In Postpartum, a Woman’s Husband Offensively Commented About Her Body. During a Family Dinner, She Broke Down and No One Said a Word

Weight gain is often part of the postpartum experience, and shedding those extra pounds may not happen immediately. The necessity to adapt to a new daily regimen, women naturally anticipate compassion and support from their partners. Regrettably, the actual scenario frequently diverges significantly from these hopeful expectations. A Reddit user shared her experience and husband’s attitude towards her body during this period.

According to the author of the post, a few months ago she and her partner had a son. After that, her husband started making comments about the changes that her body had gone through. He wouldn’t insult her directly, but still, the young mom found his “observations” quite hurtful, especially given the vulnerable position every woman is in after childbirth.

Here’s what she wrote: “He’d see me wearing an old top and say, ‘Oh, that top used to look good on you but not anymore though...’ Or when he looks at my waist and says, ‘Wow, didn’t know your waist could get this wide!’”

As the Reddit user notes, for the most part, his comments weren’t aggressive and she tried her best to ignore them until he started making remarks in front of friends and family. In addition, she said, this went on for many months.

On Christmas, they went to the husband’s family home for celebrations. His sister complimented the new mom’s long floral print dress, to which her partner said, “I agree it looks nice on you...though I have to admit that your waist could get smaller than this!”

The room fell into an awkward silence. The woman was absolutely furious and felt that this was her last straw in putting up with her husband’s hurtful remarks. She says that at that moment she “got up from [her] chair in the middle of dinner and shouted at the top of [her] lungs: “SHUT UP ABOUT MY BODDDYYY!!!!”

The situation was really distressing and for a considerable duration, she grappled with concern. She harbored the belief that her heightened sensitivity had marred not only her husband’s but the entire family’s Christmas festivities. Consequently, she decided to confide in the Reddit community. Here are the responses she received from fellow users:

• “I think the last thing your husband really wants is for you to ‘get therapy’. If you do, you’ll discover that he is an emotionally abusive bully and stop feeling guilty for refusing to put up with his BS.” © efgrigby / Reddit
• “When he is like ‘I’m just making ’observations’ about your body’. Respond with ‘these are not merely observations but body shaming, you can call them what you want but know that calling them ’observations’ does not change the fact you are BODY SHAMING YOUR WIFE!’.” © CuriousPenguinSocks / Reddit
• “He also needs to apologize to his family for his disgraceful holiday behavior.” © pressabba / Reddit
• “The family knows. They might not have rocked the boat (I hope they tore them a new one afterwards) but the awkward silence says it all.” © FuzzballLogic / Reddit
• “Dude tried to rob her for compliments given by others. He’s more than criticizing her. He’s on a project of withholding joy so she ‘learns’. The compliment was for her and he twisted it.” © nonlinear_nyc / Reddit

In the delicate period of postpartum, every woman deserves and requires unwavering support. Maternity stage in a woman’s life often comes with physical and emotional challenges, making the presence and understanding of loved ones essential. After pregnancy, a woman’s resilience is fortified when she knows she has a support system to lean on.