A few weeks later, on their anniversary, OP bought her husband a gift and prepared his favorite meal, but he had other plans. While she was in the bathroom, her husband returned from work and left again. She thought he might be planning a surprise, but when he didn’t return after half an hour, she called to find out where he was. He confirmed he was at his mother’s house, so she told him that his mother might as well be the one having his child, as he was acting like he was in a relationship with her.
After hanging up, OP received texts from both her husband and MIL, telling her not to disrespect his mother and to find something else to do instead of being bitter and jealous. She turned to Reddit to ask if she was in the wrong.
Shortly after posting, she updated her story, thanking everyone who supported her and assured her she wasn’t wrong. She admitted, “I think my MIL is competing with me,” and considered giving her husband an ultimatum because, after reading the comments, she realized things could only get worse.
Someone suggested she ask her husband why he enjoyed spending so much time with his mother, and he explained that his mother was a special person in his life. OP realized her MIL had no intention of changing and seriously considered divorcing her husband.
She told her husband she would divorce him if he didn’t stop acting like he was married to his mother. When he heard this, he began crying and promised to change. OP was hopeful but knew she needed to talk to her MIL, who only told her she would never win.
The Redditor clarified that there was no winning and losing, and that if her MIL continued to act as she was, she would not have access to her grandchild. She confirmed that her husband had also stepped up since their conversation.
MIL Decides DIL’s Upcoming Baby Will Be Hers, Even Throws Herself a Baby Shower
A woman took to Reddit to ask if she was wrong for not letting her MIL see her grandchild. OP explained that she and her husband were expecting their first child together, but his mother’s excitement about becoming a grandmother was unsettling.
First, OP said her MIL would often refer to her unborn child as her own. She would say, “I can’t wait for my baby to be born. My baby is going to be so loved.” The possessiveness made OP uncomfortable, but her husband told her to ignore the comments.
The MIL then offered to throw her daughter-in-law (DIL) a baby shower. The excited grandmother-to-be said she and her friends had a tradition of celebrating their children’s weddings and baby showers. Since OP and her husband eloped, the MIL felt OP owed her the opportunity to host a baby shower.
When OP asked if she could invite her friends, her MIL refused, saying the shower was only for her friends, and that OP could have a separate one with her own friends. Despite her doubts, OP agreed.
The couple spent time creating a registry and sharing it with the MIL and her friends, as instructed. They planned a garden-themed nursery, so all the items were based on that.
OP also requested a cake with flowers to match the garden theme. However, she was surprised to find a circus animal theme at the baby shower. OP didn’t make a fuss, assuming the garden idea might have been challenging to execute.
But she was even more shocked when all her gifts were different circus animals. Confused, OP checked the registry to see if she had made a mistake, but nothing from the gifts matched the list she had shared with her MIL’s friends.
When her husband arrived, he was also confused and asked, “What’s up with all the circus animals?” Seeing the presents, he added, “This isn’t what we asked for.” He immediately confronted his mother, asking what she had done.
The MIL revealed that she didn’t like the theme OP chose and said, “I’m going to decorate my baby’s nursery at my house with circus animals, so I created a registry for myself.” The husband was speechless, but his mother didn’t back down, reiterating:
“My baby is going to need a room at my house, so I threw a shower for myself.”
Her statements infuriated both OP and her husband. OP made it clear that her MIL would never see her baby, and the older woman started crying, accusing them of keeping her away from her baby.
The couple began receiving texts from family members calling them selfish and blaming them for ruining the MIL’s experience of becoming a grandmother. However, commenters on Reddit supported OP, agreeing that she needed to take precautions against her MIL. The MIL’s behavior alarmed many readers, and some were relieved that OP’s husband was on her side.
For those who enjoyed these stories, here’s another one about a woman who embarrassed her mother-in-law in front of the family, giving her a taste of her own medicine.