MIL 45 minutes away should she visit more?

[HappyDreamer]

MIL lives a 45 minute drive away and had only visited my LO once when she was born, she is now 7 months. Me and my partner drive up every other weekend. I’m getting frustrated as she never asks how LO is and if I send photos I don’t get a reply and I just feel it’s very one way at the moment, do I just get on with it and travel up less? Maybe invite her down? The issue is she drinks daily too and she invites us to the pub which I don’t think is suitable for my 7 month old

This is not uncommon with relatives. I think people get used to a situation and accept that only one takes the initiative and organises visiting. It's difficult to say anything without rocking the boat.

The drinking is an obvious problem, but unless she has an alcohol issue, she could stop for a weekend and visit family. That has to be a better activity.

Would anything happen/ be said if you did go so often, does your partner want to go ?
If you keeping going there's never a reason for her to travel to you. Just drop a week and maybe go up once every 3/4 weeks so you resent the time less and invite a return visit when you are face to face, if no then you'll see her in a few weeks.