do you tell your husband everything u're unhappy abt his family?

Chewysee

Member
hello mummies, I've just gave birth to a baby boy a week ago. the conflict between mil and I has worsen since. although I am the only one unhappy and don't really like her. I really don't like his mother, because she is very stubborn and like to talk big. everybody also want to control, ego very high. before giving birth, I was very relaxed, nobody come over to our hse and disturb my rest or what. but now she everyday want to come over, open and close my door so many times to see bb then talk for so many hrs to me, I know this is inevitable, but I cannot get enough rest, then she keep asking me to rest. how to? because of the cl she hire who has serious hygiene problem, I become more and more stress, so I ask my mother to come over to help, since mil's back got problem cannot keep banding down and change diapers or bathe baby. but anyway even if she was healthy I also scared she take care. she always talk like she know a lot. but actually she don't even know how to take care of bb I think. that day let her take care one night, she put bb in air con room then never wear booties or mittens. she say it's okay, Walau, I never argue then just help him wear after she left. problem is, she hint me and mother that my mother keep coming over to her hse. like she told my mother this morning " the cl lady say why u everytime come here, disturb until ppl" I was very angry, cause I think she say de, anyhow use ppl's name. I think I've changed a lot since bb came to this world. I finally saw the reality, not everything just complain to my husband is Good. now all we want to focus is on our finance, as we are young and pregnancy wasnt planned. I'm a sahm for now, and husband told me I could tell him everything I'm unhappy abt his mum to him. but I know his character, those unhappy just keep in the heart, everything he suffer alone. so I don't wanna stress him so much already. later he go work, or when he drive, cannot concentrate. but this morning what his mum told my mum, I really not happy. I don't know if I shld tell him. I really want his mother to leave me alone. I really don't want anything to do with her. I really wanna just tell her off. how? for the past week, I feel like I keep things to myself until me and my hubby become not close, although he does on me and thinks everything is okay. but if I tell him, I scared he stress. any advice? let me know abt ur experience too.
 
Hi,

I have experienced mother-in-law issues before but not relted to confinement as my mom did my confinement for me at my place even thought my MIL was living with me. I guess was worried about having to face the issues you are facing now.

In my opinion, i think you should speak to your hubby since it's really getting to you but don't have to tell him everything. Just those that you think that your MIL is being ridiculous about. For my case, initially when i started 'complaining' to my hubby, he always defended his mom but slowly he began to realise that his mom is a bit nuts. So drop hints here and there and they will realise the situation we as daughter-in-laws feel.

For now, just close two eyes and ignre her la, afterall, 3 more weeks for your confinement then you won't have to face her everyday
 

Chewysee

Member
I think I will Still Have to face Her after my confinement. she stay next block to us. after given birth to bb she always come over and disturb my rest. even if I tell my hubby abt it, he also say " bo bian leh, cannot ask her don't come mah" Walau. sian. she still hint me and mother, that day infant of my mother say, "so after ur confinement if u need anything, tell the maid" like that leh. means telling me don't need to ask ur mother keep coming to help. Walau. she like to control everybody, now even me, not her daughter she also want to control. even the people downstairs sell vegetable and meat also want to control. actually I told her, I want to go work and leave baby for my mother to take care. she say "you cannot like that, u already married to our family liao, cannot everything call ur mother, I can hire maid to help take care, I will always be at home" I also lazy to argue back la. if really want to hire maid, the maid is suppose to assist Her. not help to take care of the baby what.
 
Hi Chewysee,

I kno
w exactly what you feel as I felt the same way towards my mother-in-w right after I gave birth. Our difference however, is I love her from the very start. Then I discovered that my ill-feelings towards her is not because she gets in the way and intervenes with my decisions as a mother, but because I was having some post-partum depression. I only wanted my baby to be taken care of by either me or my husband, sometimes my own mother is ok, too. But never an outsider. I got easily frustrated when people, especially my mother in law tells me that I do not have enough breastmilk to feed my daughter or that I do not do this or tht right, that I should be doing this and not that... Believe me, the situation was worse. Now all these, I never hid from my husband.He knew everything which actually helped me- us to understand why I felt that way. My husband was the key so that I could be loving my mother in law like before I gave birth.

Talk to your mother in la
w if you can. If not, talk to your husband so you can address this problem easily. Afterall, your mother-in-w is the grandmother of your baby- and she never means harm. Believe me, she loves your baby as much, and that's all that matters.

Sometimes
we think about ourselves, but when we begin to be a mother, our life is no longer ours. So our feelings should be set aside for the welfare of our kid.

Hope this helps!

:)

-Sarah
 
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MamaDT

Member
Chewysee, congrats!!! :)

Although I have not started my confinement... I somehow can imagine what u r gg thru...

Actually just wanna say, ur mil is being quite responsible in the sense that she said she wanna take care of ur bb... Looking at it in the other angle yah....

Yes, agree with u that she may sound very rude to ur mummy... This part I think u shd share it with your hubby. Afterall, ur hubby has the right to know what u r gg and thinking thru especially during this first month of confinement... U know, the postpartum depression and stuff.
Also, let ur hubby to tell ur mil y sometime u prefer ur mum to assist rather than the CL or maid... But of course mil shd help out more in terms of looking after bb yah... Coz bb is her "Zheng grandson" :) try to calm down, put down the upset feelings and look at her in different angle. Sometime we may mistook mil's action but thinking back how mil treated us pre-pregnancy time, u will tend to understand their behavior abit during confinement yah :)

Oh and as for resting, think u gotta tell ur mil directly... This one just tell her nicely, u and bb wanna rest so ask her to rest in the other room as well or sthg... Else, if she says she wanna play with bb awhile, let her while u rest abit yah... It's impt that mummy get to rest to have a clear mind especially during first mth...

Sorry ah, this is what I hope I can achieve although have not happen but I already plan and think how to lower my depression and sadness shd it happen to me during my confinement period :/

Hope u be a happy mummy! :)
 

kylnn

Member
Hi Chewysee,

Your situation is so much like mine!!!

My mother in law lives 5mins walk away. Before baby was born, I seldom saw her so relationship was cordial. After baby born and I returned home after my confinement at my parents' place, she started coming over almost everyday saying help me look after baby etc. But she only knows how to heeheehaahaa, dont know how to feed, no strength to carry, overall sucks at looking after baby! I hinted many times to her no need come over so often, but she still insisted on coming. And yup I couldn't rest coz I dont't like sleeping when there are visitors around. Then she did many things that totally pissed me off and which opened my eyes to her real self. Hate hate hate! I also could not complain to my hubby and tell him to tell his mom not to come over so often, coz he doesn't understand and says how can I stop the grandma from visiting her grandchild?

I think it would not be good for you to directly confront your hubby or mother in law. I know if I had done so, my hubby would be black face. Even when I hinted, he would give me that suspicious look already.

What I do is that I try to twist the situation such that it all sounds reasonable. I never mention the fact that I just dont't want to be with his mom!

First, try insisting to your hubby that you prefer to do your confinement at your parents' place.
Reason: your mom knows you best and that it's natural that you would be more comfortable there. Can mention that the CL is not good, but dont't mention that mother in law sux at babies. Also say that your mom wishes you to come over (doubt your hubby will go against HIS mother in law's request haha). Then give him that pitiful yet cute girl pleading expression (my hubby & bro & dad usually gives in when I do that lol).

After you finish confinement and return home, you must try to break off mother in law's habitual schedule of visiting everyday!!

What I do is every weekend & public holiday run off to my parents' place with baby and stayed over.
Reason given to hubby: mother in law living 5mins away can visit weekdays. So weekends reserved for my parents. Also this way, he can have his own personal time off from baby to relax and do his own thing at home (which makes him very happy!). If his mom wants us go over weekends to have a meal, I nicely remind my hubby that weekends is my parents' time.

However, you need to open your hubby's eyes to the fact that his mom is useless at looking after baby. I literally totally didnt bother with baby when mother in law came over. So for a few days baby cried and cried and cried and I only rescued her when her crying went out of hand. Heartpain, but hubby realized quickly how sucky his mom was and that if she came over, he would have to handle fussy baby all by himself (afterall, his mom coming over was supposedly to allow me to 'rest', so i rest and did housework). So eventually he told his mom dont come over so often.

Now, mother in law visits only once a week. Phew~
Was a long process to wean her away, but at least she's ok with it, and hubby didn't get offended in the process haha.
 
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felicity

Active Member
at least you can wean her off! i'm staying with my mother in law. ok to be fair my mother in law does all the chores so that helps me a lot. but on the other hand i'll nv learn to cope on my own cos everything she wanna do. plus there r a lot of things i dont really like but i just suck thumb and bite my tongue. didn't tell my hubby. i'm beginning to feel really irritated by him after baby arrived... he doesn't take care of baby, all throw to me and his mum. sometimes i feel he still behaves like a spoilt brat despite being a husband and a father simply because he is still living with his mum and his mum will do EVERYTHING for him. he will never learn n never be independent as long as his mum's around. i dont know why at the beginning i believe he is very capable and independent and marry him. so blinded. sigh.
 

linl1n84

Member
Felicity, I am living with mil too. Ur hb is same as mine, when I asked him to feed bb or pat her sleep, he always bring bb to his mum. Though my mil did all the house works, my hb even told me to at least help mil, in my heart I think, she stays with us is to help us then why must I do the housework, if I need to do housework, ma as well mil no need to stay with us..

My mil is very stubborn person, she even angry when I wanted to do baby full moon before bb 1mth, she said bb to small blahh blahh and bo Bian I gave in and did the full moon when bb is 1.5mth. Mil also said bb cant go out before 3mth due to germ. I told hb I didn't care bb is mine.

The thing I hate the most is everywhere I bring bb she will tag along.. I hate to have 3rd person as hb and I and bb won't have personal time.. Any idea how to tell mil for not go out with us??
 
Congrats on your newborn! :Dancing_tongue:

Seriously, this mother in law and daughter in law saga will never end de...just do a search in any forums, there are a long long list about this issue.. Same for me, my relationship with my mil sux big time.

We also stayed together, but of coz its not my plan, its coz she likes to act victim and my hb will be soft hearted and think he cannot leave her alone to live, thus we gotta stay with her, im like WTF....felt cheated as b4 marriage, i was promised to have own place (minus the mil) My mil also sux at looking after kids. But she like to tok big too, till like she is some expert in minding kids...

Last time, she will oso tag along with hb n me, but i really got pissed off and started to show black face whenever she is around. I know this is really rude la, but i cannot take it!! I felt so angry whenever i see her, eventually she felt it that i dislike her, and my hb knew too, so now no more!! Yeah!

I got a maid to look after my kids, coz my mil sux. But she went around telling pple that having the maid is extra, she can help us to look after my kids. -_-" And she always bully my maid, asking her to do this n that, so i told my maid to tell her, next time she asked u to do those chores, can do, but make sure the kids are well taken of 1st. My children always come 1st, coz that is the reason y she is hired. Not hired to do chores for her, to help her daughter to cook for her family, to look after her daughter's kids.

Sigh, i just hate my mil and sil too...i hope i can move out ASAP!!
 

MrZQ

Member
My wife will tell me almost everything whenever she sad or happy. Its good to have a good listening ear for each other in a relationship.
 

venussnow

Active Member
I guess it's pretty normal for mils to feel they are experts at taking care of babies. My mil will keep telling me how careful and attentive she is with my hb and sils when they were young but she can't take care for us coz she's getting on in age and dunno how to handle small babies.so we are looking for babysitter after I go back to work.diff in my case is tt I dun live under the same roof as my mil although it's walking dist to her place.i feel it's ok to live near them but under the same roof,bound to be conflicts coz we are not brought up the same way as our hb are brought up. For example, my mum's thinking is v diff from most mils in tt she got a part time cleaner for my brother's place coz she knows my sil wun be able to handle the housework coz she travels for work frequently.
 

Ivy Miao

Member
Lolx... looks like mil and dil never get along.. my r/s with my mil is exactly what mummies here experience. Infact, infront of my mil, I act nice. Infront of me, she act caring. But I heard lots of bad things she said abt me and thru her conversation on phone with her friends. Good thing is husband stand by me all the time. To e point my mil said I teach bad him. Talk to ur husband. Nice and slow tone.. make him understand slowly. This is a sensitive topic because it involve a person who bring him up for so many years and it's his mother! If it's sil, can ask her stand aside. Talk nicely... dun hurt u and ur husband r/s.. :)
 

PuTRi

Member
at least you can wean her off! i'm staying with my mother in law. ok to be fair my mother in law does all the chores so that helps me a lot. but on the other hand i'll nv learn to cope on my own cos everything she wanna do. plus there r a lot of things i dont really like but i just suck thumb and bite my tongue. didn't tell my hubby. i'm beginning to feel really irritated by him after baby arrived... he doesn't take care of baby, all throw to me and his mum. sometimes i feel he still behaves like a spoilt brat despite being a husband and a father simply because he is still living with his mum and his mum will do EVERYTHING for him. he will never learn n never be independent as long as his mum's around. i dont know why at the beginning i believe he is very capable and independent and marry him. so blinded. sigh.
Hah~! Felicity. Im might be in same situation as urs. Living wt my inlaws the plus points : i dont really need to bother washing his clothes, prepare his work uniform, cook his meals, etc... All his mom do. Even my laundry his mom washed for me xcept my socks & panties which i soak in a pail! Best part, wenever we go back to sleepover at my parents hse - he will only be awake for 2hrs & sleep or coop up in my room most of time there!!! My hubby's mom is dutch & dad is indian muslim. I am malay n our cultural differences of food/lifestyle/etique etc is so different.
Im a FTM n still hv 3-mths more left till the arrival of my baby. I fear we still wont get the key to our home yet. My mil is not familiar wt mly traditional Confinment procedures like jamu/food/massage... I m actually fearful of how she gonna treat my child! I rather hv discipline as to how my mom brought me up than pampering till child learned no disciplinary n responsibility. Just take a look at her kids!! They treated her wt disrespect n like a maid! - mom i want this. Mom cook for me tat. Mom wher u put my socks. Mom... Omg!!! N oh - my FIL told me not to burden his wife (my mil) by lving my kid in her care while i go out wrkin/shopping/party... I was like -_- duh! Oh i tell everything wt my hubby. But somehow - i did try to xplain to my MIL the reasons behind my "NO"s n refusal tat i was bought up nvr to burden others or depend on other to do the things i can do on my own. Nowdays, i donno wat is marriage. License to sleep together in same bed? How can he says he do anything for me but stop short at his mom intervals... ;( haiz...
 
Stay next block still okay mine not I staying with her:( last time when I'm confinement also like! Let me keep cry and quarrel with my husband! Like wtf! She said until she know everything but she don't -,-
She said that my family member very noisy when I'm doing confinement they come! Like hello when I'm discharge from hospital with baby she told my parent she will take off and fetch us home and help me take care abit? In the end that day she didnt. And till now she never even help me care when I'm son Is alr 6 month going 7 month!
And I never wanted her to help me take care! Because she don't even know. Web baby is just few days big she said if baby don't want drink milk use spoon and feed my mother and siater straight away stunt!
then nevermind she put my baby at sofa when his only 1 month or 2 month?
Then baby face straight face the sofa! And she happily go talk on phone! Ok can then she overfeed my baby when I never even asked her to help me to feed or take care.! That day still carry baby and fall down lucky my son never knock anything! Seriously I had enough of her everyday she complain this and that my fil brother move in she also complain said this and that . I know she's the lady owner of this house doesn't mean we owe her! Especially I don't owe her anything! Bobian too young! If got money buy house I also don't want to see her. And if I want to go out for walk or movie always is my family member help me they gain nothing when confinement they also come and help us and teach us we don't even know how then she also want kp! Owe her meh! If she not my mil , I surely scold her until siao la my temper very good alr.
 

MsKoh1973

Member
every time me n hubby quarrel, I w bring back ancient history of how his parents dun like me (they r staying in Msia), dun like my gal, how they never treat me nice (even now they always assume this and that).

Most of the time my hubby w take it (he quite good temper), but sometimes when he in bad mood, he may loose it. But after that he w realise that I am just stating a "historical fact", which is true. He just hope that I dun bring it up so often. Or at least, "tried something more fresh and new" cos he said old news r boring :(
 
Your post reminds me of all the mil issues. Currently im staying tgt with mil, worse. SAME talk big but dono how to take care.
Sometimes i regret having tis marriage as pregnancy was accidental. Mil promise to take care of baby after i gave birth cos def i don want to be a sahm. After seeing the way she take care can really ask her get lost. kns.
Now im troubled alrdy, starting work next yr feb but noone to take care of my baby. Only solution is to hire maid, let my mil n maid take care.
Im sorry but i always scold my mil to my husband, he gives in to me all the time lah but srsly i know hes being caught in da middle. What to do? Sighs
 

PuTRi

Member
Sighz... Me2 was 'accidental'. Mil said she can take care. Now she ask me to go back to my plc as her own daughter comin back to stay to the hse in late feb/early mar aft she give birth. My edd is 1-mth later after hers... Her reason. Her hse too small to "accomodate" another xtra person + a baby. Me & my husband is to go back my hse as my hse is bigger & i hv my own room. Doesnt she "get it" my mom doesnt want me arnd till i give birth!!!???!?!? Im more annoyed my inlaws told me i can cook anything in the fridge - theres "NOTHING" for me to cook! N wen i buy ingredients like meat for my meals, end up my mil use them for her own dish!!! I told her - dont cook for me or buy me anything. Not all food i eat. N she uses my 1-week supply of meat for her dish which i cant eat!
I tell EVERYTHING to my husband. He just claim his mom is old n i must remind her. Remind her of wat? Its GONE or TOO LATE to tell me. Really cant wait to get a plc of our own. Pffftt...
 
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