You’ve Grown So Ugly, You’ll Surely Have a Daughter” – My Mother-in-Law’s Cruel Words to Me

Youve turned so ugly, youre bound to have a girl, my mother-in-law used to tell me with a chuckle.
Whenever others complained about clashes with their in-laws, Id scoff. His parents seemed finethough that was probably because we moved 120 miles away almost right after the wedding.

I barely had time to get acquainted with my new “mum.” We stayed at their place for a week after the reception, and back then, everything was perfectly civil. Then we packed upmy husbands in the militaryand off we went.

We lived there for ten blissful years. Then, wouldnt you know it, the army decided to post him back near his hometown. Just brilliant. Id settled in nicely by then, we had a lovely little house, and I was expecting our third. But when the forces say jump, you ask how high.

I had the baby back in his hometown. A year later, surpriseanother bun in the oven. Not exactly planned, but wed always fancied a big family, so no regrets. During the pregnancy, “mum” popped round to “help.” Help, in her world, meant sipping tea and doling out unsolicited advice while I waddled around like an overstuffed sofa.

I could overlook her remarks about dusting and laundry. But when she started lecturing me on raising kids? Thats when the kettle boiled over. Here was a woman who hadnt seen me in a decade, knew her grandkids only from Christmas cards, and suddenly shes the expert on my life?

Then, in my eighth month, she announced: Oh, its definitely a girl this time!

We did want a girlthree boys were enough chaos, thank youso I grinned and asked, What makes you say that?

Youve gone all haggard, love. Puffy face, swollen anklesclassic signs a little ladys stealing your looks.

Oh, cheers for that. I bloated like a balloon in every pregnancy.

Not like this.

And how would you know? Youve only seen photos.

Dont get snippy. When I had my boy, I was glowingpeople said I looked radiant. You? You look like youve been pickled. Cant even fit your feet into slippers anymore.

I bit my tongue. Didnt mention that at 39, pregnancy hits different than when she had my husband at 19back when youth was still on her side. Shed called me ugly often enough. My husband finally put a stop to it. And, just to spite her predictions, we had another boy.