A woman who has just welcomed her baby to the world has had issues with her mum blurting out information against her wishes throughout her pregnancy. Upon informing her closest family members and friends that they intended to wait until the 11-week mark to publicly announce their pregnancy, her mum simply went ahead and shared the news on social media anyway.
After getting dozens of congratulatory messages, she confronted her mum, telling her that it hadn't been her news to share. In response, she told her, 'I'm the grandma, it's absolutely my news to share', adding that she couldn't tell her what she couldn't share online.
Her mum eventually took the post down after being begged to do so, however, she no longer felt comfortable sharing details of her pregnancy with her. At the 20-week mark, her mother began pleading with her to let her know the name she'd chosen, and, not wanting any more drama, she decided to tell her a false one.
After giving her mum the false name 'John', she asked her to keep this 'fully confidential', telling her that the name must remain a secret until after the birth. At this point, she assumed her mum would just leave things be and keep schtum, but soon realised she'd made a mistake at her baby shower.
Taking to Reddit, where she goes by the username u/Armadillo_Then, the pregnant woman wrote: "My mum, aunts, and cousins threw us a baby shower.
"Everything seemed normal, except for a few people whispering and pointing at the gifts. I didn't think anything of it until I began opening the gifts. The first gifts were gifts from our registry. Then, I got a gift from my cousin, a set of monogrammed blankets and pillows.
"I was confused as we hadn't said what the baby's name/initials were. I then opened my aunt's gift, which was a decorative frame with the name 'John'."
She continued: "I got upset and my mum grinned. My mum then stood up, shushed the room, and said, 'I know she wasn't going to share it until after, but the baby's name is John!'
"It was awkward. Everyone looked confused. Those who my mum had already told stood around looking smug. I got up and whispered to her that we were not going to name the baby John. I had told her that so she would stop pressuring me to share the name. My mum's face got red and she mumbled something and left, along with many of my aunts and cousins on her side."
The baby shower was 'pretty much ruined' after that. She's since welcomed her son but says things are still tense with her mum and her mum's side of the family, who feels she was wrong to embarrass her like that. Now she's reached out to fellow Reddit users for their thoughts on the matter.
One person commented: "Your mother has continued to prove that she is untrustworthy and selfish. Clearly, you didn't want to be in a position to have to lie to her, but she was being relentless. I'm sorry your mum has so little respect for you and your privacy, and congrats on the baby!"
Another advised: "You didn't embarrass her. She embarrassed herself. It never would have led to embarrassment if she didn't defy your wishes and told people things that are none of their business. The baby's name is no one else's business until you decide to release it."
Do you have a baby name-related story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com