New mum furious after mother-in-law sneaks into ward and holds baby first

'I'm so angry and upset about this'

(Getty Images)

Giving birth can be seriously gruelling, but for most new mums the light at the end of the tunnel is the precious moment she gets to hold her baby for the very first time.

As simple as it sounds, holding your baby is a great way for mums to bond with their babies after they are born. The skin-to-skin contact means babies can smell you, feel your heartbeat and increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin.

Imagine then, if that moment was taken from you.

In certain instances, skin-to-skin contact with the mother for an extended period isn’t possible – in which case, research shows dads can play a really important role too.

But, how would you feel if another family member stepped in without permission?

That’s exactly what happened to one woman who has taken to Mumsnet to share her story.

After a traumatic birth that ended in emergency caesarean section, the woman’s husband – understandably shaken - called his mum for support.

However, working as a doctor for the same trust the woman was delivering in, the mother-in-law was able to obtain access to the recovery area using her work access card, and let herself in without permission.

“I wasn't asked if it was okay if she could be there, and because I was being stitched up on theatre still, she held my daughter before I even got to,” the furious mother wrote.

”I'm so angry and upset about this.”

Prior to labour, she had discussed how she didn’t want anyone to visit for at least 24 hours so they had a chance to bond as a family. Understandably then, the new mum was livid with both her husband and the hospital staff upon discovering the news that her mother-in-law got to hold her daughter before she did.

A topic which is bound to strike a chord with many a mum, people responded to the woman’s post agreeing that the mother-in-law was out of line.

“I'd be livid. What a violation,” one person said.

“You are completely justified in feeling violated and angry. You're also justified in feeling unsupported and let down by your husband,” another added.

Meanwhile, others rose to her defence claiming that the mother-in-law was simply doing her best to support her child.