What Exhausted New Mom Did When Husband Kept Inviting Family Over Applauded

A new mom has received support online after taking action against her husband, who continued to invite guests over while she was exhausted from sleepless nights.

The woman shared her story on Reddit, detailing how she decided to teach her husband a lesson without informing him of her plans. Readers have applauded her actions.

“I decided that I was going to show him how it feels [instead of telling] him to see if he got the hint. I did not tell him my plans. I kept him awake all night with the baby. I intentionally kept passing her off to him every single time she got ‘busy’. She fell asleep around 3 a.m.,” the woman wrote online.

“I invited my mother and siblings over. They arrived at 10 a.m. They did not leave until 10 p.m. My husband was drained, all day. Completely exhausted [and] irritated. [He] kept asking me when my family was leaving so that he could relax and sleep. I didn’t make them leave because he never makes his family leave.”

“We had a baby 4 months ago. I get 3 to 4 hours of sleep a night, if I’m lucky. He’s never up at night with the baby because I breastfeed. I’m okay with this. However, he doesn’t understand why I’m so tired and he will plan s*** for the next day and expect me to be my best self. Like inviting his family over, despite me being exhausted and not wanting to entertain. He doesn’t see the issue. I’m tired of communicating the issue as I’ve done so multiple times,” she added.

The woman continued that her husband then started an impassioned row with her, explaining that he was furious with her actions and telling her that he’s “literally exhausted.”

Expert Verdict: They Should Share Duties

Newsweek consulted Frank Thewes, owner of Path Forward Therapy in New Jersey and practicing therapist, for his take on the complex situation.

“I appreciate what this woman had to do. Her husband ignored her for months and she finally allowed him to experience what it’s like when you care for an infant all night, and are then expected to be energetic and happy when your in-laws come for a long visit the next day,” Thewes told Newsweek.

“I think she should go further and make him share overnight duties with the baby with her going forward.”

“There’s a deeper issue at work in this relationship and I think we are seeing a sign of it in the poster’s story. This husband sounds more focused on his needs and less in touch with what his wife needs. Hopefully he sees this recent episode as a wake-up call,” he added.

What Do the Comments Say?

Since being shared to the social media platform by u/Adorable_Banana_7262, the Reddit post has been upvoted by 6,500 users and commented on more than 1,200 times. The majority of the post’s readers have backed the woman in her decision to make her husband feel and understand her upset.

“The OP’s husband, whose relatives prove the apple did not fall from the tree,” one user wrote. “Ignore how upset your husband is, OP. It won’t hurt him. And you can always do it again if he’s too slow to grasp the lesson. He honestly might be,” they added.

Another user shared: “Words were not teaching. OP devised a learning experience. Good for her.”

“Exactly boo hoo, poor him. He’ll survive and maybe if OP does it a few times, it might actually sink into his dim-witted thought process eventually,” a different user commented,

Have you noticed any red flags that made you end a relationship? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.