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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

SIL keeping her baby away

359 replies

onlymeandmy · 06/11/2023 10:55

My sil and bro got married a year ago, we had never met before they got married. She was ok then but since having the baby has been rude and distant and keeps my brother and her baby from my parents and the rest of us.
We have made a lot of effort for her but she is so ungrateful. My mother took 2 weeks off work to stay with her son and help dil for the birth, but she refused and told my brother to tell her that she doesn't want anyone there. My mother doesn't speak English so he has to translate everything for his wife, who doesn't speak out language. She made my mum stay with my sister who lives local to them and was made to feel guilty and unwelcome when she spent the days at her house. We then found out that her own mother was staying at their house. All we wanted was to help and spend time with her new grandchild. My mum went cooked and cleaned and bought kitchen appliances but she was just so ungrateful. My sister was going around in the evenings after the baby was born and she was just so rude and could tell she didn't want anyone, but her own mother to hold the baby. I'm sure she was a bit irritable after surgery, but has been 3 months now and still not letting us have access to the baby.
She takes the baby to her mum and dad and sister all the time, but we are made to feel like we can't go around to my brothers house. We still do, but we are clearly not welcome. She has only attended once with the baby to my mum and dad so they have barely seen their grandchild. All whilst her family see the baby at least once a week.
Her family have lots of grandchildren and mine only have this one so she is being so selfish by withholding him. How can we build a relationship if we aren't allowed to see him.
She is pulling my brother away from his family and being selfish with my nephew.
AIBU?
What can we do to get her to see what's she's doing?

OP posts:
Bookworm1111 · 06/11/2023 12:23

We are an easy going family and haven't put any pressure on her

It's not coming across that way! Your mum decided she was going to move in for two weeks post-birth without checking if that help was wanted and then you say you all just show up in the evenings whenever you feel like it. Newborns aren't footballs to be passed around to whoever fancies a go and you need to back off and respect your SIL's wishes as the baby's mother. The more you try to impose your collective will upon her, the more she's going to run a mile.

AgaMM · 06/11/2023 12:24

lap90 · 06/11/2023 11:55

This is a cultural issue so unfortunately you wont find much sympathy on Mumsnet.

No, not really.

I come from a culture where in laws are on a pedestal. I still wouldn’t have wanted my MIL staying with me when I have a baby.

Just because something is a cultural norm, doesn’t mean it must be obeyed.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 06/11/2023 12:24

I think there's something slightly distasteful in people calling 'dibs' on a new baby - wanting to hold it and see it every five minutes. The baby doesn't even know or care who is there - baby wants its mum and nobody else (maybe dad too, but mum really). Surely the time to start really wanting to spend time with a baby is when its starting to recognise people, interacting and wanting to get to know people in its own right?

There's no panic. Everyone doesn't have to pile in in the first couple of weeks - the baby isn't going anywhere.

ManateeFair · 06/11/2023 12:24

I'm assuming this is a reverse but I'll treat it as if it's not.

If I'd had a baby, I wouldn't want anyone staying in my house for two weeks to 'help', especially when I couldn't communicate with them. She had never met your mother until a year ago and your mother can't converse with her - your mother is a woman she

I would also be uncomfortable having my mother-in-law (who I actually adore - she's lovely) around 24/7 while I was bleeding, leaking milk, dealing with stitches and dealing with other very personal bodily issues etc. I've known her 20 years and I love her very much, but I don't want to be chatting about vaginal blood clots and post-partum incontinence or whatever with her, thanks. That's strictly for my own mum to have to listen to!

We are an easy going family

You're not, though, are you? Obviously there's a massive culture clash here, but you're not respecting the culture of the woman who has actually had the baby.

TheresaCrowd · 06/11/2023 12:25

lap90 · 06/11/2023 11:55

This is a cultural issue so unfortunately you wont find much sympathy on Mumsnet.

No-one has the right to act like an overbearing arsehole in the name of culture or anything else.

Sympathy my arse.

The couple are of exactly the same culture as the mother, and they've decided to opt out of the cultural norms for very obvious reasons.

scrunchie2 · 06/11/2023 12:27

Is this not a reverse?

Mari9999 · 06/11/2023 12:28

@onlymeandmy
Accept the fact that you will see the baby when yoh see it at the mother's discretion or your brother's willingness to bring it around to see his family.

Stop making uninvited visits and all of you should go on with your lives.

Keeva2017 · 06/11/2023 12:28

I know you don’t know this, but you and your mum are the baddies in this story. Do your brother and sil a favour and keep some serious distance until you can reflect on how awful you have been, then you can slowly start to make amends and hope the damage you’ve done is repairable.

Sausage1989 · 06/11/2023 12:29

Your Mum sounds like the MIL from hell!!

Itsnotchristmasyet · 06/11/2023 12:30

OP it’s common to want your mum around you after you give birth but not your MIL who was a total stranger to her.

Your family does seem a bit overbearing but it’s not fair if she’s excluding you all.

The baby is only 3 months old and she’s been to yours and you’ve seen the baby a few times, which sounds totally normal to me and like you’re not being excluded.

You keep saying SIL but it’s your brothers baby and house too.

Either she’s quite controlling and perhaps abusive and is alienating her partner from his family and doing the same with the baby.

Or your family are the controlling ones and SIL and your brother find you all too over bearing, so are putting in their own boundaries.

How often does your brother invite you around?

Kangaroo1 · 06/11/2023 12:32

The best way I can think to solve this is to send a message to her/brother saying 'hi, I'm really sorry, we've been quite intense recently. I'd love to see you and see how you are. Would you like to come over for a coffee at a time that suits you and the baby?' something along those lines.

I think from everyone else's responses you've probably got the hint that what's already occurred was not ok. So now it's about trying to make amends gently. My first three months as a mum were the hardest of my life, and I didn't have to go through what you've put her through. Time to say sorry.

Jewelspun · 06/11/2023 12:33

Why are you, your mother and your sister forcing yourself onto your brother and his wife and their baby?

It's quite clear that you don't want to just visit but want to take control and do things your way, perhaps the way your culture dictates.

Your brother has noticeable not encourages you and appears to welcome his wife's family who perhaps are not as domineering.

Team sister in law all the way.

saffy2 · 06/11/2023 12:33

Christ. Interfering much. She’s just given birth. Imaging your mother in law booking time off for your birth and post birth period without even asking you, what the actual fuck!!!!

Autiebibliophile · 06/11/2023 12:34

Back off
You do see the baby when you do to visit
When you do visit go for an hour. Offer to make drinks/ help. Make sure dil isn't running around after you.
Invite them to yours for a meal .
Get to know her at a slower pace and if she's not reciprocating then see baby through your db and respect her boundaries

TheresaCrowd · 06/11/2023 12:34

Itsnotchristmasyet · 06/11/2023 12:30

OP it’s common to want your mum around you after you give birth but not your MIL who was a total stranger to her.

Your family does seem a bit overbearing but it’s not fair if she’s excluding you all.

The baby is only 3 months old and she’s been to yours and you’ve seen the baby a few times, which sounds totally normal to me and like you’re not being excluded.

You keep saying SIL but it’s your brothers baby and house too.

Either she’s quite controlling and perhaps abusive and is alienating her partner from his family and doing the same with the baby.

Or your family are the controlling ones and SIL and your brother find you all too over bearing, so are putting in their own boundaries.

How often does your brother invite you around?

Edited

Your family does seem a bit overbearing but it’s not fair if she’s excluding you all.

Yes it is fair, it's very very fair that both the DIL and son are excluding the massively overbearing family.

I'm very glad they've taken this stance because Mumsnet is packed full of women complaining about overbearing inlaws, and they're generally told to grow a backbone. At least this woman isn't in danger of being one of those Mumsnetters.

If the MIL and the rest of the family want contact, they need to step back and start listening.

Kangaroo1 · 06/11/2023 12:35

Kangaroo1 · 06/11/2023 12:32

The best way I can think to solve this is to send a message to her/brother saying 'hi, I'm really sorry, we've been quite intense recently. I'd love to see you and see how you are. Would you like to come over for a coffee at a time that suits you and the baby?' something along those lines.

I think from everyone else's responses you've probably got the hint that what's already occurred was not ok. So now it's about trying to make amends gently. My first three months as a mum were the hardest of my life, and I didn't have to go through what you've put her through. Time to say sorry.

Oh and please don't force her to hand the baby over to you for a cuddle. You need to re-earn her trust and wait for it to be offered

Moveoverdarlin · 06/11/2023 12:35

A bit irritable after surgery? Fuck me. I couldn’t sit down for a week and every time I coughed I didn’t know if I just pissed myself, shat myself or haemorrhaged. My nipples bled for weeks, my boobs were like watermelons. The only thing that could have made me feel worse was my MIL staying with us. There is NO WAY on earth I would let this happen. No way. If you hadn’t met her before their marriage, she doesn’t know you!! Why would you want strangers helping? How much could your Mum really help when she can’t speak the same language as your SIL?

RubySunset82 · 06/11/2023 12:37

Hi OP, what culture? I’m from a South Asian culture but married an Englishman. Also although I’m from a South Asian culture I was born and brought up in this country.

Things change, your SIL is entitled to be closer to her own mother. It’s really up to your DB to bring baby round to his parents etc and invite your parents to the house. She’s had surgery and a baby. Your mum even though she was helping from her heart, she should not impose, it’s up to your Brother to sort this one out.

AuContraire · 06/11/2023 12:40

Moveoverdarlin · 06/11/2023 12:35

A bit irritable after surgery? Fuck me. I couldn’t sit down for a week and every time I coughed I didn’t know if I just pissed myself, shat myself or haemorrhaged. My nipples bled for weeks, my boobs were like watermelons. The only thing that could have made me feel worse was my MIL staying with us. There is NO WAY on earth I would let this happen. No way. If you hadn’t met her before their marriage, she doesn’t know you!! Why would you want strangers helping? How much could your Mum really help when she can’t speak the same language as your SIL?

Edited

I know, this is unbelievable!

It's very obvious that this is the first grandchild on your side of the family OP, as you clearly have absolutely no flipping idea what women feel like after having their first baby.

IsThereABarUpThere · 06/11/2023 12:43

Imagine what it's like just given birth having effectively a stranger in your home as you've met a handful of times, speaking a DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. When all you want to do is bond with your baby.
She doesn't want kitchen appliances. She doesn't want strangers in her home. She doesn't want you all bothering her.

Leave her alone. Poor woman.

fairymary87 · 06/11/2023 12:43

It's her kid, good on her leave her alone the lot of you! You're selfish and not entitled to this baby

Lavender14 · 06/11/2023 12:44

So... a few thoughts.

"She was ok then but since having the baby has been rude and distant and keeps my brother and her baby from my parents and the rest of us."

3 months is still a very new baby, still very recent for a mum to be recovering from birth especially surgery. You've no idea what her mental state is. And I'd say this is the reason why .. :

"My mother took 2 weeks off work to stay with her son and help dil for the birth, but she refused and told my brother to tell her that she doesn't want anyone there. "

Why didn't your family respect her wishes? I love my in laws but I couldn't think of anything worse than having them in my home when I was recovering from birth with raging hormones etc. Your family prioritised seeing the new baby over the welfare of the mum, why would she thank you for that?

"We then found out that her own mother was staying at their house."

when you're feeling vulnerable you just want your close family especially your mum. She barely knew you, hadn't even met your family prior to the wedding. Why would she want almost strangers in her house when she's at her most vulnerable instead of her own mum. Especially when they can't respect her wishes.

"My sister was going around in the evenings after the baby was born and she was just so rude ...I'm sure she was a bit irritable after surgery,"

After my section I was exhausted and in pain in the evenings as my pain relief wore off and the movement over the day built up. I HATED evening guests because it meant I had to host them and I couldn't do what I needed to do which was lying in bed with my baby resting. Insisting on going round in the evenings is a massive imposition on a new mum recovering from surgery. You say your family only wanted to help and I'm sure that's true, but sometimes help looks like respecting someone's wishes and listening to them when they tell you they need space.

" but has been 3 months now and still not letting us have access to the baby.
She takes the baby to her mum and dad and sister all the time, but we are made to feel like we can't go around to my brothers house. We still do, but we are clearly not welcome."

3 months would not be long enough for me to move on from someone enforcing themselves on me so they can see my baby at the expense of my welfare. My ds is 11 months now and I'm still cross at my inlaws for turning up multiple times in the first week after I expressly told them we weren't having visitors in the first week. You have impacted on her experience of having a baby and bonding with her child, you've shown her that you don't respect her, her boundaries or her wishes and you are expecting her to just get over it already. She's never going to forget your treatment of her so don't expect her to.

"Her family have lots of grandchildren and mine only have this one so she is being so selfish by withholding him. How can we build a relationship if we aren't allowed to see him."
If someone repeatedly ignored and went against my wishes as mother, I wouldn't trust them with my child.

She is pulling my brother away from his family and being selfish with my nephew.
AIBU?

yes- very unreasonable.

What can we do to get her to see what's she's doing?

You don't, you take a step back and think about how you've come across, how your family's actions have hurt her and made her uncomfortable and then you try and make amends by being more respectful in future.

I understand what you've said in other posts about a bit of a culture clash, but it feels like you're really only interested in seeing this from your perspective without being willing to accept that you've really imposed and over stepped with this woman when she's already been feeling at her most low and vulnerable. If you seriously want to resolve this with her, then I'd go to her and say listen, on reflection I think our attempts to help have maybe crossed a line and made things more difficult for you. That wasn't our intention but we recognise that's what happened and I'm sorry. We do respect and care about you and we want to get to know you better, can we arrange meeting up more regularly as we would love to see more of you all.

You aren't entitled to access to the child if you can't show respect the mother and while naturally you are going off your own traditions, in those moments, it's important to be aware of the traditions and needs of the mother first and foremost because she's the one who's just been through something massive and is still very much raw from that experience. So you follow her lead above your own.

Shinyandnew1 · 06/11/2023 12:44

She made my mum stay with my sister who lives local to them and was made to feel guilty and unwelcome when she spent the days at her house

Your mum is massively overstepping the mark here! She went and spent the days at this poor new mum’s house despite her not wanting her MIL there?!

What culture is this?!

HappierTimesAhead · 06/11/2023 12:45

Leave her alone.
Her baby, her choice.
You have no right to 'access the baby'.

EileenBilton · 06/11/2023 12:46

This is reddit-level drivel. Try harder OP.