Mother-in-Law Calls Pregnant Woman’s Own Mother a ‘Witch,’ Says They Will Have to ‘Fight’ for Cuddles with Baby

A first-time mom is turning to Reddit for support after a family situation left her wondering if she’s wrong for wanting space during a meaningful family visit.

In her candid post, the woman described growing tension with her mother-in-law, who has unexpectedly inserted herself into what was meant to be an intimate trip with the new parents and their baby.

The poster explained that she and her husband plan to travel to her home country next September to visit her family. “We are due a baby in April and my parents live overseas,” she wrote, adding that her parents “will be coming across for when the bub is born and will stay for about a month and then will go back home.”

While her parents live far away, her mother-in-law lives nearby and already sees the couple often. Still, small remarks have started to bother the expectant mom. “She was joking but the other day MIL made a comment that was, word for word, ‘I’ll have to fight that other witch for cuddles,’” she recalled.

When the mom-to-be asked what she meant, her mother-in-law explained that she would have to “fight” her own mother for time with the baby. “She’s not normally like that, but these small comments keep coming up and it’s starting to get on my nerves,” the woman said.

She emphasized that her mother-in-law will have far more access to the baby, while her parents will only get short visits. “My parents will only get short bursts maybe twice a year with my baby; she will get frequent contact,” she wrote, trying to point out how different their situations are.

For the mom, the trip isn’t just about travel — it’s about maintaining balance and giving her family meaningful time together. “We planned this trip so that 1. We can go on a holiday but still have family support as it will be our first time traveling with a baby (it takes about 24 hours total with multiple flights to get there) and 2. So that my family can spend some time with the baby,” she explained.

But things took an unexpected turn when her mother-in-law heard about the trip. “We mentioned this trip in conversation to MIL, and she has invited herself along on the trip,” the woman shared, adding that her mother-in-law “said she is going to start saving now and will join us when we go.”

The situation became even more awkward when her mother-in-law mentioned that she might bring a friend along, too. “She has also invited her friend along, who I know won’t come but that’s not the point,” the woman wrote.

Feeling overwhelmed, the mom-to-be admitted she doesn’t want her mother-in-law to come at all. “I really don’t want her to come on this trip with us,” she confessed, saying she wants her parents to “have their time with the baby” and to “spend quality time with just my mum and I as I hardly get to see her.”

“This trip is really about my parents getting some time with the baby on their own too,” she added.

Still, she feels torn about confronting the issue. “I want to say something but she takes things so personally and I know it will upset her and potentially cause drama — and I just don’t have the capacity for drama with my MIL,” she admitted.

In the Reddit comments, one user voiced what many were thinking: “Why isn’t your husband handling this? Does he also not want her to come?”

The original poster responded that she hasn’t yet spoken to her husband about it. “I haven’t said anything to him about it yet because I’m not sure if I’m being unreasonable,” she wrote. “I haven’t asked him how he feels about it yet.”