Millions of women dream of being a mom. Many have had this dream since childhood, playing pretend and roleplaying every chance they got.
For one woman, who shared her story on Reddit, she had pictured herself as a mother for as long as she could remember. Whenever they had career days at school, she would always write “mom” as her dream occupation.As soon as they got married, the woman and her husband never stopped trying, but she never consulted an obstetrician-gynecologist, even after months of failing to get pregnant. The woman explained that she had suffered from Munchausen by Proxy at the hands of her mother and had frequented doctor’s offices and hospitals as a child until she was 18, and managed to get away.
A Painful Discovery
After two miscarriages, the woman learned a painful truth when she discovered her husband had cheated on her. He begged her for a second chance. He cried and apologized, vowing that if they stayed together, they would get serious about finally having a baby.
At the time, it seemed like the perfect solution, so the woman agreed to give her husband another chance. He allowed her to stop working so they could focus on getting pregnant. They went to a fertility doctor, and after doing what the doctor had said, they finally conceived.
“I did everything right,” the woman shared. She followed a strict diet, exercised as much as possible, and took precautions by wearing a mask everywhere. She avoided everything people considered bad in pregnancy.
When her husband realized what was happening, he let go of her hand and quietly left the room.
Her Traumatizing Birth Experience
The woman went into labor a week before her due date. She was ecstatic; she thought, finally, she would get to hold her baby in her arms, and they would become a happy family.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened at the hospital. She gave birth to a stillborn son.
Without going into detail, the woman revealed her son didn’t come out crying. When her husband realized what was happening, he suddenly let go of her hand and quietly left the room. Initially, the woman thought he stepped out for some fresh air. However, he never came back.
When she realized her husband wasn’t returning, the woman was heartbroken. She was left to deal with the traumatizing event alone–no one came to help her, save for a kind nurse who stayed with her the entire time.
Dealing with the Aftermath
Before getting discharged, the hospital finally got a hold of the woman’s husband. He said he wasn’t coming and told the woman not to go home because he wasn’t there.Finally, after a while, the woman was able to reach her mother-in-law. But instead of helping her, her MIL said her son was filing for divorce.
To make matters worse, their bank account was frozen until the divorce proceedings concluded. The woman was lost, grieving, and traumatized.The woman had no place else to turn. She had cut ties with her family at 18 after suffering abuse from her mom. After being discharged, the hospital got her a case worker, who checked her into a motel for two weeks. She only had 100 dollars, a hospital bag, and an infant car seat.
“He made me completely dependent on him, alienated me from friends/co-workers, and made sure I wasn’t working so I wouldn’t be able to support myself, have any independence, or backup plan but him,” the woman explained in hindsight.She constantly tried to get a hold of her husband, but her mother-in-law always answered. She said that her son was grieving and at a point in his life where he needed to get serious about having a baby and family. Her MIL even went so far as to accuse her of losing the baby because she was a drug addict.
The truth was, the woman was 12 years sober. She was ready to start anew after discovering her husband cheated, but he convinced her to try again.
After giving him a chance and, finally, thinking they were going to have a child, he abandoned her. The woman felt broken, unworthy, unlovable, and scared while experiencing physical and emotional pain.
To make matters worse, when she tried to reach out to her mom out of desperation, her mom said she didn’t support her daughter’s lifestyle. After everything she did, she felt discarded.The woman felt terrible. She shared her traumatic experience online for people to provide her insight. Many gave her the encouragement she needed and hoped she would find it in her to get back up and start anew without the people who betrayed her.
In a similar heartbreaking story, a man filed for divorce from his wife right after she gave birth despite DNA tests proving the baby was his.