This Viral Reddit Post Should Be Required Reading For All Grandmas-To-Be

This mom knew exactly what to do for her laboring daughter

Having a baby is an inherently stressful thing. All the deep-breathing and mindful birthing in the world won’t change the fact that there’s family eagerly awaiting your little one’s arrival, and often, they have zero chill. Going through the life-changing experience of giving birth while trying to fight off entitled family members who can’t wait to see the baby is a story so many moms can tell — but not one woman whose mom should write a book on what to do when you’re about to become a grandma.

And it’s not “insist on being in the delivery room.”

A grandma-to-be took to the Reddit board r/beyondthebump to share the story of the day her daughter went into labor — and how she handled it when it became clear that her presence was no longer welcome.

“My daughter kicked me out of the delivery room…as was her right, and I fully support her in her decision to do so,” she writes.

I’m sorry, I think I just hallucinated. A grandma-to-be accepting her daughter booting her from the delivery room with calm and grace? This can’t be.

“She’s been in labor with her first child since yesterday evening. I drove her to the hospital because her husband, my son-in-law, was working an overnight shift. The plan was always to do that if she went into labor while he was gone, and she asked me many months ago if I would be in the delivery room with her. I said yes,” she shares. That night, the expecting granny waited in the delivery room until her son-in-law arrived around midnight to be with his wife. By 2:00 AM, it became apparent that her daughter needed some time with her husband.

“I asked if she wanted me to go, and give them some privacy. She breathed an audible sigh of relief and said yes, and when she started to apologize, I told her not to. I gave both her and my son-in-law a hug, and went home to sleep. In the morning I saw a text from her that she was still in labor, so I went over to her house to feed her dogs and let them out,” she writes.

Can this woman please adopt several of us moms and lovingly (but respectfully) support us in whatever way we need, even if it means asking her to go? Because, holy shit. This is the kind of no-pressure vibe every laboring mom deserves.

She stayed at her daughter’s house for hours the next morning. “I’ve been here cleaning and preparing freezer meals since then, and when I’m done I’ll clean up the kitchen, feed the dogs again, and be on my way. When my grandchild is born, they’ll let me know. I’ll only come to the hospital if they ask, and I certainly won’t come here unless they ask.”

My god, this woman deserves a parade.

The cutest part? “I found this forum when I Googled ‘what to do for daughter while she’s in labor’ and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen too many stories of overbearing grandmothers, and I won’t be that.”

She googled how best to help her laboring daughter. Instead of putting first her own dreams and vision of watching her grandbaby come into the world, she thought about the person actually bringing her grandbaby into the world. This grandma is a complete gem in every way and her fellow Redditors were so proud of her — and jealous of her daughter.

Oh, and there’s a happy update. It’s a girl! “…born 9:24 pm, after almost exactly 24 hours of labor! My daughter pushed for two hours before they told her they were going to have to do a C-section, and she asked to try pushing one more time, and then my granddaughter was out!! I’m so proud! 9 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches long! She’s a hoss! I’m just all shook up.”

We wish the entire family the best with their new arrival and will float it out there one more time — please be our mom?