A pregnant woman has vented her frustrations online after her cousin tried to gatecrash her baby shower and use it to announce her own pregnancy - even after she was asked not to ahead of time.
The mum-to-be explained on Reddit that she's currently expecting a "rainbow baby", which is a term commonly used for a baby that arrives after a miscarriage or other fertility struggles.
The fact that the woman had gone through hardships while trying to start a family made her baby shower all the more important to her, so she was determined not to let anything overshadow her and her baby's big day.
So when her cousin asked if she could announce her pregnancy at the bash since all their family would be gathered together anyway, the woman politely told her no.
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In her post, she said: "My husband and I are finally expecting our rainbow baby after years of infertility and multiple miscarriages. It's safe to say we and our family are very freaking excited!
"My mother is probably the most excited. She's been planning our baby shower and making decorations for months. She's been the biggest help during this exciting, yet scary pregnancy.
"A few weeks ago, my aunt told my mother and me that my cousin is pregnant. We are very happy for her. However, my aunt said their plan is to announce her pregnancy at my baby shower since we are having a big party anyway. She said it's not a big deal and we both can share the day.
"I said absolutely not because we have been waiting for this day forever, and it should be all about me and my rainbow baby. My mother is on my side and told my aunt that they better not announce anything at the party. My aunt dropped it, and nothing else was ever said."
However, when the woman's special day arrived, her aunt attempted to sneak in a cake that would help announce her daughter's pregnancy - but was stopped outside the venue by the woman's mum.
After her aunt screamed at her to be let back in, the woman and her mum officially kicked her and her cousin out of the party, and the recreational centre's security refused to let them back in.
But now, the mum-to-be is being slammed by several of her family members over text and on Facebook, with some even saying horrible things about her impending arrival.
She added: "Last Saturday was my baby shower, and it was everything I'd waited for.
"When it was time for us to eat my cake, my aunt said, 'hold on, hold on everyone' and went outside to her car to grab something. That was the moment I knew something was up.
"My mother and I follow her outside, and my aunt decided to bring a cake announcing my cousin's pregnancy, and some presents for my cousin. My mother immediately told my aunt that she will not be bringing those back into the rec centre, and they will not be ruining my day.
"My aunt started throwing a fit, screaming 'this is a baby shower, it's for babies. [My cousin] is having a baby too, so this day is about her too!'. My cousin now joins the screaming and says how p***ed off she is that everything is always about me.
"They would not stop screaming, so they were kicked out by the rec centre's security, and half our family was upset that I wouldn't let her have a moment at my shower so they left too. Now everyone is bashing my mother, myself, and rainbow baby on Facebook, group family texts, anything at all."
Commenters on the Reddit post were firmly on the woman's side, with many of them stating her cousin should throw her own party if she wants to announce her pregnancy that way, rather than hijacking someone else's special moment.
One person wrote: "This was YOUR day, that you’ve been trying to make possible for YEARS. If she wanted to steal the spotlight, she should have spent the money, time, and effort on her own shower or announcement party."
While another added: "In my opinion, this is equivalent to proposing at a wedding. You don’t go to someone’s party and make it about yourself. Even if this wasn’t a rainbow baby she would still be in the wrong for trying to make your baby shower about her."
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