Woman 'Fakes Her Birth' To See If Her Mother-In-Law Would Sabotage Her With 'An Emergency'
She tried to show her husband that he prioritized his mother's needs above hers.
christinarosepix / Shutterstock A mom-to-be revealed that her husband accused her of being just as bad as her mother-in-law and is now reconsidering the future of their relationship.
Posting to the subreddit "r/AITAH," the 25-year-old admitted that she's currently pregnant and worried that her mother-in-law will try to steal the special moment of her baby's birth by trying to take attention, so she decided to test that theory.
She faked her birth to see if her mother-in-law would try and sabotage it with an 'emergency.'
In her Reddit post, she explained that her baby was due within a couple of days, and her husband promised that he would drive them to the hospital and be by her side while she gave birth. His boss has already given him the green light to miss work, but the issue isn't his boss or work but rather his mother.
Photo: Daniela Jovanovska-Hristovska / Canva Pro
She explained that her husband and mother-in-law have an unhealthy bond and, as a result, she has become overly involved in their marriage. His mother demands his attention every minute of the day and has even suggested moving in with him and her daughter-in-law since she became pregnant.
To make matters worse, whenever the two have anniversaries or important occasions, her mother-in-law suddenly has an "emergency" that calls for her son's immediate attention. This type of attachment has long been associated with the stereotypical "boy moms," and these women often raise their sons as stand-in husbands and little boyfriends.
The term enmeshment often refers to the toxic attachment that some mothers will have with their sons. It occurs when a mother becomes overly involved in her son's life, often blurring boundaries and creating a codependent relationship. This is seemingly what has happened between this woman's husband and his mother, and unfortunately, it's bled into their relationship and how she receives support and attention from her husband.
As the date of her birth steadily approaches, she's nervous that his mother will have one of her infamous "emergencies" and her husband will have trouble getting to the hospital or will have to leave halfway through so that she has to give birth alone. She's already voiced her concerns to him, and it's just caused arguments.
"So, I'm not proud of it, but I faked giving birth yesterday. I called my hubby at work, told him it started, he said he will be right there. After half an hour, I called him to ask where he was & he didn't answer," she said. "After almost an hour, he called me to say he is at the hospital with his mom because, guess what, she is having a medical emergency."
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Her mother-in-law claimed she was having a heart attack from the excitement of the baby coming.
Since he had to bring his mother to the hospital, he told his wife that he wouldn't be able to get there in time for her birth and that she should just call her friend to stay with her. His wife was absolutely furious and heartbroken, telling him that she wasn't actually giving birth and it was all just a test.
"It proved he would always care for his mother more than for his own wife, [who was] carrying his child. He was very angry & even blamed me for his mother's heart attack. His mom, of course, didn't have a heart attack but a 'false alarm.' I felt very justified, but now that we talked, I feel guilty. He said he feels manipulated & gaslighted."
Her husband argued that since marriage is built on trust, she should've done that instead of lying to him just to prove a point. He claimed that he'd never chosen his mother over her and knew that she would be able to handle getting to the hospital while he tended to his mother. However, she pointed out that his mother was lying about the heart attack, but he refused to listen.
The repercussions of being married to a man who's codependent on his mother have become increasingly clear to this woman. Despite her attempts to communicate and voice her frustrations with him, he's seemingly blind to everything.
Ultimately, this unhealthy dynamic between her husband and his mother is just going to keep having a profound impact on their marriage, especially now that there will be a child to take care of.
Until her husband starts prioritizing his wife over his mother, she will continue to drive a wedge between their family. Eventually, their marriage will reach its breaking point.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.