My MIL Left Me During Labor, and What Happened Next Was Unbelievable

My mother-in-lawm. Each time she stepped out, I heard strange voices outside. When I finally saw what it was, I couldn’t move.

When I told Josh I wanted a home birth, his face lit up like a child on Christmas morning. But his mother, Elizabeth, was even more excited. You would have thought we had just given her the keys to a shiny new car.

Oh, Nancy! This is such great news!” Elizabeth exclaimed, putting her hands together. “I have to be there to support you both. I can help with anything you need!”

I looked at Josh, raising my eyebrows. His shrug told me he was leaving the decision up to me.

I don’t know, Elizabeth,” I replied, sounding unsure. “It’s going to be really intense.”

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She waved my worries away. “Nonsense! I’ve been through this myself. I know exactly what you’ll need.”

I bit my lip, thinking it over. Maybe having an extra pair of hands wouldn’t be so bad, right? It would also mean a lot to Josh if I invited his mother to help with our home birth.

“Okay,” I finally agreed. “You can be there.”

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Elizabeth squealed with delight, her excitement so loud it could have scared the neighborhood dogs.

The big day finally came. Our midwife, Rosie, was setting up her things when Elizabeth rushed in, her arms full of bags.

“You won’t regret this, Nancy,” she said, hugging me tightly. “I promise to be the best support you could ask for.”

“I’m here!” she announced, as if we could have missed her entrance. “What do you need me to do?”

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I was about to respond when a contraction hit, taking my breath away. Josh was instantly by my side, his hand on my lower back as I tensed and groaned.

“Just… put your things down for now,” I managed to say.

As the contraction passed, I noticed Elizabeth fidgeting, her eyes darting around the room. She seemed more nervous than excited, and I felt that something was off.

“Are you okay?” I asked, frowning.

She turned, startled. “What? Oh, yes! Just thinking about how I can help. You’re doing great, honey. Just keep pushing.”

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Before I could ask her anything else, she rushed out the door, mumbling something about getting me some water.

Josh squeezed my hand. “Want me to talk to her?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. She’s probably just nervous. It’s our first baby, right?”

As my labor went on, Elizabeth’s behavior became stranger. She would pop in, ask how I was doing, then leave again. Each time she returned, she seemed more flustered.

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During a strong contraction, I held Josh’s hand so tightly I thought I might break it. As the pain faded, I heard a weird sound.

“Josh,” I panted, “do you hear that?”

He tilted his head to listen. “Sounds like… voices?”

I nodded, relieved I wasn’t imagining it. “And is that music?”

Josh frowned, kissed my forehead, and said, “I’ll check it out. I’ll be right back.”

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As he left, Rosie smiled at me. “You’re doing great, Nancy. Not long now.”

When Josh came back, he looked pale, like he had seen a ghost.

“What is it?” I asked, dreading his answer.

He ran his hand through his hair, looking upset. “You’re not going to believe this. My mother is throwing a party. In our living room.”

I stared at him, thinking I must have misheard. “A what?”

“A party,” he repeated, frustration in his voice. “There are at least a dozen people out there.”

The pain of labor was nothing compared to the anger that flooded me. I struggled to get up, ignoring my midwife’s protests.

“Nancy, you shouldn’t—”

“I need to see this for myself,” I growled.

Josh helped me as we made our way to the living room. The scene was surreal. People were chatting and drinking, as if it were a casual Sunday barbecue.

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A banner hung on the wall that read: “WELCOME BABY!”

Elizabeth was in the middle of it all, chatting with a group of women I didn’t recognize. She didn’t even notice us.

“What the heck is going on here?” I shouted, my voice slicing through the chatter.

The room went silent, all eyes on us. Elizabeth turned around, her face going pale when she saw me.

“Nancy! Oh my God! What are you doing here? You’re supposed to—”

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“Elizabeth, what is happening here?”

“Oh, I… we were just…”

“Just what? Turning my home birth into a show?”

Elizabeth looked offended. “Now, Nancy, don’t be dramatic. We’re just celebrating!”

“Celebrating? I’m in labor, Elizabeth! This isn’t a party!”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, you wouldn’t even know we were here! I thought you’d like the support.”

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I felt another contraction coming on and gritted my teeth against the pain and anger. “Support? This is a circus!”

Josh stepped forward, his voice low and serious. “Everyone needs to leave. Now.”

People scrambled to grab their things, and Elizabeth tried one last time. “Nancy, you’re overreacting. This is a happy time!”

I turned to her, my words sharp. “This is my home birth. My moment. If you can’t respect that, you can leave too.”

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Without waiting for a response, I waddled back to the bedroom to finish what I started, leaving Josh to handle the chaos.

Hours later, as I held my newborn son, the earlier drama felt like a distant nightmare. Josh sat beside me, eyes full of wonder as he stroked our baby’s cheek.

“He’s perfect!” he whispered.

I nodded, too overwhelmed for words. We enjoyed the quiet until a soft knock at the door broke the peace.

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Elizabeth peeked in, her eyes red. “Can I… can I come in?”

My jaw tightened. “No!”

Her face fell. “Please, Nancy. I’m so sorry. I just want to see the baby.”

I looked at Josh, feeling torn. He squeezed my hand gently, his eyes understanding but pleading.

“Fine. Five minutes.”

Elizabeth walked in slowly, as if worried I might change my mind. Her face looked pale and drawn as she came closer to the bed.

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“Nancy, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I got so excited and carried away.”

I didn’t respond, just stared at her. Josh cleared his throat. “Do you want to see your grandson, Mom?”

Elizabeth nodded, tears falling as Josh carefully handed our son to her. As she held him, her whole demeanor changed. The party-planner was gone, replaced by a gentle, awed grandmother.

After a few minutes, I spoke up. “It’s time for him to feed.”

Elizabeth nodded and reluctantly gave the baby back to me. She lingered at the door. “Thank you for letting me see him,” she said softly before leaving.

As the door closed, Josh turned to me. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head. “No. What she did… I can’t just forgive and forget, Josh.”

He nodded and pulled me close. “I understand. We’ll work it out together.”

In the weeks that followed, I struggled with how to move on. Part of me wanted to keep Elizabeth away from our son’s first celebration as revenge for her party crash.

I was still angry and hurt, which made it hard to think about including her.

But as I watched her care for our baby during her visits, always respectful of our space and routines, I realized there was a better way.

When it was time to plan the baby’s first party, I picked up the phone and called her.

“Elizabeth? It’s Nancy. I was hoping you could help with the preparations for the baby’s party next weekend.”

There was a long silence on the line. Finally, she spoke. “You want my help? After what I did?”

“Yes. Because this is what family does. We forgive, learn, and move forward together.”

I could hear tears in her voice as she replied, “Oh, Nancy. Thank you. I promise I won’t let you down.”

True to her word, Elizabeth was calm and helpful during the party. She worked quietly in the background, glowing with pride as we introduced our son to family and friends.

As the last guest left, she came up to me, her eyes shining. “Thank you for letting me be part of this, Nancy. I see now that this is how we celebrate: with love and respect.”

I smiled, feeling the barriers between us break down. “That’s right, Elizabeth. Welcome to the family!”

At 77, Dolly has confirmed that the rumors are true. I don’t care who you are or what you think of Dolly Parton, this is a courageous step for her to take, and we wish her the best

Dolly Parton has been there and done pretty much all there is to do in the music industry.

And yet… and yet the country music icon is still finding ways to challenge herself and broaden her scope of magnificence.

As per reports, fans the world over are reacting with joy over reports that Dolly is finally set to release her first-ever rock album! You may remember that the 77-year-old was inducted into the Hollywood Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, one year on from having turned down the nomination as she felt she hadn’t “earned the right”.

Though Dolly eventually accepted her entry, it would appear she’s eager to ensure no one can say she doesn’t belong. Dolly previously promised to release a rock album to commemorate her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we now have a release date!

If sources are to be believed, Parton was initially reluctant to be in the conversation for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Jolene singer was said to be of the opinion that since her career consists mostly of country music, others were perhaps more suited.

In the end, however, the people spoke, and voters decided that Dolly did belong there. In November 2022 she was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and immediately set about trying to ensure that her selection was justified.

Her new rock album is now one step closer to becoming a reality, with Dolly herself having confirmed it will be titled ‘Rockstar’ and is due to drop November 17.

As per reports, there are 30 tracks in total on the album, nine of which are original. The remaining 21 consist of collaborations with other artists and feature new versions of tracks made famous by said featuring artist. A new take on Every Breath You Take by Sting will be on the album, for example, as will Wrecking Ball by Dolly’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus

Other distinguished guests set to appear on the album include Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Steven Tyler.

Reflecting on her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dolly told The View earlier this year:

“I just didn’t feel like I had earned it but they explained to me why I was in it and all that so I said, ‘Well, if you insist on giving it to me, I’ll take it’.”

“But if I’m gonna be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I’m gonna have to do something to earn it.”

The full list of songs on the album is reportedly as follows:

‘Rockstar’ (special guest Richie Sambora)
‘World on Fire’
‘Every Breath You Take’ (feat. Sting)
‘Open Arms’ (feat. Steve Perry)
‘Magic Man’ (feat. Ann Wilson with special guest Howard Leese)
‘Long As I Can See the Light’ (feat. John Fogerty)
‘Either Or’ (feat. Kid Rock)
‘I Want You Back’ (feat. Steven Tyler with special guest Warren Haynes)
‘What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You’ (feat. Stevie Nicks with special guest Waddy Wachtel)
‘Purple Rain’
‘Baby, I Love Your Way’ (feat. Peter Frampton)
‘I Hate Myself for Loving You’ (feat. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
‘Night Moves’ (feat. Chris Stapleton)
‘Wrecking Ball’ (feat. Miley Cyrus)
‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ (feat. P!nk & Brandi Carlile)
‘Keep on Loving You’ (feat. Kevin Cronin)
‘Heart of Glass’ (feat. Debbie Harry)
‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ (feat. Elton John)
‘Tried to Rock and Roll Me’ (feat. Melissa Etheridge)
‘Stairway to Heaven’ (feat. Lizzo & Sasha Flute)
‘We Are the Champions’
‘Bygones’ (feat. Rob Halford with special guests Nikki Sixx & John 5)
‘My Blue Tears’ (feat. Simon Le Bon)
‘What’s Up?’ (feat. Linda Perry)
‘You’re No Good’ (feat. Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow)
‘Heartbreaker’ (feat. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo)
‘Bittersweet’ (feat. Michael McDonald)
‘I Dreamed About Elvis’ (feat. Ronnie McDowell with special guest The Jordanaires)
‘Let It Be’ (feat. Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr with special guests Peter Frampton & Mick Fleetwood)
‘Free Bird’ (feat. Ronnie Van Zant with special guests Gary Rossington, Artimus Pyle and The Artimus Pyle Band)

As per Billboard, Dolly said in a statement: “I am very honoured and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time, and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure.

“I hope everybody enjoys the album as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together!”

I’m so happy to see Dolly still making music and still enjoying her work even at 77!

Are you a fan of Dolly Parton and her music? Let us know in the comments box.

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