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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sister acting weird about my pregnancy

46 replies

HandW123 · 29/11/2024 14:56

My younger sister and I have always been very close. She has had things happen very straightforwardly, so she went to Uni, got the job she wanted, found the man quite young, got a house and got married this year and although at times I was envious, she would never have known because I was also delighted for her and very happy to be a part of it all. I'm older and have had a bit of a chaotic 20-30's so I’ve had ups and downs at times like career changes, break ups etc. My current partner and I met in our late 20's & in September we got pregnant and couldn't be happier, (we have been trying for about 2 years due to our age but remained as relaxed as possible about the whole process as we also enjoyed our time together without this adventure yet) we are now having a tiny simple wedding before the baby comes.
My sister had told everyone she was going to start ‘trying’ to get pregnant in September – so to be clear she has been trying to get pregnant for 2 months only and has not had any difficulties in the past and is still young and healthy. She was the first person I told on the weekend I found out (I was only about 4 weeks along). She looked shocked and not very happy when she found out, she quickly pulled It back and came round to eat with us that night and celebrate. All night she kept saying “I hope I am too” and kind of moaning that she wasn’t yet. I assumed she just really wants it too and didn’t react. The next day, she text me early in the morning and told me that they’d already picked their baby names and told me what they were and that I couldn’t use them. I didn’t argue and said we won’t be thinking about that yet as it’s so early and we are still processing the news. She then rang me that night and announced she was also pregnant! I was shocked and tried to say all of the right things but I just couldn’t believe it. She then told me I couldn’t tell our parents until she had – when I disagreed with this and suggested we could tell them at the same time she sulked and had a strop. Turns out, she completely mis read the pregnancy tests and the next morning she rang me sobbing and was very embarrassed and was not pregnant. I spent the next week ringing her and making sure she was ok and she chose not to be present when I told our parents and siblings that week. Deep down I felt a bit resentful that she wasn’t making sure I was ok with my life changing news and she wasn’t a part of the happiness with the rest of our family.
Since then, she seems to pick and choose when she’s interested in the pregnancy and when she’s not. There’s been too many times to count that I’ve said something exciting, or told family members the news for the first time and she’s looked at the ground, or awkwardly leaves the room or just completely doesn’t answer me. I’ve ignored all of this. Earlier this week I was involved in a car accident where someone went into the back of my car. No one was seriously hurt, but naturally I’ve been very worried about the baby, am a bit shaken up and haven’t been sleeping. So, the other night she made a dig at me when I said how thirsty I’ve been and snapped at me about the fact she wouldn’t know because she’s not pregnant. I finally snapped back and told her to stop it, I tried to explain that it makes me feel like she’s not happy for me and she stormed off, told me I was insensitive and left. That night she sent me a horrible text saying that she looks at the ground because I’m so negative and that I’ve not said one positive thing about being pregnant and she’s sick of it when she’s so desperate to be pregnant – the text was also full of insults.– I’ve never said anything negative about actually being pregnant as I’ve wanted this for years but I have had a very difficult first trimester and have struggled with the sickness and fatigue so maybe have been a bit draining to be around. When I responded, I realised she’d blocked my number, she then took it further and blocked me on social media too which we have never done after any argument ever.
I feel really stressed about it all because she’s so stubborn and completely feels she is in the right. She may drag this out for weeks or even months and is supposed to be my chief bridesmaid. I feel that even if she does really want a baby, she shouldn’t be making me feel guilty for being pregnant first.

OP posts:
poppymango · 29/11/2024 16:13

Honestly it sounds like she's being a bit bratty because she's so used to everything going her way with no problems whatsoever. I have no doubt she thought she'd be the first to have a baby, and would get pregnant as soon as they started trying.

I understand her being sad because she wants it so much, but there is absolutely no excuse for the way she's treated you. And blocking your number? Sorry, is she a 12? Even when she thought she was pregnant she was bossing you around because she wanted to share the news of her pregnancy first. Is she used to being the favourite and having all the attention, and getting her own way?

Do not entertain this. Don't pander to it. She sounds like she has zero empathy and seriously needs to grow up, and get over herself.

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 29/11/2024 16:17

Your sister has lost her marbles a bit; some women do when desperate to have a baby so perhaps it is no more than that; though there seems to be a lot of sibling rivalry going on too. Best step back from her for a while and hope she recovers.

itsmabeline · 29/11/2024 16:19

She's being a selfish tw--.

Block her. Oh wait she's blocked you, even better! Block her right back so she can't unblock you when she feels better and everything be hunky dory again.

Obviously someone who treats you like this has to be demoted from chief bridesmaid to probably nothing at all in the wedding party.

Enjoy your pregnancy on your terms and don't waste your time on her. Completely ignore her as much as you possibly can. You're allowed to have nice things too and get to a life milestone before her, and she sounds like a spoilt brat who is only finding out this lesson as a fully grown adult.

Oh and I would send one text to say thanks for the names shortlist for my upcoming baby, that'll be really handy. 😂

Pinkxmas1997 · 29/11/2024 16:19

Congratulations OP!!
Pregnancy/motherhood does really bring out the best/worst in those closest to you. I know you obviously love your sister, but going forward all that matters is your own little family.
Once your baby arrives you won’t give a shit who is upset with you because it literally takes over your life😂 (I have a 5 month old).
Don’t let it ruin your pregnancy!! Try enjoy it if you can, it truly is magical (apart from the heart burn, sickness etc😂)

MounjaroUser · 29/11/2024 16:22

Her superiority complex is shining through, isn't it? She thinks she's the successful one and has you in a box that says "second best, lower achieving, less successful". It's really awful.

Is there anyone who can speak up for you on your behalf?

Ohthatsabitshit · 29/11/2024 16:28

I’d just ignore the whole thing. Focus on your pregnancy and enjoy sharing it with your parents and other sibling. What silly woman she is.

ChristmasRoses · 29/11/2024 17:23

My pregnancy was the end of my relationship with my brother. He and his wife had been trying apparently. He barely acknowledged my DS birth and even when they did become pregnant shortly after, he would not reconnect. 25 years on and we've barely spoken.

ChanelBoucle · 29/11/2024 19:24

She sounds wayyyy too immature to be thinking of having a baby. Let’s hope she’s matured a bit by the time she does get pregnant because she’ll be in for a shock when she realises that something else is more important than HER.

Allswellthatendswelll · 29/11/2024 19:53

How can you misread a pregnancy test?!

She sounds very overdramatic about the whole thing and when she does have a child like she will be very competitive. She's already annoyed she's not had the first grandchild.

Let her keep you blocked until she grows up!

Congratulations on your pregnancy and you are allowed to moan about a rubbish first trimester as much as you want!

Lollypop701 · 29/11/2024 20:02

ChanelBoucle · 29/11/2024 19:24

She sounds wayyyy too immature to be thinking of having a baby. Let’s hope she’s matured a bit by the time she does get pregnant because she’ll be in for a shock when she realises that something else is more important than HER.

She will be fine with someone being more important than her… as long as it’s her child. Ops child won’t be quite as good Obs… lord help anyone who doesn’t agree 😂

NotOneOfTheInCrowd · 29/11/2024 20:13

I’d tell her to grow the fuck up. And tbh if I was her mother I’d do the same.

I’d tell your mother that since she’s blocked you you’re not able to tell her that you’ve picked your bridesmaids for the wedding and that she obviously won’t be one of them.

And I’d also tell her that you’ve picked a shortlist of names for the baby - and then proceed to reel off the list of names she said you couldn’t use.

But I’m a petty bitch.

BellissimoGecko · 30/11/2024 09:24

MounjaroUser · 29/11/2024 16:22

Her superiority complex is shining through, isn't it? She thinks she's the successful one and has you in a box that says "second best, lower achieving, less successful". It's really awful.

Is there anyone who can speak up for you on your behalf?

I agree. She's used to being the successful one and can't bear it that you have managed to do something before her. Very immature.

Sofa1000 · 30/11/2024 09:36

Congratulations OP. Be very wary of your sister from now on. Make sure she doesn’t try and spoil things between you and the rest of the family. A few well chosen comments to your parents to explain that she appears not to have coped with your news and you’re worried about her mental health.
She sounds like someone you won’t miss much.

WhatUSeeIsWhatUGet · 30/11/2024 09:52

Detach emotionally from her. You don't need narcissistic drama in your life right now (nor never, for that matter... but that's an issue to graple with when you've built your safe place). Focus on yourself and your baby. Ignore her.

HandW123 · 06/12/2024 17:49

Hi I never said there was a history of her “not being interested in things I have going on” I’m not sure where you’ve got that from? I told her at 4 weeks because I was excited and she’s never behaved this way towards me and my life before. This is all new behaviour. Like I said, I have been trying for 2 years so to say I am competing with her would insinuate I only started trying for a baby because she was when actually I have wanted a baby for a long time and just thought she’d be delighted for me that it’s happened as I would have been and will be for her

OP posts:
HandW123 · 06/12/2024 17:52

thank you, I agree this has shown me a whole new side of her and I am concerned that when she does have a baby she will be very competitive :( I don’t want that for either of us or our children

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 06/12/2024 17:59

She's your sister. I understand that you wanted some validation for how you feel but honestly, I wouldn't solicit nor put up with the nasty comments made by randoms about my family member and I'm surprised that anyone would.

Nobody here knows your sister, they don't know you either. Whatever is going on it is extremely likely that your sister has been trying to conceive for an awful lot longer than the time period she's disclosed.

How you deal with this is up to you. You can escalate it or try to diffuse it. You know your sister best and if your Mum would be able to help then that's the route I'd probably take.

MediumDwarf · 06/12/2024 18:23

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe · 06/12/2024 17:59

She's your sister. I understand that you wanted some validation for how you feel but honestly, I wouldn't solicit nor put up with the nasty comments made by randoms about my family member and I'm surprised that anyone would.

Nobody here knows your sister, they don't know you either. Whatever is going on it is extremely likely that your sister has been trying to conceive for an awful lot longer than the time period she's disclosed.

How you deal with this is up to you. You can escalate it or try to diffuse it. You know your sister best and if your Mum would be able to help then that's the route I'd probably take.

I have to agree with this.

Without knowing her it’s difficult for strangers to comment on why she has behaved the way she has. If your relationship is usually a close respectful one then it’s a bit of a personality turn for her to suddenly behave like this!

Is there a chance she has been trying for a lot longer than 2 months?
Does she know how long you have been trying without success?

These could impact her behaviour tbh as if nothing has been discussed between you, there are a lot of assumptions!!

For context and as an example- After a year of no conception, which my friends knew about. I had one hand me a scan as an ‘I’m pregnant announcement’ last Christmas. It honestly broke me. Im not usually a particularly emotional person. Im not sure if it’s all jealousy, also a feeling of betrayal that someone close to me wouldn’t think about how it would hurt. I had talked at length about our disappointment and sadness in the past few weeks so thought she understood.

I then suffered a miscarriage a few months later, but this friend thought it appropriate to ‘take me out for dinner to cheer me up’ and then announced she’d had a scan and shared the sex of her baby. Honestly while I am pleased for her, it has absolutely changed the way I view her and ruined our friendship. A year on I am still struggling to conceive which makes it even harder to move on from this.

Trying to control who and when you tell people about your pregnancy is obviously unreasonable of her. But if this has triggered her into a breakdown of some kind I think you could step away to protect yourself, but make sure those around her check she is ok!

My other friends are not at this life stage yet and they couldnt understand why being handed a scan picture after months of failed trying would be upsetting, and that’s before we get into how someone might feel hearing about pregnancy news days after they lose a much wanted child to miscarriage!

Society pushing people to wait until 12weeks to announce when the risk of issues is reduced twinned with the modern social media need to make a big show and tell is great when things go well. But can make things so so much harder when they don’t!

Nc546888 · 06/12/2024 18:27

She sounds very young and immature and I would take the older kinder high road and just make sympathetic noises and try to rise above it. I know it’s easier said than done

Sassybooklover · 06/12/2024 18:44

Basically, she's pissed off that you became pregnant before her, and is jealous. No matter how much she may want to become pregnant, being nasty towards you is completely wrong. If she's blocked you on all forms of contact, then I would leave her alone. At the moment she is consumed by her anger and jealousy towards your pregnancy, and nothing you say is going to change that. She needs to deal with her emotions, in her own time. As for the wedding, well, you may have to face the possibility that she doesn't want to be your bridesmaid or even come to the wedding. Being pregnant isn't always a walk in the park, and that is something she hasn't experienced, so may feel your complaints are not justified. It may be a different story, once she becomes pregnant. You haven't done anything wrong.

PassingStranger · 06/12/2024 21:03

Is she 5 years old?

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