A 3-month-old mother claims that she felt emotionally spent and totally alone after a recent family vacation that was intended to honor her mother-in-law’s 75th birthday.
The new mother called her week-long journey with her in-laws “isolating and exhausting” in an open post on Reddit, claiming that none of the family members offered assistance with her newborn, even though several of them had raised children of their own.
She wrote, “I truly wish we hadn’t gone.” Despite the large number of people with child-rearing experience present, nobody offered to help—not even to hold the infant for a short while.
What started out as a family vacation to strengthen bonds swiftly devolved into a stressful event. The mother claimed that when organizing activities, her infant’s nap pattern was disregarded, and she frequently found herself left behind.
She said that they went out to eat every night without us. At 7:30, it was always, “Let’s go to a nice restaurant!” However, the location was forty-five minutes away, and my infant goes to bed at seven. They said they lost track of time and the kitchen had closed the night they offered to bring back supper. We simply had to eat their leftovers or figure something out every other night.
She added that she and her husband were frequently left out of day outings and group pictures, the majority of which were planned during the baby’s naps. Nothing was planned; everything was done on the spur of the moment, which isn’t effective when you have a baby, she continued.
Numerous Reddit users expressed empathy for her and urged her to discuss the event with a therapist. One user said, “I’m still in survival mode three months after giving birth.” You have every right to be exhausted. It’s cruel to travel with a newborn and receive no assistance.
Others advised her to establish limits going forward, particularly with regard to caregiving duties and family expectations.
The mother claimed that the incident was a wake-up call despite the lack of help. We’ll stay at home the next time, she wrote.
