AITA for faking my giving birth?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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The phone rang, her voice trembling with a lie that felt like her only shield. Days from giving birth, a young woman tested her husband’s vow to stand by her, haunted by fears he’d ditch her for his mother’s latest “crisis.” What unfolded wasn’t just a fight—it was a crack in the foundation of their life together, spilled raw on Reddit for the world to judge.

This isn’t just about a prank gone wrong; it’s a deep dive into love tangled with doubt, a mother-in-law’s shadow, and a baby on the way. Her stunt lit a fuse, and now she’s caught between guilt and clarity while Reddit picks sides. It’s the kind of story that grabs you—because who hasn’t wondered if trust is real when push comes to shove?

‘AITA for faking my giving birth?’

I (25f) am pregnant with the baby due in a couple of days. My husband (25m) promised that he would be the one to drive me to the hospital & that he will be glued to the phone until birth. He works only 10 minutes from our home & his boss agreed to let him go when the birth happens. The problem is my mother-in-law.

My husband & her have an unhealthily (IMO) strong bond & she is overly involved in our relationship which has caused many issues in the past. She requires his attention every day, she has suggested moving in with us ever since I became pregnant, she also has

As the date is approaching I became increasingly worried that his mother will have an

I even suggested asking my bsf to drive me & keep me company (as I'm scared of giving birth) but it was shot down with

After half an hour, I called him to ask where he was & he didn't answer. After almost an hour he called me to say he is at the hospital with his mom because, guess what, she is having a medical emergency... Apparently he called her to tell her I am giving birth & she got

He said he will have to miss my birth & actually asked me to call my friend to drive me & stay with me... I admit, I was very angry & heartbroken so I told him I wasn't actually giving birth & that it was a test that showed me how he would actually behave vs what he said he would do & it that it proved he would always care for his mother more than for his own wife whose carrying his child.

He was very angry & even blamed me for his mother's heart attack in that moment. His mom of course didn't have a heart attack but a

He even said that he didn't choose his mother over me but chose a

Pregnancy’s a pressure cooker, and this Reddit post shows it boiling over with stakes sky-high. The woman’s fake labor wasn’t just a test—it was a cry from someone scarred by loss, terrified of facing birth alone. Her husband’s sprint to his mother’s side, even for a fake heart attack, proves her fear wasn’t baseless. His flip to blame her? That’s a classic dodge.

Psychologist Dr. John Gottman calls trust “a bid for connection” that needs consistent response (source: Gottman Institute). Here, the husband’s enmeshment with his mom—missing anniversaries, falling for her “emergencies”—starves that trust. Her trauma, tied to her mother’s death, amps the stakes; a 2021 study notes childbirth fear affects 20% of women, worse with past loss (source: Journal of Perinatal Psychology). His “bigger emergency” excuse ignores her vulnerability.

This mirrors toxic in-law dynamics—30% of couples report boundary issues, per a 2023 survey (source: Psychology Today). Her lie wasn’t ideal, but it exposed truth: he’s not her rock. Dr. Gottman might push couples therapy to untangle his mom’s grip, but she’s sm

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

Reddit’s crowd tore into this like it’s the juiciest soap opera, slinging cheers, shade, and some hard pills to swallow. It’s a virtual shouting match—some hoist her up for outsmarting a mama’s boy, others squint at her trick. Here’s the spicy scoop from the comments, raw and unfiltered:

ToughAd7338 − If my mother was for real having a heart attack when my wife went into labor she would either lie to me so that I would not go to her or she would insist that I be with my wife. Your MIL is bonkers and your husband is a jerk for putting her first.

superflex − He said that marriage is built on trust so I have to trust him instead of lying to him to prove a point. Yeah, but trust is earned. His ongoing behavior with his mother has undermined trust, and therefore you decided to test if he was still worthy of your trust. He failed. Hard.. NTA

Fine_Football2377 − **NTA! I think it’s time to move home!**. Call your brother and friends in your hometown and figure out how quickly you can move back home. Your husband is not reliable and is untrustworthy. You have personal childhood trauma regarding pregnancy and he is not interested in being a supportive partner because “Mommy needs me!”.

**His mother is unhinged!** The likelihood she was having a heart attack because she was excited about being a grandmother, **rolls eyes** You need to get away from them now, he has shown you who he is, **BELIEVE HIM!** Secure housing in your hometown and don’t look back. This will be your life until his mother is no longer with you. You will be a distant second.. **RUN GIRL, RUN!!!**

Eeyorejitsu − NTA. Your husband is gaslighting you. He’s saying YOU broke trust within the relationship when in reality he’s BEEN the one who is untrustworthy. You can’t trust him to care for you in an emergency. He will always put his mother before you. You are right in what you see. And I’m sorry you are going through this. Especially when you are about to give birth.

He’s flipping the script and trying to make YOU look crazy and selfish. You are NOT crazy or selfish. Never mind his mother (who is definitely an AH), he is the issue here. He is who you have to rely on in sickness and in health. And you’ve proven he can’t be relied on.. Do what you need to do to protect you and your baby OP. He won’t.

NatashOverWorld − You're going to have a long life living with his mom's b**lshit which this irresponsible man enables. I mean, yeah, he's going to unquestioningly accept her lies and you're going to need to fight for his attention all of your marriage. Because if someone is willing to miss his child's birth .... NTA. Now you have proof.

niffinalice − You’re in a very specific situation. And if people commenting or voting think it’s just you and don’t recognize that your husband is in the spiderweb of a parent with a personality disorder then these people criticizing you just don’t get it.

This stress-testing of the pregnancy plan (to see if your husband would fail you, and HE DID) isn’t something you took joy in. You weren’t hoping he’d fail. This is heart-breaking to find out how much your husband can’t see your concerns are VALID.

You are navigating a toxic circle of people invalidating your concerns and admitting to their pattern of behavior.. Your MIL is sick. She’s jealous of you, and is taking enjoyment in your suffering. She has found a childhood wound of yours, and instead of being a sane normal person, she is choosing to pick at your wound and exploit it..

You lost your mom and she is refusing to step up into being a helpful person of support.. And that’s fine. You guys can do this birthing plan without her. HOWEVER, she is so unwell that she is actually trying to remove the support piece of your husband from your birthing plan.

And this , this child birth act, is how your mother died. What kind of person wants to make someone feel alone and unsupported during this scary & potentially triggering experience. It’s probably so it will trigger you. That it will make the birth harder and more traumatic on you. And in the middle of all of this, is your husband still seeking his mom’s approval that apparently he never could attain while as a child.

If he doesn’t have her approval or respect by now, then he’s never going to gain it by continuing to play her personality-disorder games.. I can’t vote anything negative on you. I’d suggest checking out. Cos these are gonna be your peeps that totally know this dynamic from first-hand experience.

changelingcd − You're not crazy, but boy did you pick the wrong man to have a child with. NTA

Dependent-Panic8473 − NTA. You had to confirm your worst fear is not unfounded, and you did. BTW, it never dawned on me (M) to call my mom when my wife went into labor with any of our three children. I called her parents, then my parents after the babies were born, but before then, it is no ones damn business.

madeiraglowkel − I'd probably start preparing for a life of single motherhood.... You and your child will always come second to his mother's histrionics...How dare he accuse you of

Sounds like she has

tonyrains80 − NTA on the fake birth. This was actually a clever thing and I applaud you for it. Many of the recent births I know of were actually planned and induced. I don't know if that's possible in your case or not but you could investigate the possibility and get a date so your friend can be there. He's a momma's boy and she's controlling him to the point that he would miss his own child's birth and create a terrible moment for his wife. You need to get away from him.

These Redditors are all in, some yelling “run” while others dissect the mom’s playbook. They’re split—is she a genius for dodging disaster, or did she poke a bear? But are they nailing the heart of her fear, or just hooked on the drama? One thing’s clear: this birth plan’s got everyone buzzing like a beehive. Where do you stand on her risky move?

This story’s a raw nerve—a wife’s fear, a husband’s blind spot, and a baby caught in the chaos. It’s not just about faking labor; it’s about betting on love and finding it shaky. With her friend now her lifeline and a tough road ahead, she’s staring down big choices. Ever tested someone you love to see if they’d show up? What’s the cost when trust takes a hit? Share your take—let’s unpack this together.

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