Life

A closeup of a pregnant woman sitting on a bench with her in-laws
LoloStock/Fotolia
8 Pregnant Women Share The Horrific Comments They Heard From Their In-Laws
by Fiona Tapp

Even the most loving, supportive in-laws can turn into garbage humans when you're pregnant. Maybe it's the excitement of becoming grandparents that makes them so intrusive, or the thought of their own baby having a baby, which, I can imagine, is strange. Either way, your relationship with your in-laws is bound to change when you find out you're going to be a mom. In fact, when I asked the following pregnant women to share the horrific comments they heard from their in-laws, I was reminded that growing a human being inside your body doesn't just change you. Oh no, it changes the people around you, too.

For the record, my in-laws are fantastic and my son is really lucky to have a lot of people invested in his growth and development. He has grandparents who want to take him places and teach him new things, and that's truly a wonderful thing. But make no mistake, we haven't always agreed on every aspect of his upbringing, and that can cultivate some palpable tension. For example, my decision to allow my son to self-wean from breastfeeding raised more than a few in-law eyebrows. Thankfully, however, I wasn't subjected to any horrific remarks from family members who, for whatever reason, think extended breastfeeding is "gross." So I know that even at our most awkward moments, my relationship with my in-laws could've been worse.

Family relationships are tricky even when all is right in the world, so throw in a pregnancy and things can get strange. Sometimes it's best to just hold your tongue and quietly inform your partner that his family needs to work on their manners. As long as you're not being verbally abused, sometimes maintaining the peace is the name of the in-law relationship game. Then again, if you have to hear comments like the ones these following moms endured, perhaps staying away from your in-laws until, oh, I don't know, your kid is 18 or something, is the way to go.

Zoe

"My mother-in-law said, 'I guess he's stuck with you now!' We had already been married for six years."

Harriet

"I didn't see my in-laws until I was about six months along. My father-in-law's first words were, 'Holy moly. You look like a whale!' It was a tense visit."

Rebecca

"My in-laws told me my skin looked awful and my boobs were massive. I was, like, 11 weeks pregnant."

Siobhan

"My mother-in-law was so excited, and it was sweet. She tried to get too involved, though, like insisting on coming to appointments and things like that. I let her come to the scan and she said to the tech, 'She's very old to have her first, isn't she?' I was so embarrassed."

Mia

"My husband never speaks to his father, because he's a real idiot. He called him up to say I was pregnant and he actually said, 'You know the sex will never be the same.' My husband hung up on him."

Sarah

"I actually found my mother-in-law to be amazing during the whole pregnancy, but my father-in-law was odd. He seemed embarrassed the whole time. When I gave birth he said, 'Thank God that's over!' I just got pregnant again so we'll see if he talks to me this time!"

Maria

"I have always fought with my boyfriend's mother. When we announced my pregnancy, she said, 'You gave him the milk for free, so he'll never marry you.' Guess what? We're still not married and happier than ever!"

Ava

"This pregnancy was planned but I am quite young and my boyfriend's parents were less than thrilled. My boyfriend's dad said to him, in front of me, 'Well, your life's over then.' It really hurt."

Watch Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:

Check out the entire Romper's Doula Diaries series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.