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Feeling left out

(433 Posts)
MoaningTurtle Wed 02-Aug-23 10:48:49

One of my DILs seems to resent our existence!
Today they have had their 20 week scan and thankfully all looks fine, however the placenta is low so she will need a scan at 36 weeks but they said they aren’t worried at all.
My son has just hurriedly texted me to pretend he hadn’t told me as she only wants her own mum to know.
I understand it’s her pregnancy and totally up to her what she does but this is just typical of her, she sees her mum during the week but doesn’t ever come to us, doesn’t want my son to ever tell us anything.
Am I wrong to find this hurtful?

silverlining48 Wed 02-Aug-23 13:11:07

Even if you have a good relationship with your dil she is still entitled to privacy relating to her medical condition. Her mum and sister are close and it’s up to her who to talk to. It’s an emotional time for her and your son of course.
All anyone needs to know is everything is fine.

It seems you don’t like her much and she will know this. Suggest you make an effort to get on with her. It will really help.
Congratulations on the new grandchild and hope all goes well .

NotSpaghetti Wed 02-Aug-23 13:10:30

I felt like you, paddyann54 - so sorry you had so many extra worries.

NotSpaghetti Wed 02-Aug-23 13:09:26

It is not up to him to share somebody else's medical history- what a betrayal and breach of confidence

I would feel very let down if this was my pregnancy.

Please don't ask him anything else!

paddyann54 Wed 02-Aug-23 13:04:52

I must be odd.I didn't want anyone to know anything about my pregnancies.I didn't tell my own mother and would have been furious if my OH had shared information with his family .I lost one twin at 10 weeks and the second at 30 weeks and frankly managing everyone elses grief was more than I wanted.

All other pregnancies were kept quiet as long as posssible ,labours and births not announced until we.my OH and me knew all was well .
Please respect your DIL's wishes.Its not you 're place to be involved if she doesn't want you to be and very wrong of your son to tell you something that she didn't want you to know.Her body her choice

Hithere Wed 02-Aug-23 12:46:19

Good luck, OP!

MoaningTurtle Wed 02-Aug-23 12:44:41

Siope

No he didn’t go against her wishes, just thought it was a normal thing to especially as she had already told her mum and sister.

Juliet27 Wed 02-Aug-23 12:42:54

Difficult situation. It’s a slightly concerning pregnancy situation and the dil is feeling vulnerable - only wants the comfort of her mother knowing and doesn’t want to discuss elsewhere. It’s a concern for the son too and needed to share it with his mum so it’s a difficult situation for him but mum will no doubt keep the secret despite feeling hurt.

MoaningTurtle Wed 02-Aug-23 12:42:40

Laughing at the rabid feminist replies here. What a load of crap!
The baby is 50% my son’s and fyi I’m only concerned that the pregnancy is going well for all of them.
My son had already told immediately after the scan, I guess he thought it wouldn’t be a problem which is why he’s asked me not to mention it.

ParlorGames Wed 02-Aug-23 12:40:36

Smileless2012

The d.i.l. is the one who is wrong here Hithere, not the OP's son. She is carrying their child and as the father of that child he has every right to share any news/concerns with his own mother.

The OP feels left out because it appears that her d.i.l. doesn't want her to be included. Her son has every right to confide in his own mother about the progress of the pregnancy of his and his wife's child.

Well said Smileless, I couldn't agree more!

It seems hugely unfair that the DIL controls all what her DH is allowed to share with his own mum. It is his baby too after all and the sooner he speaks to his wife about her controlling attitude the better.

I do wonder how much influence the DIL's mother is having in all this too.

greenlady102 Wed 02-Aug-23 12:30:21

Feelings aren't wrong, they are feelings but NOBODY has the right to know what is going on with someone else's pregnancy. Doctors won't even tell the biological or other father details unless the mother permits. I don't think that's resenting your existence, its expecting to have control of her own health information.

Siope Wed 02-Aug-23 12:22:48

So your son deliberately lied to his wife and you see nothing wrong with that?

If he genuinely believes information about this pregnancy should be shared, he needs to grow a backbone and have that conversation with his wife.

If I were his wife, and I found out he had deceived me, and had shared what he had agreed was private information, I’d be thinking long and hard about whether I wanted a relationship with someone I couldn’t trust.

Hithere Wed 02-Aug-23 12:19:06

So this will blow some posters' minds-
You know you are not entitled to be informed about your precious and only reason for living grandchildren's health, right?

It is up to the parents to decide who knows what

Way to demote the dil to an incubator role and then the poster wonders what is wrong

Skydancer Wed 02-Aug-23 12:12:55

Hithere this is not a "meddlesome and disrespectful mil"! This is someone who loves her son very much, and obviously keen and anxious to know how a pregnancy is progressing - one which will, all being well, mean she will have a lovely new grandchild. This is hugely important to her as it would be to most of us.

sassysaysso Wed 02-Aug-23 12:12:46

As for son's "right" to discuss his wife's pregnancy, I am reminded if a line spoken by Rachel in Friends : "No uterus, no opinion."

pandapatch Wed 02-Aug-23 12:10:46

I can understand why you are hurt, but if she has said she only wants her own mum to know then your son really should have respected her wishes.
Perhaps the way forward is to try and build a stronger relationship with your DIL. Don't wait for her to come to you - offer to meet her for a coffee, treat you both to a spa day etc. (apologies if you have already tried this sort of thing!)

Hithere Wed 02-Aug-23 12:05:30

A woman doesn't stop to exist as an individual just because she is pregnant - she doesn't become everybody's personal business because you are DNA related

If that was the case, dil still carries the yet not fertilized eggs with her for decades - does it mean she has no right to privacy because she may get pregnant anytime?

No wonder op and dil don't get along, another meddlesome and disrespectful mil and we all know where this ends

Smileless2012 Wed 02-Aug-23 12:00:29

This isn't his wife's "private medical information" it is information pertaining to the pregnancy which as the father of the child, he's entitled to share with his mother if he so wishes.

Shelmiss Wed 02-Aug-23 12:00:16

No I don’t think you’re wrong, I would find it hurtful too. She is carrying the baby, yes, but it’s just as much your son’s baby as it is hers.

Smileless2012 Wed 02-Aug-23 11:58:17

The d.i.l. is the one who is wrong here Hithere, not the OP's son. She is carrying their child and as the father of that child he has every right to share any news/concerns with his own mother.

The OP feels left out because it appears that her d.i.l. doesn't want her to be included. Her son has every right to confide in his own mother about the progress of the pregnancy of his and his wife's child.

Ilovecheese Wed 02-Aug-23 11:56:18

I think your son was wrong to go against his wife's wishes by sharing her private medical information.

Skydancer Wed 02-Aug-23 11:54:13

Well, if it was me, I'd feel exactly the same as you MT. After all you are going to be a grandmother. Being kept informed about the way things are going is perfectly normal and as it should be.

Hithere Wed 02-Aug-23 11:54:06

If your son was that non confrontational, he would not risk upsetting his wife

However, he is risking a fight with her to make you (or him) happy

That means he is not on the same page with his wife.

Trouble is brewing and won't end well

Hithere Wed 02-Aug-23 11:49:58

What your son did is wrong and he may get in trouble for it later

I hope he stops sharing info about another person with you on the down low - he is not respecting his wife's wishes

It is not up to him to share somebody else's medical history- what a betrayal and breach of confidence

Your dil is the patient here - not him.
She has her right to privacy

You feel left out because your expectations of being included in certain events do not match with the other party

Please adjust that or you will feel hurt a lot very in a unreasonable manner

MoaningTurtle Wed 02-Aug-23 11:40:52

That’s very true @Smileless2012.

Smileless2012 Wed 02-Aug-23 11:31:32

At least he does tell you MoaningTurtle smile.

I thought couples today talk about 'their pregnancy', 'we're pregnant' etc. sassysaysso.