Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To lose my temper at MIL

140 replies

SwordToFlamethrower · 25/02/2024 10:45

A while ago, we decided to give MIL the benefit of the doubt. She helped us out with IVF and has been trying her best to be nice after years of being rude, offensive, and judgmental towards me.

We've welcomed her into our home and she enjoys her new granddaughter.

Last time she visited at Christmas, she voiced her "concerns" that I was still breastfeeding my DD who was 13 months old, saying that there is no nutritional value and that cow's milk is better. This went on for half an hour and instead of getting angry, we calmly explained how she was wrong and milk has health benefits for 2 years and more if both mother and baby are still happy to do it. This was while she was sat right next to me as I was nursing.

Other things happened during that 3 day visit too, but I held myself in check to be nice. But I was very glad when she left.

Fast foward to last night and MIL phoned to say hi. DH had the phone on loudspeaker as he was cooking and he whispered "shall I tell her?" And i whispered back, "ok what's the worst she can say?"

So DH told MIL that I'd just had a miscarriage.

Well, I did say what's the worst she could say, didn't I?

The first thing out of her mouth was "oh no! Well you know it probably happened because OP is STILL breastfeeding".

I lost it at that point and told her that her comments were rude, offensive and wrong.

She said she was just being "dispassionate" about it.

I said we never asked for her to be dispassionate, we told her because she is interested in our lives and thought she would be sympathetic. Not blame me for my own miscarriage because I'm still breastfeeding!

After another half an hour on the phone, she finally backed down and apologised.

I'm typing on my phone so I can't open a poll, sorry!

AIBU to grey rock her from now on

Or should I have known better and expected her to say something awful, therefore it isn't her fault?

OP posts:
ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:49

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:44

Again, why are you determined to ignore basic facts of biology?

  1. I’m not ignoring it, you keep banging on about it.
  2. Its not helpful or relevant to keep going on about something so hurtful.
now you answer. Why are you so determined to hurt someone suffering a loss?
Fargo79 · 25/02/2024 11:47

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:31

do you understand the impact of Oxytocin in early pregnancy?

Are you actually going to address my comment? And if not, why are you quoting me?

You are full of shit. Honey.

banananas1999 · 25/02/2024 11:47

OP, if you have had mcs have a look on Tommys website about progesterone prescription- 400-800mg a day reduced mcs by 40 percent in the first trimester. print it out and take it to your doctor, so if you get pos again, you can call up and start progesterone immediately, it also reduces early labour risk in second and third trimester

Station11 · 25/02/2024 11:46

Justkeepswimmingswimming · 25/02/2024 11:33

This is from the link you’ve just posted

”Results:The results revealed that breastfeeding during pregnancy appeared to be unrelated to pregnancy outcome and miscarriage risk, notwithstanding the need for caution in women at risk of preterm birth and high-risk pregnancies.”

If you look at the most recent meta-analysis, they included two studies which found and increased risk and three which didn't. (Table 2)
https://www.maedica.ro/articles/2023/3/2023_18(21)_No3_pg463-469.pdf
Even the ones which did, the increased risk was mainly EBF which the OP is unlikely to be doing at 15 months.

Personally, I think anyone is mad to choose to breastfeed for longer than 6 months, but it's none of your mother in law's business and your DH needs to be telling her that.

https://www.maedica.ro/articles/2023/3/2023_18(21)_No3_pg463-469.pdf

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:44

ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:40

Again, why are you determined to hurt someone suffering a loss?

Again, why are you determined to ignore basic facts of biology?

ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:40

This reply has been deleted

We decided to take this down as it is not in the spirit of the site.

Again, why are you determined to hurt someone suffering a loss?

banananas1999 · 25/02/2024 11:39

*other hormone is oxycontin that is injected to induce labour and after birth to induce uterine contractions, in nature oxycontin is produced naturally by nursing.

SwordToFlamethrower · 25/02/2024 11:38

WeAreWarriorsWeAreWarriors · 25/02/2024 11:33

It was an extremely callous thing to say. Losing it was totally understandable. I'm sorry for your loss OP Flowers

Thank you. Even a short pregnancy is enough to make room in your heart and life for a new baby and mentally plan for it. All for it to disappear in a puff of smoke.

It's all still very raw.

DD is 15 months old and this was only my 4th menstral cycle post partum. We didn't think we needed to use contraception as we both have fertility issues!

We tried for over 6 years and didn't get a single BFP.

Only IVF worked. So it was such a shock, we were very happy about the pregnancy.

OP posts:
Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:38

This reply has been deleted

We decided to take this down as it is not in the spirit of the site.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/02/2024 11:38

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:34

Did you know IVF clinics still require women to have stopped BF before any transfers as it can impact success?

Based on the article you linked to, it would seem they would be better off advising women to mix feed, including breast milk, as that has a lower rate of miscarriage than not including breast milk.

banananas1999 · 25/02/2024 11:37

I am so sorry op. If you are trying for a new baby do consider stopping breastfeeding,there is a slight connection of miscarriage,breastfeeding hormone is prolactin where for pregnancy you need progesterone which is surpressed during nursing, prolactin also causes uterine contractions (hence why its great to nurse as soon as baby is born for uterus to contract and start to return to its original position)

i am high risk pregnant for many reasons and tried once to nurse and fall pregnant. I lost that pregnancy in the first trimester. My ob advised to stop nursing completely,and i had a baby with the next pregnancy

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/02/2024 11:35

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:31

do you understand the impact of Oxytocin in early pregnancy?

Do you understand scientific research? The article you linked to, claiming it supported your position that the op's breastfeeding is likely to be a cause of her miscarriage, directly contradicts it. Complementary feeding which includes breastfeeding results, according to your article, in lower rates of miscarriage than that observed in women who do not breastfeed.

ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:35

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:34

Did you know IVF clinics still require women to have stopped BF before any transfers as it can impact success?

Did you know ivf clinics wouldn’t then turn around and blame a woman suffering a loss. Stop being so bloody horrible.

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:34

Justkeepswimmingswimming · 25/02/2024 11:33

This is from the link you’ve just posted

”Results:The results revealed that breastfeeding during pregnancy appeared to be unrelated to pregnancy outcome and miscarriage risk, notwithstanding the need for caution in women at risk of preterm birth and high-risk pregnancies.”

Did you know IVF clinics still require women to have stopped BF before any transfers as it can impact success?

MrsSkylerWhite · 25/02/2024 11:33

I’m not clear why your husband told her?

Justkeepswimmingswimming · 25/02/2024 11:33

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:13

There are also increased risks regardless, it’s just higher when EBF.

This is from the link you’ve just posted

”Results:The results revealed that breastfeeding during pregnancy appeared to be unrelated to pregnancy outcome and miscarriage risk, notwithstanding the need for caution in women at risk of preterm birth and high-risk pregnancies.”

WeAreWarriorsWeAreWarriors · 25/02/2024 11:33

It was an extremely callous thing to say. Losing it was totally understandable. I'm sorry for your loss OP Flowers

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:32

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/02/2024 11:29

It's the article you linked to and claimed that it supported your position. It doesn't. It actually contradicts your position. Doubling down makes you look ignorant or a deliberate shit stirrer. I'm betting on ignorant

Did you know IVF clinics still will tell women to stop BF before going through any additional transfers?

Do you think they’re ignorant to the facts here?

ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:31

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:29

The OP asked if she was being unreasonable, did she not?

And mil was.
End of story.
Youre purposely trying to hurt someone suffering a loss. Shame on you.

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:31

Fargo79 · 25/02/2024 11:29

@Dancingtuna you are embarrassing yourself now.

You linked to a study which doesn't back the claims you are making. In fact it explicitly contradicts them. Now you're saying "there are more studies" and calling people "honey" and have the audacity to still be talking about "facts".

I would be finding your ridiculousness hilarious if you weren't doing this on a thread started by a woman experiencing something distressing.

do you understand the impact of Oxytocin in early pregnancy?

Soontobe60 · 25/02/2024 11:30

If your MIL had read the information that does indicate a higher risk when EBF, she may well have been misguided in her claim. She was crass and reactionary in her comment, but not totally incorrect.
Did she know you were pregnant considering your DC was conceived via IVF which she helped fund? Being told about the miscarriage over the phone may well have blindsided her hence her response. That doesn’t make what she said any less hurtful of course. She is misinformed about certain things, but then so are many women who have had children 30+ years ago, as they (myself included) would have been told different things when they were pregnant. One example is, the midwives in hospital 40 years ago when DD1 was born all laid the babies on their sides to sleep. That was considered good practice. We now know differently. No doubt in another 40 years things will be different again.
So what you have to ask yourself is, do you accept that people can get things wrong and move on, or do you choose not to and cut them out of your lives.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/02/2024 11:29

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:23

That’s one article. There are many others honey.

It's the article you linked to and claimed that it supported your position. It doesn't. It actually contradicts your position. Doubling down makes you look ignorant or a deliberate shit stirrer. I'm betting on ignorant

Dancingtuna · 25/02/2024 11:29

ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:27

@Dancingtuna regardless of your views what do you hope to gain by going on like this? OP will obviously be emotional already and you’ve taken it upon yourself to try and hurt her more, why?

The OP asked if she was being unreasonable, did she not?

Fargo79 · 25/02/2024 11:29

@Dancingtuna you are embarrassing yourself now.

You linked to a study which doesn't back the claims you are making. In fact it explicitly contradicts them. Now you're saying "there are more studies" and calling people "honey" and have the audacity to still be talking about "facts".

I would be finding your ridiculousness hilarious if you weren't doing this on a thread started by a woman experiencing something distressing.

ElizabethCage · 25/02/2024 11:27

@Dancingtuna regardless of your views what do you hope to gain by going on like this? OP will obviously be emotional already and you’ve taken it upon yourself to try and hurt her more, why?

Swipe left for the next trending thread