I’m pregnant and less than two weeks from delivery. I’m emotionally exhausted from a family situation that’s making me genuinely scared of giving birth and postpartum depression. I need outside perspective.
In my culture, there’s a baby naming ceremony after birth that’s traditionally done by the father’s sister. The issue is my sister in law.
She has known about my pregnancy for 20 weeks. During that entire time, she did not reach out once to ask how I was doing or how the pregnancy was going.
Before she got married, we were close. Even after her marriage, I was the one making effort. I sent messages, snaps, and reached out for big life events. I kept getting left on read, so I eventually stopped because it felt one sided.
When we told her about the pregnancy, the first thing she said was not about me or the baby. She said, “Can I ask our high priest for the name since I’ll be doing the ceremony?” It immediately felt like the moment was about her role, not us.
My husband met her in London and asked her to please reach out to me. She said she would. She didn’t. About ten days later he met her again in India and she still hadn’t reached out. When he asked why, she said she hadn’t gotten around to it. Meanwhile she’s been completely normal and friendly with other people, including my friends and her own friends.
For two years, my husband has asked her if there’s an issue between us. She always says no. He’s brought this up to his mother many times, but she never addressed it.
She finally reached out about five days ago, weeks after my husband asked her to. It was a basic “how’s it going, are you excited?” message. At that point it felt performative.
She has also told many people in the community that she’s coming for the ceremony, but never directly told us, the parents. My mother in law sees nothing wrong with that. I do.
Now the ceremony is close, and the idea of her doing it is causing me extreme distress. This is my first child, and the thought of someone who showed no concern for me stepping into a special role feels deeply painful.
I spoke to my mother in law. She raised her voice and repeatedly asked if I ever thought about how much this hurts her and my father in law. She focused entirely on her pain and her daughter’s embarrassment, not mine.
She said that if my sister in law comes and doesn’t do the ceremony, it will look bad in the community and be disrespectful. Her solution was either let her do it or tell her not to come at all. She even said she would tell her the truth, that we don’t want her to do the ceremony.
At no point did she acknowledge that I would be hurt if this happens, or that this will permanently affect how I remember the birth of my first child.
To be clear, I am not telling my sister in law not to come. She is welcome to come as family. I just don’t want her to do the ceremony.
Am I wrong for feeling this way?
Very gentle YTA for letting this simmer for months and now you’re days away from delivering your baby and none of this is resolved. You should have acted sooner – after being left on read, you should have just messaged her that she can’t do the ceremony because you want someone you feel close to to do it.
However, I’m not at all aware of the cultural/societal balances over there & I’m from a very direct culture so I’m aware what I just suggested might not have been possible at all. You’re NOT wrong for feeling this way. It feels suffocating to just read this. I can’t imagine having no say in who leads such an important ceremony.
Practically: what can you do? Can you ask your husband for advice? How does your husband feel about his sister treating you like this & leading the ceremony?
Why do you need permission from your parents in law in what to do? Can’t you just message the SIL yourself and tell her that she’s more than welcome as family but that you’re asking someone else to do the ceremony? Do you have someone in mind who you’d like to do it? Would that be possible/allowed or deeply frowned upon in the community?
Good luck and remember: you will have thousands of memories with your child. Don’t let this one thing ruin everything for you. It may be culturally significant but it also sounds like a ceremony that you have to get through. Let it happen and find other ways to enjoy being a first time mom and create memories with people that you DO feel loved by.
My husband doesnt want her to do it either. He feels shes been really mean to me and not cared about me.
We live with my in laws right now. Thats why we need the permission i guess. They told us not to tell her directly since itll mess up the relationship forever (but seems its already like that).
And many people have chosen to have other siblings to the ceremony. This is just the more traditional way. My husband and i both want my sister to sit since shes been more of a sister to my husband than his own sister too.
Your SIL is the one who messed up the relationship, not you. Can you and your husband talk to his parents once more and really stand together on this? I understand it may be really hard for your husband to stand up to his parents, but can you tell them: we don’t want her to do this because of how she treated you, but we do love her so we do want her there.
Honestly, if at all possible with all the traditions/rules/etc., I’d try and take charge here. Ask your sister to do it. Tell your parents in law and sister in law what will happen. What is the worst that can happen? That they get upset?
I guess they could kick you out of the house, but I think only you and your husband can know if they’d truly do that over something like this. I’m sorry you’re in this shitty situation!
Hes standing by me. The in laws just arent willing to listen.
They just give a cold shoulder and make snide remarks. And thats just bad for my mental health.
I dont think theyll kick us out. But the tense atmosphere is gonna make it tough for us fs
Is he standing by and stepping in to take the lead in conversations and put his foot down with his parents or is he standing by and just watching you take all the verbal aggression? If it’s the second one then he’s not being helpful at all.
Let your sister do it and let husband deliver the news to parents and SIL. Stay away from now on for the health of you and the baby.
NTa
Make sure YOU name your baby.
Updateme
NTA for the baby naming ceremony issue.
Please take care of yourself during this time. Enjoy your pregnancy and the upcoming birth of your child. Blessings on your little family.
Just ask the closest friend to you and your husband to do it! She have not deserved the honor
Sorry you’re feeling all these feels in your last term. Q. How long after baby is born do you do the ceremony, can you do the ceremony with your sister and then another with the whole family. Who actually chooses bubs name, I hope it’s you and hubby.
6 days. Nah its just the one ceremony. We let our high priest pick the name and then its a surpirse for the parents on the 6th day. My mom asked the high priest for the name which im very happy about. Esp since my SIL wanted to
Will this ceremony have any other impact on the babies life if SIL does it? (Im thinking like does she get additional responsibilities / role in child’s life)
If not it may be less of a question of if you have a right to (In my view you absolutely do) and more a how much is this going to mean anything in the long run? Versus how much of a stink it might raise for you all in the long run to fight on it with broader family.
Thats a picture only you and your husband can answer.
No it wont have any impact.
True like its easier in one sense to let her do it cuz less uphill battles…but like shes just been so horrible and after my in laws have yelled at me and shown their true colors i dont wanna back down now you feel.
NTA. This family is disrespectful, you should just exclude them in all entirety. This is stressful especially in your current state.