# In Labor Before My Sil's Wedding, MIL Locked Me In A Bathroom To Avoid...

An episode of [Reddit Stories](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1830891511), 21 Jul 2025, 17 min.

Audio: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APO9773305702.mp3

In Labor Before My Sil's Wedding, MIL Locked Me In A Bathroom To Avoid...

## Transcript

[0:00] In labor before my Sills wedding, Mill locked me in a
[0:02] bathroom to avoid stealing the spotlight.
[0:05] I woke in the hospital 2 weeks ago.
[0:07] Rick, 30 million and I-29 feet, had a daughter, May.
[0:12] We are certainly thrilled to have our first child.
[0:14] As we get used to being new parents.
[0:16] Things have been hectic. We're both having a difficult
[0:19] shift, but we're trying our hardest.
[0:21] Unfortunately, given what transpired on the day of May's
[0:24] birth, we are unable to offer much assistance.
[0:27] I don't think I will ever be able to forget it because it was
[0:29] one of the most painful events in my life.
[0:32] The overwhelming terror I experienced that day hasn't been
[0:34] replaced, not even by the happiness of May's arrival.
[0:38] If it weren't for my husband's prompt action, I genuinely think
[0:41] I would have passed away. I'm conflicted.
[0:43] Despite the terrible incident, part of me feels that since it
[0:46] includes family, we need to be kinder to them, particularly as
[0:49] May is the family's eldest child.
[0:52] But because hormones and newborn responsibilities are impairing
[0:55] my judgement, I've turned to Reddit for support.
[0:57] Please be patient with me. There are a lot of characters in
[1:00] this story. The two younger sisters of Rick
[1:03] are Emma, 24 F and Anna, 28 F. Both of them and I have always
[1:07] gotten along well, so I don't believe there is any hostility
[1:10] between us. Since each of us is preoccupied
[1:13] with our own lives and occupations, we are not
[1:16] particularly close. Even though Emma lives in a
[1:18] different city, we make an effort to communicate via phone
[1:21] or text whenever possible. My mother-in-law, Rachel, 53 F,
[1:25] is another significant character in this tale.
[1:28] I get along well with Emma and Anna, but Rachel and I don't get
[1:31] along. We don't agree and I genuinely
[1:33] believe she has problems with everyone, not just me.
[1:36] Rachel has an obsession with control.
[1:38] Her responses range from criticism and pouting to full
[1:41] blown tantrums with tears because she wants things to
[1:43] happen her way because she reared them alone after their
[1:46] father left them. Her children, including Rick,
[1:49] usually abide by her desires. They make an effort to ease
[1:52] their own and her burdens. Rick allows me to keep my
[1:55] distance and handle his mother anyway I see fit because he
[1:58] knows she may be challenging. I've always attempted to leave
[2:01] things be. Even though Rachel can be
[2:03] somewhat controlling, I avoid her since she doesn't like me.
[2:06] Up until a few days ago when everything went awry, this
[2:09] arrangement worked. Anna was getting married the day
[2:12] May was born. Her husband, Jonah, 30 million,
[2:16] is actually Rick's friend, and the wedding was lovely.
[2:19] About a year ago, he proposed to her, and I agreed to be a
[2:22] bridesmaid when Anna asked me to.
[2:24] I had to ask Anna to designate someone else's her maid of
[2:27] honor. After Rick and I learned I was
[2:28] expecting, I was aware that I couldn't handle the obligations.
[2:32] This was just six months before the wedding and roughly six
[2:35] months after her proposal. I was three months pregnant at
[2:38] the time. Before informing Anna, I was
[2:40] really anxious. I was afraid that our connection
[2:43] would become permanently strained.
[2:45] I was relieved that didn't occur.
[2:47] When I told Anna the news, she was ecstatic.
[2:50] She even briefly forgot about getting married.
[2:52] Obviously, I'll be taking care of you, she said.
[2:55] When I told her that I couldn't perform the duties of maid of
[2:57] honor, she even thought about moving the wedding date so I
[3:00] wouldn't miss it, but that didn't work out.
[3:02] In the end, both sisters continued to work on getting
[3:05] ready for the wedding, with Emma filling in as maid of honor.
[3:08] In spite of this, they found time to help me during my really
[3:11] difficult pregnancy. Anna always stood by me without
[3:14] complaining, but I felt bad for missing her on such a
[3:17] significant day. Rachel, my mother-in-law, was
[3:20] the only one who appeared distressed.
[3:22] The wedding preparations were somewhat disrupted, and I
[3:25] believe she was irritated that I could no longer serve as the
[3:27] maid of honor. Rachel began to act hostilely
[3:30] toward me. While Anna was totally cool with
[3:32] my pregnancy and my absence from bridal chores, it was subtly
[3:36] persistent. I chose to dismiss it, assuming
[3:39] it was just her wedding stress or my hormones.
[3:41] The wedding day came two weeks ago.
[3:43] By that time, my feet were swollen, my abdomen was
[3:46] enormous, and I was severely pregnant.
[3:48] Anna wanted me there, so even though I was tired and felt like
[3:51] I could faint, I wanted to go. In order to avoid detracting
[3:55] from her special day, I had asked her in advance if my
[3:58] presence would pose any problems.
[4:00] I even had the thought that she was offended.
[4:02] Anna informed me that she only wanted her family to be there to
[4:05] support her and that she didn't care about fame or attention.
[4:08] She urged me to go and not be concerned about any drama.
[4:11] I trusted Anna because I knew how direct she was, and I felt
[4:14] obligated to support her despite my physical discomfort.
[4:17] I won't lie, there were a lot of whispers and murmurs regarding
[4:20] my presence on Anna's wedding day.
[4:22] I knew Anna was glad I was there, so I tried my best to
[4:25] ignore them. That was all I cared about at
[4:28] the time, but Rachel didn't talk to me very often.
[4:31] The whole time she scowled at me.
[4:33] I was too uneasy to pay any attention.
[4:36] I left her alone because I lacked the energy to confront
[4:38] her or figure out why she was acting in such a passive
[4:41] aggressive manner. I wasn't going to react so she
[4:44] could glare all she wanted. Then came the major incident
[4:47] which really startled me and everyone else.
[4:49] I began to feel nervous just before the ceremony started.
[4:53] After meeting Anna, I went upstairs in the hopes of feeling
[4:56] better before going back. I had no idea that Rachel had
[4:59] been following me. I went to the bathroom because I
[5:01] felt weird and sweaty. My water suddenly burst.
[5:05] It was a real deluge. Immediately, panic struck.
[5:09] My baby had arrived at the worst possible time, despite the fact
[5:12] that I love her more than anything.
[5:14] I was attempting to think clearly while crouched in agony
[5:16] when Rachel suddenly materialized in front of me.
[5:19] We had to get to the hospital, so I ordered her to grab my
[5:22] phone and call Rick right away. Rachel escorted me to the
[5:25] restroom and took a seat for me. I trusted her to act
[5:28] appropriately, so I gave her my phone.
[5:30] She lost it at that point because she didn't want me to
[5:33] steal Anna's spotlight. Rachel said she would make sure
[5:36] Rick arrived after the ceremony. Shocked, I questioned if she was
[5:39] crazy and told her that I couldn't endure this for an
[5:41] hour. She took the phone with her and
[5:43] locked me in the bathroom. When I tried to get it back
[5:46] there I was sitting on a toilet in a restroom in labor, very
[5:50] pregnant, without a spouse or phone.
[5:52] I managed to avoid having a full blown panic attack.
[5:55] What might have happened if I had is unknown to me.
[5:58] I stood up and walked to the door, yelling for assistance and
[6:00] hammering on it. However, nobody heard me because
[6:03] everyone was sitting for the wedding and the restroom was on
[6:05] the first level. I yelled until I could no longer
[6:08] be heard, but nobody arrived. At that point, I genuinely
[6:12] believed that I would pass away and that my child would follow
[6:14] me in death. I finally passed asleep,
[6:17] exhausted, sweating profusely, and without a voice.
[6:20] I don't recall anything else after that.
[6:23] Hours later, I awoke in the hospital.
[6:25] Rick was crying beside me. It took me a moment to figure
[6:28] out where I was and what was going on.
[6:30] I expected the worst when I saw Rick crying and everything that
[6:33] had happened to me before. Rachel locking me in the
[6:36] bathroom and my calls for assistance came flooding back.
[6:39] I believe May had not arrived. When Rick saw I was awake, he
[6:43] let out a breath of relief and began sobbing in my arms.
[6:46] I had a sinking feeling in my stomach and felt overpowered.
[6:49] The nurse then entered carrying a baby girl.
[6:52] I let out a sigh of comfort. There will never be a better
[6:55] moment than the first time I held my baby.
[6:57] Since I didn't have the energy to digest everything at that
[7:00] point, I was thankful that Rick didn't give me any details.
[7:03] I could hear some noise outside the hospital room, though.
[7:06] Rick explained that his mother was outside and wanted to come
[7:09] in to see her granddaughter. When I asked him what was
[7:11] happening, I filled him in on everything, including Rachel's
[7:14] actions and how she needlessly put our daughter in risk.
[7:17] Furthermore, I made it plain that I would never permit her to
[7:20] get close to my daughter. She was dead to me.
[7:23] Rick said he already knew everything and nodded.
[7:26] Rachel had sobbed and told him everything.
[7:27] When he discovered me in that way, I informed him that I would
[7:31] not forgive her because of her breakdown.
[7:33] Rick chuckled and declared that Rachel was dead to him as well.
[7:35] From this moment on, he declared that he would go to court to
[7:38] make sure she was punished and that he intended to prosecute
[7:41] her with endangering her life. I felt as though a burden had
[7:44] been removed when I heard that Rick and his brothers all love
[7:47] his mother, so I know that he does, but I wasn't in the mood
[7:50] to forgive her after what she had done, which might have cost
[7:53] me in May our lives. Our marriage would have been
[7:55] finished if Rick had sided with his mother instead of me.
[7:58] After that, there would have been no turning back.
[8:01] Given everything she had given up to raise them, I secretly
[8:04] feared he might support her. However, Rick defended me and I
[8:08] am very appreciative if it's possible it increased my love
[8:11] for him. I inquired about Rick's wedding
[8:13] experience. It's OK, he answered, adding
[8:17] that Anna and Emma were waiting for his call to come see us.
[8:20] He laughed and assured me not to worry when I inquired if Anna
[8:22] was upset. When Anna said that May's birth
[8:25] was the greatest present she could have gotten on her wedding
[8:27] day, she was ecstatic and beaming with pride.
[8:30] I cried when I heard that, and I told Rick to call them right
[8:33] away. Jonah, Emma and Anna arrived to
[8:36] the hospital in a matter of minutes.
[8:38] The finest aspect. Jonah and Anna were still
[8:41] dressed for their wedding. There was no way Anna was going
[8:44] to miss the opportunity to take a wedding photo with her niece.
[8:47] I began to cry. It was a very touching moment.
[8:51] I apologize to Anna for spoiling her day.
[8:53] After the photo, she gave me a big hug and told me that I was
[8:56] mistaken and that I had brightened her day.
[8:59] After that, I informed Anna about Rachel's actions since we
[9:02] made the pregnancy public. The only thing I did wrong,
[9:05] according to Anna, was not notifying them sooner.
[9:08] She was enraged. She thought that Rachel's drama
[9:11] could have been avoided. Emma added that any amount of
[9:13] trouble was OK as long as I was safe.
[9:15] After I clarified that I didn't want to start any.
[9:18] My eyes stillwell up with tears as I type this.
[9:21] I realized then that they actually loved me as a member of
[9:23] their family, not simply Rick's wife.
[9:26] One of the most amazing people I've ever met is Anna.
[9:29] She's safe, kind, and incredibly happy.
[9:32] Understandably, she has achieved great success in life.
[9:35] How Rachel becomes so different from her kids is beyond me.
[9:39] It seems as though they chose to act in the exact opposite way
[9:42] after witnessing her actions. It's strange, but I no longer
[9:45] give a damn. The moment was lovely.
[9:48] Rachel, meanwhile, remained outside on the walk in.
[9:52] Anna assured her that she would personally see to it that Rick
[9:54] and I filed charges. I didn't want Rachel close to
[9:57] me, but she still wanted to come in to meet Mae, according to
[10:00] Anna, we must protect ourselves from Rachel.
[10:03] She also expressed regret, believing she had not done
[10:06] enough to clarify that she had no issue with my pregnancy or to
[10:09] allay her mother's overly protective tendencies.
[10:12] Anna thought that perhaps the incident could have been
[10:14] prevented if she had been more outspoken.
[10:16] I informed Anna that she was not at fault and that she had made
[10:19] me feel protected. Rick was outside conversing with
[10:22] Rachel the entire time. Rick shared his conversation
[10:25] with Rachel with me after I was released from the hospital and
[10:27] brought Mae home a few days later.
[10:29] He told her that nothing would alter his decision and that he
[10:32] would be filing charges. He also informed her that she
[10:35] was not regarded as Mae's grandma in any way and would
[10:37] never be permitted to be a part of her life for a perceived
[10:40] offense that didn't even bother her.
[10:42] Rachel's actions had put our unborn kid in my life in risk.
[10:46] Additionally, Rick stated that he would drastically cut back on
[10:49] the financial assistance that Rachel had been receiving from
[10:51] him and Emma. Rachel broke down in tears at
[10:54] that time, saying she didn't deserve this treatment because
[10:57] she had slaved away her whole life for her kids.
[11:00] Rick strongly asserted that her acts did not provide her
[11:02] authority over their life, even though he respected the
[11:05] sacrifices she had made. He acknowledged that he had been
[11:08] overlooking or justifying her actions for years, but that was
[11:11] no longer the case with me and me.
[11:13] Given that Anna had never objected to my attending her
[11:15] wedding, Rachel had gone too far and demonstrated that she was
[11:18] dangerous to be around. After that, Rachel attempted to
[11:22] defend her behavior by claiming that she was attempting to keep
[11:24] Anna safe and didn't want me stealing the spotlight.
[11:27] However, Anna heard this and scolded Rachel, stating
[11:30] unequivocally that she had never felt that way.
[11:33] We are moving on with the lawsuit, but Rick is taking care
[11:36] of it because I can't handle the extra stress of caring for a
[11:38] newborn. Rick has stated unequivocally
[11:41] that none of the siblings are interested in continuing to be
[11:43] friends with Rachel. Emma only talks to her when it's
[11:46] absolutely necessary, and Anna has shut her off totally.
[11:50] Naturally, Rick and I are also no contact.
[11:53] Rachel probably didn't expect this backlash, as perverse as
[11:56] that seems. It's possible that she truly
[11:58] believed she was defending Anna. I'm not justifying her in the
[12:02] slightest, but I feel sorry for her.
[12:03] Since things went so wrong. I'm wondering now if we ought to
[12:06] discuss it with her. I feel awful and wrong about it,
[12:09] but perhaps I'm not thinking straight.
[12:11] I'm aware that Rick will become irate if I bring this up to him.
[12:15] He can't even look at Rachel at the moment since he is so angry
[12:17] with her. I didn't think this rift would
[12:19] be this deep, but here we are. First update.
[12:23] Well, there is no possibility of reconciliation.
[12:26] Never again. Being a new mother has kept me
[12:29] quite busy, which is why I haven't posted in a while.
[12:32] I haven't had much time for anything else because I've been
[12:34] so busy taking care of myself and my daughter.
[12:37] The good news is that we are all very enthusiastic about May's
[12:40] impending 8 week birthday. Rick and I have benefited much
[12:44] from the assistance of Anna and Jonah.
[12:46] Emma contacts us nearly every day, but she had to go back to
[12:49] work. Everyone's life are brightened
[12:51] by May and her photos are all over our group chat.
[12:54] Rachel has not been contacted since we already have too much
[12:57] on our plate and filing charges would be pointless.
[13:00] I persuaded Rick not to do so since none of us has the energy
[13:03] to handle the matter at this time.
[13:05] Rick reluctantly consented. Rachel seemed appreciative when
[13:08] we informed her of this choice last week.
[13:10] I used the word appeared because the woman is genuinely insane
[13:14] and she soon revealed her true nature to everyone.
[13:16] Rick and I got up at around 1:00 AM last week to a booming knock
[13:20] on the door. Rick went to open the door, but
[13:23] I fled and hid with May because I assumed it was a robbery.
[13:26] Although I could hear shouting, I was afraid to venture out for
[13:29] fear of waking May. My mother-in-law, Rachel, was
[13:32] the one who did it. According to Rick, she was
[13:35] acting irrationally, yelling that we couldn't keep her away
[13:38] and that she needed to see May. She finally backed off after
[13:41] Rick threatened to call the police.
[13:43] She had been attempting to enter the residence by force.
[13:46] We thought that something might be wrong with her and that
[13:48] everyone needed to know, so we contacted Emma and Anna right
[13:51] once. But our worry didn't last long.
[13:53] Rachel texted us unsettlingly the following day.
[13:56] She began by saying that we were punishing her for being a mother
[13:59] by denying her access to May, calling us nasty and horrid.
[14:03] The text soon became erratic and theatrical.
[14:06] She discussed the challenges of parenting three children and how
[14:08] she had to put one child's needs ahead of another at all times.
[14:12] She used the excuse that she didn't want May to ruin Anna's
[14:15] wedding to defend her actions on May's birthday.
[14:17] Rachel deliberately disregarded the fact that Anna had
[14:20] constantly emphasized that she had no issue with the pregnancy
[14:23] and wedding taking place at the same time and that May was
[14:26] actually a fetus at the time, I initially made an effort to
[14:29] comprehend her viewpoint. Then, though, her text became
[14:32] more sinister. Rachel said that she was
[14:34] concerned that her children would no longer value her as
[14:37] much now that May was in our lives.
[14:39] She said that she had thought Anna would be angry about the
[14:41] pregnancy because, as she put it, that's what a normal woman
[14:44] would feel. However, she didn't like it when
[14:47] she saw us all thrilled about the wedding and the pregnancy.
[14:50] She wanted us to be envious and competitive instead of pleased
[14:53] that we were happy for each other.
[14:55] Rachel continued by saying that she felt devalued because May
[14:58] had replaced her as her children's unifying factor.
[15:01] She also said that she had anticipated Anna would snap at
[15:04] her for drawing attention away from the wedding because of
[15:06] May's birth. Rachel felt supplanted when it
[15:09] didn't occur and May was the only topic of conversation.
[15:12] I was no longer able to read by this time.
[15:15] Telling Rick that she was insane and dangerous for all of us, I
[15:18] requested him to ban her number. Since reading those texts, I've
[15:21] been suffering from a persistent headache.
[15:23] How a 50 year old woman could compete with A7 week old infant
[15:27] is beyond me. I don't get it.
[15:29] And to be honest, I'm done attempting to figure out why she
[15:31] does it. Both Emma and Anna were
[15:33] similarly horrified when we shared Rachel's mails to them.
[15:36] They hypothesized that she might be experiencing A manic episode.
[15:40] Emma even volunteered to fly down and have a facility
[15:42] evaluate Rachel. I acknowledge that it was a
[15:45] smart concept, but I made it plain that I no longer wanted to
[15:48] interact with Rachel. Her actions were too risky and
[15:51] unpredictable. Second update.
[15:53] Rachel is currently the subject of a restraining order.
[15:56] We are exercising caution even though she hasn't tried anything
[15:59] since the late night event. Emma carried out her plan,
[16:02] consulted A psychologist and a psychiatrist, and had Rachel
[16:05] tested. Although Rachel's behavior had
[16:07] no underlying medical 'cause she was diagnosed with generalized
[16:11] anxiety disorder, the next course of action recommended by
[16:14] the specialists was therapy. Emma made the decision to cut
[16:17] all communication with Rachel following this disclosure.
[16:20] She stated that she would be happy to assist if Rachel had a
[16:23] medical condition, but Emma can no longer put up with her now
[16:26] that it is obvious that her acts are motivated by hatred.
[16:29] I share the sentiment and fully comprehend it.
[16:31] If Rachel's behavior had been the result of a real mental
[16:34] illness, I might have felt some pity for her, but we can't make
[16:37] amends with her now that we know this is just who she is.
[16:40] The purpose of the restraining order is to protect Rick, May,
[16:43] and myself. Rachel has shown herself to be
[16:46] unsafe on 2 occasions, and her particular animosity against May
[16:49] makes her much more hazardous. We cannot compromise on keeping
[16:53] her away from our family. This, I believe, will be my last
[16:57] update. I hope I never have to talk
[16:59] about this whole experience.

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