There is no time in a woman’s life when she is more vulnerable than when she’s pregnant – and when one makes it to 39 weeks, she can usually not think of much other than getting that baby safely earthside.
It is certainly not a time for taking unnecessary risks.
OP was 39 weeks pregnant with a breach baby.
Last month while pregnant, I went to my 39 week checkup.
The doctor had been concerned because the baby was not in the right position for birth. So I was told that they were going to do an “external cephalic version” (ECV), which is when the doctor uses her hands on the belly to cause pressure for the baby to move into the right position.
While doing this, I was being monitored by their computer, and the baby’s heart was also being monitored. It was very uncomfortable but I know the doctor was being safe.
Ultimately, it did not work, so they scheduled a c-section for the following week, but told me that if the baby had moved to the right position by then, they would induce me for a vaginal birth.
Her MIL thought she knew a way to get the baby to turn if the doctors couldn’t.
The day of the ECV, I told my extended family including my MIL. She is from Mexico and likes to do traditional home remedies and treatments for her ailments.
One of the traditions she has is visiting a “sobadora”. Which is like a masseuse that claims to fix many problems using their herbal oils and chiropractic techniques.
Well she suggested that I go to this woman to turn the baby, and that way I could avoid the c-section.
I told her many times that day that I wouldn’t trust someone to work on my belly without monitoring my baby’s heart.
She showed up even though OP asked her not to, and then refused to leave.
I thought she understood that I was against this idea, but the following morning she knocked at my door and she had the sobadera lady with her.
I tried to be nice to them and tried to explain how I wasn’t comfortable letting her touch me, but they kept insisting.
It got to the point that i was so angry that I yelled at both of them to leave because the sobadera was not a doctor and she is not qualified to do any treatment on me.
They left, but my MIL called me an ungrateful snob.
Now OP is home with a healthy baby but things are still awkward with her MIL.
The following week my baby had still not moved, so I did end up getting a c-section. But my baby is healthy and I am grateful to the doctors who helped deliver her to me safely.
But now it’s been a couple weeks since my argument with my MIL, and even though she loves on the baby, she is very short with me and she told me I should apologize for how rude I was to her. I don’t want to apologize because I feel she was the one who was out of line.
My husband was always supportive of my decision and was backing me up, but somehow, my MIL still doesn’t get that she was inappropriate in what she was asking me to do.
My sister in laws both said that I should have given it a chance since it could have helped me avoid the c-section, and that I acted like a-hole to the sobadora my saying she wasn’t a doctor.
So AITAH for the way I refused the traditional treatment?
Was she rude to throw her out? Reddit’s weighing in!
The top comment gives the MIL the benefit of the doubt, but still knows she was wrong.
This person says good intentions only go so far.
Lots of others would be nervous leaving the baby alone with her.
After all, sayings exist for a reason.
The bottom line is that OP’s boundaries should be respected.
This is a wild story.
Messing with a woman who is about to give birth is always unadvisable.
If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.