A gender reveal party should be a joyous occasion for expectant parents to celebrate the upcoming arrival of their babies.
While not all parents choose to have a gender reveal party, for those who want to know whether they’re having a boy or a girl, it can be a delightful way to share the news and congratulate the parents-to-be, who should be the focal point of the event.
However, one pregnant woman’s experience was marred by her mother-in-law, who hijacked the celebration and made the happy news all about herself.
The woman recounted that her gender reveal party was going smoothly until the moment she and her husband popped the balloon containing coloured confetti that would reveal the baby’s gender – blue for a boy, pink for a girl.
When blue confetti filled the air, the father-to-be’s mother “threw herself” at her son, bursting into tears and declaring that having a grandson was the “happiest day of her life”.
The expectant mother was stunned, feeling pushed aside despite being the one carrying the baby. In a Reddit post, she described trying to laugh it off and reminding her mother-in-law that she was the one “having this baby”.
She wrote: “Do you know what this woman says? She looks at me, wipes her fake tears, and goes ‘Oh sweetie, you don’t understand. This is just such a special moment for our family’. OUR. FAMILY. Like I’m not included in this equation. Like I’m just some incubator for her grandson.”
The woman sought comfort from her husband, only to be dismissed with claims that it “wasn’t a big deal” and his mum was “just excited”. Feeling isolated, the expectant mother “shut down” and remained silent as her mother-in-law took over the role of the baby’s mother.
Online commenters rallied behind the mum, advising her to ensure her mother-in-law doesn’t dominate other aspects of parenting. One suggested: “I would tell your nurses at the hospital to not let her in the delivery room as I’m sure this will be an issue then as well.”
Another urged: “You need to talk to your husband about how you feel and your expectation for how he can back you up when this happens again.” A third added: “This is why I find gender reveal parties to not be a good idea. Too much drama.”