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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

MIL Issues please help

30 replies

Madeupnamex · 20/08/2012 09:33

Hi Have namechanged as worried I may reveal myself otherwise.
Please be honest as you can and tell me if I am unreasonable?
I have been with my parent for 6 years engaged for 2. I am 15 weeks pregnant we only found out at 8 weeks and told our parents straight away. my MIL seemed quite happy for us although she doesn?t show emotion ever she did say congrats and say she?d get knitting (pretty much as good as it gets with her).
Anyway yesterday we visited her, first time we have seen her since announcing the news. She was telling us all about work, the neighbours, her food shopping, her dog?s vet bills, how nice someone off corries figure is etc etc. A good 25 minutes chat ? no mention of how have you been feeling, how is baby, how did your scan go ? nothing.
At this point I was not happy but wasn?t going to mention the baby as wanted to see if MIL was going to discuss the topic at all. My OH must have realised this and changed the subject to the baby which we then spoke about for a couple of mins. We stupidly mentioned the name idea which I thought she would love as very traditional ? the reposnse we got was ?right? 
After she went I told my OH that I was upset that she seemed like she wasn?t really interested in the baby or pregnancy at all. His argument was that she is a unemotional person ? as I said back I don?t think this is a personality problem it?s a problem with basic manners- If I saw someone for the first time since they had announced big news I would ask about it- that?s normal isn?t it?
I feel like my parents are so involved phone calls, asking about bump, constant name ideas and little present etc in comparison it seems his mum could not care less. AIBU?

OP posts:
frazzledbutcalm · 20/08/2012 10:37

I agree pregnancy is more important to expectant parents, obviously. But OP is talking about her MIL. It's not unreasonable to expect to be asked how you are when she sees you. She didn't say she expected every single person to talk about her baby. Your words just sounded quite cold and horrible to a first time expectant mum. I'm sure you were just as excited 1st time round..

Madeupnamex · 20/08/2012 10:50

Somethings to think about peeps so thanks!
I probably will say in my defense that me and OH had quite a few big issues to sort out beofre TTC as i have a serious medical condition and for a long time we thought we would not be able to have children of our own which both are families were involved in as i was in/out of hospital for tests/treatment. Maybe i expect too much of people. And yes I have been told i am a baby bore so i know this is true lol :)

OP posts:
frazzledbutcalm · 20/08/2012 11:05

You are allowed to be a baby bore, you should do so with pride Grin

Madeupnamex · 20/08/2012 11:32

thanks Frazzled :)

OP posts:
oscarwilde · 20/08/2012 12:56

My MIL was the exactly same, really upset my OH that she was so "off". Quite a reserved unemotional type and is just socially awkward. I wouldn't take it personally. Plus generationally, not only would you have kept schtum until 12 weeks, scans didn't even exist so it's not really part of their world to ask about something they have never experienced. It just doesn't occur to them that it's even happened. You'll probably find that she'll get much more excited as the bump gets bigger and then you'll start the other kind of fun and games when you start getting lots of generationally inappropriate gifts :)
Dotes on DD now that she is here, the OH doesn't even get a look in!

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