A new mother says she returned from a week-long family vacation feeling emotionally drained and completely unsupported, after no one on the trip offered to help her care for her 3-month-old baby.
In a heartfelt post shared to Reddit, the woman explained that she joined her in-laws on a vacation to celebrate her mother-in-law’s 75th birthday — bringing her infant along in hopes of bonding with family. But instead of feeling included or assisted, she ended the trip feeling sidelined and overwhelmed.
“I really wish we hadn’t gone,” she wrote. “There were so many people with experience raising children, but not one person offered to hold the baby or give me even a short break.”
According to her post, the baby’s early bedtime — around 7 p.m. — clashed with the group’s spontaneous dinner plans, often at restaurants 45 minutes away. The family went out every night without her, she said, and only once offered to bring food back — an offer that never materialized.
“They said they’d bring us something one night, but then texted later saying, ‘Oh sorry, the kitchen’s closing.’ We ended up just eating leftovers on our own.”
The mom also shared that she, her husband, and their baby were excluded from most group activities and family photos — many of which were scheduled while the baby was napping. She said the group refused to plan around a newborn’s schedule, opting instead for impromptu outings that she couldn’t join.
“They wanted to be spontaneous, but that’s just not realistic with a 3-month-old,” she added.
The post sparked strong reactions from other users, many of whom expressed sympathy and encouraged her to seek support — both emotionally and mentally.
“Three months is such an intense stage. You’re still in survival mode,” one commenter wrote. “It’s completely fair that you feel exhausted and unseen. Traveling with a baby and getting no support is incredibly isolating.”
Though her intention was to be part of a family celebration, the woman says she left the trip feeling ignored, excluded, and utterly depleted.
“I came back home broken,” she concluded.
