Pregnant Mom Praised for Not Wanting 'Nightmare' Aunt To Stay at Her Home

Difficult family members, we've all got them. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to avoid them, but others are not so fortunate, including a frustrated women on Mumsnet.

In her post, the heavily pregnant user describes how much she is dreading the impending visit from her aunt, who she hasn't seen in years, writing: "She's always been a bit of a pain in that it's very much all about her and she won't compromise on much. She's been single forever so I guess that's just what she is used to- which is fine, to a point! I often feel like she enjoys pushing people and getting a reaction. Then putting it on you if you get annoyed."

She goes on to describe how, in classic annoying older relative fashion, how after asking what time she was leaving on Sunday so she could book a table for lunch, the aunt then complained that she was already thinking about her leaving, and went on to say that she didn't want lunch. She added: "I explained that as I am 8 months pregnant I would need to eat before her train at 4pm! She said not to book too much (this is the only thing I was booking).

"I asked if she would like Indian on Friday night, she said she doesn't eat takeaways. I explained it was a restaurant. She then explained she doesn't eat out as she can't be sure of cleanliness and how they source their food. Then explained she only eats eggs, meat and fish if she knows how they were fed and raised. She is arriving in less than 24 hours- what the hell am I supposed to do?!"

She explains how she lives in a rural area, and will have to go shopping for food despite being eight months pregnant, and with a scan and a full day of work afterwards.

She added: "She just keeps telling me she will bring cheese and wine ? and she's happy with pasta and butter but it's not really how I spend my weekends- we are social and I enjoy going out to eat or cooking and sitting around a table talking the night away. I genuinely don't know what I am going to do with her for two days!! Help!!"

Writing for the University of California, Christine Carter Ph.D. suggests giving the person a job to do, then let them do it their way. She said: "Start by giving the difficult person a way to focus on something besides themselves."

She also says make sure you take care of yourself first, which is especially relevant when you're with months pregnant, adding: "Research shows that keeping your blood sugar stable will make you less aggressive if you get angry, so don't skip a meal if you are headed into a difficult situation. If you need to leave the room and do some deep breathing, do it — even if the difficult person needs you to talk about politics right now."

Users in the comments were split, with some supporting the original poster, and some suggesting she was the unreasonable one. "Tell her to pack some food she likes and put your feet up", said one person, while another wrote, "Well she sounds like a delight!!!! Honestly, I would leave her with her cheese and go and get my Indian.....and good luck, I feel its going to be a long weekend."

Some were quick to judge, however, adding: "If you can't miss out on a couple of nights out for a guest you invited then having a baby is going to cramp your style a bit", while another agreed, "It doesn't seem like you want to do anything to make your aunt feel welcome and want to drag her along to nights out. Surely you can go for a walk without having to eat out? You wouldn't go walking all day would you?"