Lioness and her cub

I was reading recently about how a woman suddenly somehow reverts to her animal instinct to protect her young and her ‘new family’ when she has her first child. The woman is supposed to get very territorial over her new family, however, at the same time, the ‘old’ lionesses also get protective over the extended family and it can end up in an all in lioness battle!

I think I know the feeling.

I have never really had a problem with MIL or my Mum overtaking and pushing opinions, even during the wedding planning everyone was very careful not to step on anyone else’s toes. I even lived with MIL for a few years while hubby and I saved for our place. Suddenly, throw a baby cub into the equation and everyone gets all competitive and possessive!

Between MIL, Mum and my Grandma seemingly competing in a ‘who can buy more presents for the baby’ and ‘who can guess the gender of the baby’ (and buy the most clothes in PINK and BLUE for the baby – as if somehow the gender of the baby will change depending on how many outfits await it!) and the endless stories of how they brought up their children (hint, hint, this is the best way to do it isn’t it?!) I am starting to get very protective of my new little 3 person family.

I, along with hubby, would like to be the one to decide how my baby is raised and would like everyone else to back off!

That sounds so nasty doesn’t it?

I am trying my best not to show anyone how stressed they are making me (just moaning about it to my husband in the car on the way home!) because I know that ultimately they have all of our best interests at heart, and I really do appreciate all the gifts (maybe hold the pink and blue until the baby is here though!). I just keep dreading how they will behave when the baby is here.

I have nightmares about them tearing the baby limb from limb in a bid to be the first to hold it; and am already anticipating getting stressed when they all pile over for visits all weekend when I just want to make sure that the 3 of us get ‘family time’.

I think I should stop thinking about it – probably just the pregnancy hormones stressing me out!