My mother-in-law insisted on assisting with my home birth, but something felt very wrong as she kept slipping out. When she exited the room again, I heard strange sounds outside. When I realized what it was, I froze.
When I informed Josh I wanted a home birth, his eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning. But it was nothing compared to the reaction we received from his mother, Elizabeth. You would think we had just given her the keys to a brand-new car.
“Oh, Nancy! This is wonderful news!” Elizabeth gushed, clasping her hands together. “I simply must be there to support you both. I can help with anything you need!”
I raised my eyebrows as I shared a gaze with Josh. His shrug indicated that he was leaving this up to me.
“I don’t know, Elizabeth,” I said, my voice hesitant. “It’s going to be pretty intense.”
She waved off my concerns. “Nonsense! I’ve been through it myself, dear. I know exactly what you’ll need.”
I chewed my lip and mulled it over. Maybe having an additional pair of hands wouldn’t be so horrible. And it would mean a lot to Josh if I asked his mother to assist me with our home birth.
“Alright,” I finally conceded. “You can be there.”
Elizabeth’s cry of excitement was so high-pitched that it could have startled the neighborhood dogs.
“You won’t regret this, Nancy,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug. “I promise I’ll be the best support you could ask for.”
The big day has finally arrived. Our midwife, Rosie, was setting up her equipment when Elizabeth came through the door, arms full of bags.
“I’m here!” she announced, as if we might have missed her entrance. “Where do you need me?”
I was about to respond when a contraction struck, robbing my breath. Josh appeared at my side in a moment, placing his hand on my lower back as I tightened and groaned.
“Just… just put your things down for now,” I managed to gasp out.
As the contraction lessened, I observed Elizabeth fussing with something and her gaze darting about the room. She seemed more nervous than excited now. And I realized there was something horribly wrong.
“Are you okay?” I asked, frowning.
She turned around, startled. “What? Oh, yes! Just thinking about what I can do to help. You’re doing just fine, honey. Just keep pushing.”
Before I could press any more, she rushed out the door, mumbling something about getting me some water.
Josh squeezed my hand. “Want me to talk to her?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. She’s probably just nervous. It’s our first baby, right?”
As my labor proceeded, Elizabeth’s conduct got increasingly strange. She’d come in, inquire how I was doing, and then disappear again. Every time she returned, she appeared more agitated.
During a particularly painful contraction, I squeezed Josh’s hand so tightly that I feared I would break it. As the pain subsided, I became aware of an unusual sound.
“Josh,” I panted, “do you hear that?”
He cocked his head and listened. “Sounds like… voices?”
I nodded, relieved I wasn’t imagining things. “And is that music?”
Josh’s brow furrowed. He kissed my forehead and turned around. “I’ll check it out. Be right back.”
As he left, Rosie gave me an encouraging smile. “You’re doing great, Nancy. Not long now.”
When Josh returned, his face was pale, like if he had seen a ghost.
“What is it?” I asked, dreading the answer.
He ran his fingers through his hair, visibly pained. “You’re not going to believe this. My mother is throwing a party. In our living room.”
I stared at him, certain I’d misheard. “A what?”
“A party,” he repeated, his voice edged with frustration. “There are at least a dozen people out there.”
The pain of labor was nothing compared to the wrath that ran through me. I climbed to my feet and ignored my midwife’s protests.
“Nancy, you shouldn’t—”
“I need to see this for myself,” I growled.
Josh helped me make our way to the living room. The image before us was strange. People mingled with beverages in hand, as if it were a casual Sunday BBQ.
The banner on the wall read, “WELCOME BABY!”
Elizabeth was at the heart of it all, holding court with a bunch of women I’d never seen before. She had not even noticed our approach.
“What the hell is going on here?” I bellowed, my voice cutting through the chatter like a knife.
The room grew silent, and all eyes turned to us. Elizabeth turned around, her face pale when she saw me.
“Nancy! Holy Christ! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to—”
“Elizabeth, what’s going on over here?”
“Oh, I… we were just…”
“Just what? Turning my home birth into an exhibition?”
Elizabeth had the audacity to look offended. “Now, Nancy, don’t be dramatic. We’re just celebrating!”
“Celebrating? I’m in labor, Elizabeth! This isn’t a damn social event!”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, you wouldn’t even know we were here! I thought you’d appreciate the support.”
I felt a contraction coming on, and I clinched my teeth against the pain and rage. “Support? This isn’t support. This is a circus!”
Josh stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. “Everyone needs to leave. Now.”
As others hurried to retrieve their belongings, Elizabeth attempted one final time. “Nancy, you’re overreacting. This is a joyous occasion!”
I rounded on her, my voice clipped and cold. “This is my home birth. My moment. If you can’t respect that, you can leave too.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and waddled back to the bedroom to continue what I started, leaving Josh to deal with the consequences.
Hours later, as I held my newborn boy in my arms, the previous events seemed like a distant nightmare. Josh sat next to us, his eyes filled with astonishment as he stroked our baby’s cheek.
“He’s perfect!” he whispered.
I nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. We sat comfortably silent until a faint knock on the door broke the spell.
Elizabeth peeked in, her eyes red-rimmed. “Can I… can I come in?”
I felt my jaw clench. “No!”
Elizabeth’s face crumpled. “Please, Nancy. I’m so sorry. I just want to see the baby.”
I stared at Josh, conflicted. He softly squeezed my hand, his eyes understanding and imploring.
“Fine. Five minutes.”
Elizabeth approached gingerly, as if scared I would alter my mind. Her face was pale and drawn as she approached the bed.
“Nancy, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I just got so excited and carried away.”
I didn’t say anything and simply stared at her sternly. Josh cleared his throat. “Would you like to see your grandson, Mom?”
Elizabeth nodded, tears streaming down her face as Josh gently placed our infant in her arms. As she cradled him, her whole manner transformed. The party-planning flurry was vanished, replaced by a calm, awe-struck grandma.
After a few minutes, I spoke out. “It’s time for him to feed.”
Elizabeth nodded and hesitantly handed the baby back to me. She paused at the threshold. “Thank you for letting me see him,” she said softly before leaving.
As the door closed behind her, Josh turned to me. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “No. What she did… I can’t just forgive and forget, Josh.”
He nodded, pulling me close. “I understand. We’ll figure it out together.”
In the weeks that followed, I grappled with how to proceed. Part of me wanted to remove Elizabeth from our son’s first celebration as petty retaliation for her home birth mishaps.
I was still furious and hurt, and it was difficult to even consider including her.
But as I watched her adore our infant during her visits, always mindful of our space and traditions, I knew there was a better approach.
When it was time to plan the baby’s first party, I called her.
“Elizabeth? It’s Nancy. I was hoping you could help with the preparations for the baby’s party next weekend.”
The silence on the other end was deafening. Finally, she spoke. “You want my help? After what I did?”
“Yes. Because this is what family does. We forgive, we learn, and we move forward together.”
I could hear the tears in her voice as she replied, “Oh, Nancy. Thank you. I promise I won’t let you down.”
Elizabeth kept her word and was a picture of moderation and support throughout the party. She assisted silently in the background, beaming with pride as we introduced our kid to our friends and family.
As the final visitor departed, she approached me, her eyes gleaming. “Thank you for letting me be part of this, Nancy. I see now that this is how you celebrate. With love and respect.”
I smiled felt the walls between us shatter. “That’s exactly right, Elizabeth. Welcome to the family!”
