A pregnant woman has received the internet’s support to leave her husband, after she shared in a social media post that he’s unusually close to his mother. The woman, who goes by u/itchy_following_6298 on Reddit, had shared in the post that her mother-in-law acts like she’s in a relationship with her son.
“My husband is a compete momma’s boy. He’ll call his mother for hours and talk to her and spend time with her more than he does with me. I recently hit my six-month mark in my pregnancy, and asked my husband to help me get ready with all sorts of things. He said that would interfere with time spent with his mom,” the woman opened up online.
She went on to share that her husband “gave [her] an offended look” when she questioned why that would be a priority over his pregnant wife. She recalled in the post that her husband had simply responded that his mother comes before his wife.
“I was kind of shocked but I explained to him that we just needed to get ready with a few things here and there and that I wouldn’t need more help later in the week. He just ignored me and went to his mom’s house. After a while, she called me and said ‘I won,’ in a snarky voice. I could hear my husband laughing in the background.”
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“Our anniversary rolls around the corner a couple weeks later. I woke up and got my husband’s gift ready that day and cooked his favorite meal. He came back from work. I got all eager and happy that he was bringing some sort of surprise and waited in the living room. Some time goes by and I call him saying where are you. He replies [that he has gone to his mom’s house],” she added.
The woman, who had grown tired of her husband’s behavior, decided to threaten him with leaving.
“She might as well be having your kid you clearly seem like your with her,” she recalled telling her husband.
“I hung up the phone and it was probably in speaker phone and minutes later I get a bunch of text from them saying that I shouldn’t be jealous, I shouldn’t respect my mother-in-law, and that I should maybe find something to do instead of being a bitter a******,” she added.
Shayne Webber is a life coach and therapist based in Texas. He has a master’s degree in human development and family studies and a Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy.
“Humility is needed for us to be teachable or open to adaptation for our partner. The wife expressed needs and the husband ignored or even laughed at her. He did not listen or make any attempt to understand his wife’s needs or feelings,” Webber said.
“Currently, he is failing her. The husband in this situation has an unhealthy attachment to his mother. This is not completely his fault, but it is his 100 percent his responsibility to repair and cling to his wife. Sometimes moms over-mother their sons. I am sure she loves her son, but she is handicapping his ability to have a meaningful and mature relationship with his wife.”
“This husband will have to commit to his wife, prioritize his wife and make this abundantly clear to his mother. He can make his choice clear by setting up boundaries and consistently choosing his wife over his mom. This does not mean this husband should not have a great relationship with his mom,” he added.
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it was shared to the social media platform on September 11, the post has been upvoted by 94 percent of the users who engaged with it and commented on more than 2,100 times. Many users have agreed with the Redditor that the situation she’s found herself in is very strange. Others have supported her desire to leave.
One user wrote: “Why are you still there hoping for change?”
“You need to go and see a divorce lawyer urgently and get the hell out of your marriage before your baby is born,” another user added.
The Reddit post can be seen here.
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