AITAH for kicking my sister out of my baby shower because she called me old and selfish?

Ever had a joyous moment hijacked by a snarky sibling? At her baby shower, a 34-year-old woman, battling brutal hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), faced this when her 31-year-old sister sneered that her pregnancy woes stemmed from being “old” and “selfish” for delaying motherhood.

The jab, laced with envy, turned celebration into confrontation, leading to the sister’s swift exit. This story dives into the sting of family judgment, the weight of pregnancy struggles, and the fire of standing up for yourself.

‘AITAH for kicking my sister out of my baby shower because she called me old and selfish?’

My sister ( F,31) and I ( F,34) married around the same time 7 years ago. She decided to have kids right away. My husband ( M,35) and I decided to buy a house first , do a little travelling and have enough savings before having kids. My sister now has 4 kids.

I’m currently pregnant with our baby. I have been dealing with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and it’s been brutal. Luckily my MIL and my husband have been amazing to me and my boss allowed me to work from home until I give birth. My mom can’t help me much because she helps out my sister’s 4 kids a lot.

Yesterday was my baby shower that my SIL threw for me , people kept asking about how I was doing and I was talking about how HG is horrible . My sister decided to interrupt me and said “ honestly ! This is what happens when you get pregnant when you are old! I have had 4 pregnancies and never had these issues.

I guess you should have thought about this before all those trips and “we are not ready yet” b**lshit . Some of us made sacrifices in our 20’s “. I got furious . This wasn’t the first time she commented about my life so I told her to get the f**k out. She grabbed my nieces and left.

My mom said I was being hormonal and should have just ignored her. My mom thinks my sister said that because she became a mom earlier than me and never enjoyed her life or even any alone time with her husband. My husband thinks I had every right to be upset because she was saying I deserve HG. Do I owe my sister an apology for kicking her out ?

Baby showers are for celebrating life, not settling scores, but this sister’s cruel remarks stole the spotlight. The 34-year-old woman, grappling with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), didn’t deserve her sister’s taunt that her age or life choices caused her suffering. Kicking her out was a gut reaction to a personal attack, not an overreaction. The sister’s envy—over her own early motherhood versus the woman’s travels and savings—fueled the outburst, but that’s no excuse.

This clash highlights sibling rivalry rooted in divergent life paths. The sister’s claim that HG is an “old age” issue is baseless; HG affects women across ages, with 1-2% of pregnancies impacted, per the American Pregnancy Association. Relationship therapist Dr. Harriet Lerner notes, “Unresolved envy can turn siblings into critics, projecting regrets onto others’ choices” (The Dance of Connection). A 2023 Psychology Today survey found 60% of siblings experience competitive tension over life milestones, like parenthood.

The mother’s dismissal of the incident as “hormonal” sidesteps the sister’s pattern of jabs, enabling bad behavior. Dr. Lerner advises setting boundaries without guilt, which the woman did by ejecting her sister. An apology isn’t owed, but a calm talk post-shower could clarify feelings, as could therapy for the sister’s resentment. Focusing on her health and baby is priority—HG demands rest, not drama.

Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

The Reddit crew rallied with sass and support, shredding the sister’s excuses and cheering the woman’s stand. Here’s a taste of their fiery takes on this baby shower blowup!

Fairmount1955 − Not wrong.. Your mom is sadly downplaying the harm of your sister's words.. It is not the responsibility of the bullied to be kind to their bullies.. I don't think you owe her an apology.

Puzzled_Internet_717 − HG has nothing to do with age during pregnancy. It is absolutely miserable.. I'd have kicked your sister out too. You are not wrong.

ayesh00 − NTA. Your sister sound like she is deeply unhappy with her life choices and thus feels that you should have some sort of punishment for choosing to wait until you were ready to bring children into your life. She needs to take a hard look into the mirror with the help of the therapist to find out why she feels the way she does.

emr830 − First, hyperemesis can happen at any age, so her argument makes no sense. I’m guessing she’s not an OB/gyn doctor. Or any doctor. Second, she sounds jealous, like she regrets having kids so young. That’s not your fault and it’s not fair to take it out on you.

Flashy-Promise-6915 − Your sister is a d**k. The Princess of Wales was 31 when hospitalised with HG. She experienced it with both genders of babies, with research indicating that most cases of HG for mothers who are in their 20’s. Don’t ignore her like your mum said, as that just brushes her comments and behaviour under the proverbial rug. A spade is a spade is a spade.

She shat on your baby shower because by your mums assertion’s, her own insecurities.. It’s not your job right now to placate your sister. Have you been made to placate her all. Your life or is this a one off? Nope. Your job is to remain calm for the low BP, concentrate on you and bubs for the remainder of your pregnancy and to enjoy your time with your husband before the newborn stage and lack of sleep hits you soundly.. NTA

NefariousnessSweet70 − FYI, I was 23 when I was pregnant with my daughter. HG was d**adful. All 9.months. . Sis is Full of It. My sis, a career gal who had her first 7 years after I had mine , was visiting, and after announcing her pregnancy, declared that the queasyiness she was feeling was absolutely horrible, ( I asked if she hurled all the time, she said no, just queasy. )

THAT SHE did not know WHY anyone would do this more than once! (I had 2, Sil had 3. ) I guess she found out, as she had two more. You can feel free to apologize, Right after sis apologizes . Which will be immediatly after hell freezes, and I become a swimsuit model.

nyx926 − She owes you an apology for putting you down.. You do not owe her an apology for protecting yourself.. You are also not being “hormonal,” your anger was and is appropriate.

Anxious_State − NTA. Sounds like your sister is a total stool. Maybe she needed a little time to process but at the same time she needed to know that it’s time to be quiet and keep your comments to your self. Doesn’t matter the age of when you give birth each experience is different

Anna_Stacy_Yamina − My bff had HG and she had her daughter at 26. So what is your sister saying? No one knows why some women have it and some don’t. Maybe your sister should have invested in a diploma instead of 4 babies. Just saying 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

RyoTenukiTheDestroyr − Not wrong.. Does your mom always make excuses for your sisters bad behavior?

These Reddit zingers, from debunking HG myths to calling out jealousy, light up the drama. But do they pave a path to peace or just fan the flames?

This baby shower showdown proves family can cut deeper than strangers. The woman’s choice to boot her sister wasn’t hormonal—it was a stand against cruelty during a vulnerable time. With HG raging and envy exposed, she protected her joy. When does sibling rivalry cross the line? Have you had to shut down family shade at a big event? Drop your stories below and let’s unpack how to guard your peace in the face of family fire!

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