Woman with Severe Motion Sickness Refuses to Give Up Her Seat to Pregnant Sister-in-Law

A woman turned to the Reddit community for advice after a tense family road trip left her feeling caught in the middle and accused of being inconsiderate.

The 28-year-old explained in her post that she refused to give up the front seat to her pregnant sister-in-law — and now she’s at the heart of family drama.

“I get motion sickness pretty badly unless I’m in the front passenger seat,” she shared, noting that her family knows about this longstanding issue. Even with medication, she says, “it doesn’t always help,” which is why she chose to sit up front for the six-hour drive.

The whole family — including her husband, his brother, and the brother’s pregnant wife (six months along) — all squeezed into one car for their weekend trip. She says she “got in the front seat as usual and everyone else got settled in the back,” and at first, there were no objections.

But about 30 minutes into the drive, her sister-in-law asked if they could switch seats so she could stretch out and be more comfortable. “I politely said I really didn’t think I could because I’d likely get sick,” the woman explains, “and reminded her I have had this issue for years.”

That ended the conversation for a moment, but the tension lingered. “She got quiet but didn’t push it,” she recalls, though things felt awkward.

Later, during a stop, the sister-in-law brought it up again — this time more directly. “She said I was being selfish, and that she’s carrying a human being and I’m just being ‘a little nauseous,’ ” the woman wrote.

Fortunately, her husband stepped in to back her up, reminding everyone the seating arrangements had already been planned. “My husband backed me up, saying we had already discussed the seating beforehand,” she says.

Still, the mood in the car shifted, and not everyone seemed comfortable. “My in-laws seemed kind of awkward and didn’t say much,” she adds, hinting at the growing tension.

Since returning home, the situation has escalated behind the scenes. The woman shared, “I heard through another relative that she’s still upset and told others I ‘made her suffer’ the whole ride.”

Now she’s left questioning whether she handled things the right way or if she should have given up her spot to avoid ongoing conflict. “I honestly didn’t mean to be rude or inconsiderate,” she says, “but I also didn’t want to throw up all over everyone.”

Supportive commenters suggested some alternatives that might have prevented the drama. “You or SIL drive and the other sits in the passenger seat,” one person wrote. “I get car sick, so I do all the driving in my house.”

Another commenter pointed out that the couple could have made other arrangements if the setup wasn’t working. “She and her partner could have gotten another car with more space for her,” they noted.

Despite the conflict, the woman feels torn between empathy for her pregnant sister-in-law and her own very real physical needs. “I feel bad, but I also feel like I shouldn’t have to make myself sick for hours just to avoid conflict,” she admits.