You’ve Become So Ugly, You’re Definitely Going to Have a Daughter” – My Mother-in-Law Kept Telling Me

Youve grown so ugly, youre bound to have a daughter, my mother-in-law used to say to me.

When others complained about struggling with their in-laws, I never believed them. With my husbands parents, things were finebut that was probably because we moved nearly 200 miles away right after the wedding.

I barely had time to get to know my new “mum.” We stayed at their flat for a week after the ceremony, and everything seemed fine then. After that, we moved awaymy husband was in the military.

We lived there for ten years. Then, my husband was transferred back to his hometown. The news didnt exactly thrill me. Id settled in, wed been given a nice house, and I was expecting our third child. But there was nothing to be done about it.

I gave birth in our hometown. A year later, I was pregnant again. It wasnt planned, and I wasnt ready, but wed always wanted a big family, so we didnt hesitate. While I was expecting, my “mum” came to “help.” She visited now and then, but instead of lifting a finger, shed sit drinking tea and doling out advice.

I ignored most of her comments about cleaning and household chores. But when she started lecturing me on raising children, I seethed. It grated on methis woman who barely knew me, hadnt seen me in a decade, and only knew her grandchildren from photos, suddenly acting like she had a right to tell me what to do.

Then, when I was eight months along, she announced, Youre definitely having a girl!

We *had* hoped for a girlafter three boys! So I smiled and asked, What makes you say that?

Youve aged terribly. Your face is all bloated. A girl steals your last bit of beauty.

Thanks for that, I muttered. Ive been swollen in every pregnancy.

Not like this.

How would you know? Youve only seen photos of me pregnant before.

Dont argue with me. I had a son, and I was radianteveryone said so. You? Youre frightful to look at. Puffy, like youre full of water. And your feet dont even fit in slippers anymore.

I said nothing. I didnt tell her it wasnt the babys genderit was the fact I was 39. Shed had my husband at 19, when everyone still looks fresh as a daisy. Shed called me ugly more times than I could count. My husband finally put a stop to it. And, as it turned out, we had another son.