that while many grandparents are eager to be involved, they may need reminders that their role is supportive rather than central. The article suggests that parents be clear about their expectations early on to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Happiest Baby also provides guidance on handling overbearing grandparents, advising parents to explain their choices, ask about the grandparents' own boundaries, and ensure mutual respect.
The article acknowledges that many grandparents mean well but may struggle to adjust to the parents being the primary decision-makers.
Newsweek has contacted cetii for comment via Reddit.
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