Call it a born ultimatum.
A mom-to-be is already experiencing family drama caused by her own mother.
The elder matriarch is exercising self-declared “grandparent rights” and demanding she be present at the child’s birth — against her daughter’s wishes.
“My mother works in the midwifery unit where we are having the baby,” the expectant parent, who wanted her mom to visit hours after the birth in the evening, wrote on Mumsnet.
“She is very upset that she is not being allowed to wait outside [the delivery room] for me to come out.”
Instead, the soon-to-be grandmother wants to try switching her shift so that she’ll already be in the hospital and, as staff, use “special privileges” to come to see the child sooner than the mother wants.
“She states that she has grandparent rights and is absolutely furious that I have said no to this.”
The pregnant mom is also catching flack from a sibling of hers, who made the argument that their mother was involved in the birth of a niece and nephew.
More drama ensued when the grandmother assumed her daughter’s partner and their family were responsible for the baby barring, with grandma convinced that they “made this decision when that’s not the case,” according to the post.
“She is now saying that my [partner’s mom] must have something to do with it,” the mom-to-be added.
The territorial grandmother also believes the partner’s mother-in-law “will see the baby more” than she would.
Commenters offered online reinforcement for the mother in duress.
“There’s no such thing legally as grandparents’ rights,” one user commented.
“If you’ve told your mum how you feel, she should absolutely respect this,” added another.
One person shared a similar story, saying the mother is “not being unreasonable at all.”
“My parents wanted to visit me in hospital after my c-section. I said no, that was the end of it.”
Others quipped and asked how the grandmother is “not embarrassed by her behavior?!”
And, finally, another person put a heavy burden on the mom’s partner.
“If she turns up without your permission, your partner will have to hold firm your boundary.”