The outrageous demand my MIL made about my newborn's penis

"I would just shout 'my son's penis is none of your business!'' the mum was sagely advised.

Shortly after giving birth, Jane* found herself being asked about her newborn son's genitalia by her mother-in-law.

The shocked woman explained online that she was just two hours postpartum before the aggressive line of questioning began.

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"Why isn't he circumcised?"

"I had just given birth, and my MIL and FIL arrived at the hospital. Immediately, my MIL demanded, 'Why isn't he circumcised?!'" Jane began her post.

"My husband and I told her that we weren't going to do that, and she told us that 'everyone' would know what his penis looked like and 'everyone' is going to make fun of him when he's older."

Jane and her husband told the MIL it wasn't any of her concern, but she insisted they were "making the wrong decision" and said "how could you do such a thing," and said her main issue was the "cleanliness" factor.

When they told her she was being inappropriate, her MIL insisted she "was just trying to learn," but the OP wasn't so sure that was her intention. 

"We have a family reunion coming up, and I'm unsure how to handle the situation because I want to say something to her. All the kids will be babysat by the grandparents while the cousins have a night out," she wrote.

"How do I handle the inevitable fallout when I hold my ground that she is not allowed to be alone with my children? She's had many tantrums at family events before."

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"I would throw up"

In the comments, people had much to say about the matter.

"I’m petty and tend to amplify the issue but if she made a big deal about it at the reunion I would just shout 'my son's penis is none of your business!' I mean seriously, though, why does she think she has any say in anyone else’s genitalia?" the top comment read.

Another wrote: "This is sick. I would literally throw up if anyone had the audacity to comment on my child’s genitals. Tell her if she wants a circumcision, she can get circumcised."

Image: IStock

Someone else made the point: "But why would “everyone” know how his pepe looks like? It's not like when people meet all they talk about is penises, right? That is an insane and totally stupid thing to say. She could have complimented his looks instead."

"If she was 'just trying to learn' she wouldn't have made those comments. She would have asked why you made that choice or what the reasoning was behind it. She wouldn't have tried to bring in peer pressure or bring up cleanliness issues," said another. 

Some users gave the OP advice on how to handle the issue: "Your husband needs to tell MIL that she’s not gonna be alone with your baby. His mum, his problem. He can also mention that her obsession with an infant's genitalia is beyond creepy."

Finally, there was this advice: "My MIL isn’t allowed to be alone with my child. I’ve never stated it before, it’s never been said. Just don’t let her be with your kid alone, and if she notices it and brings it to your attention, have your husband deal with it.

"You’re the mama, you get to make the decisions on what you want for your child." 

Originally published as The outrageous demand my MIL made about my newborn's penis