"Natural Birth Makes Baby Smarter" Stubborn Mother-in-Law... What Was Husband Doing?

Frequent Conflicts with Mother-in-Law Before Marriage
Upon Hearing Pregnancy News, "What About Husband's Meal..."
Opposed Cesarean Section and Was Kicked Out of Hospital
Also Assaulted Daughter-in-Law Saying "I Was Slapped"

A story about a mother-in-law who verbally abused her pregnant daughter-in-law with remarks such as "You must prepare three meals a day for your husband" and "You should not ask for this or that at night" has sparked public outrage. It was also revealed that despite medical staff recommending a cesarean section during childbirth, the mother-in-law opposed it on the grounds that "natural birth makes the baby smarter," which further fueled the controversy.

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On the 22nd, JTBC's 'Case Manager' reported the story of a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, who has been experiencing ongoing conflicts with her mother-in-law since before her marriage. Ms. A said, "The moment my mother-in-law first saw me, she called me 'ya' and 'you'." She added, "It was uncomfortable, but I tried to interpret it positively, thinking that she felt unfamiliar with me as well."

Ms. A and her husband planned a 'simplified wedding' without the traditional gifts and dowry from both families. However, when the mother-in-law found out, she called Ms. A and said, "This is too much. Is a daughter the same as a son?" and demanded, "Don't tell your husband, but send 10 million won for the dowry." Since the wedding was imminent, Ms. A did not want to create conflict and sent the 10 million won dowry to her mother-in-law, then told her husband, who obtained 10 million won from his mother to give to Ms. A's mother.

However, the mother-in-law's tyranny did not stop even after receiving the dowry. When Ms. A became pregnant with their first child, the mother-in-law, upon hearing the news, said, "Even if you're pregnant, you must prepare three meals a day for your husband," while also insisting, "The wife should not ask for this or that at night," blindly protecting her son.

As Ms. A was hospitalized approaching her due date, medical staff recommended an emergency cesarean section, but the mother-in-law persistently discouraged it, claiming, "Natural birth makes the baby smarter and healthier." She even forced them to look for another hospital that would allow natural birth. Eventually, Ms. A's husband, angered by this, kicked the mother-in-law out of the obstetrics department, allowing Ms. A to have a cesarean delivery.

The mother-in-law also ignored the name that Ms. A and her husband had chosen for their child and suggested a somewhat old-fashioned name, claiming, "I got the name from a famous monk." When Ms. A refused her demands, the mother-in-law went on a hunger strike, insisting that the child's name must be the one she had chosen. Ultimately, the child's name was given as the mother-in-law wanted.

Additionally, Ms. A claimed that the mother-in-law threw away all the side dishes that Ms. A's mother had made and sent. The mother-in-law angrily said, "There are hairs all over the (side dish) container; how can I feed that to my son and grandson?" When Ms. A expressed her hurt feelings, the mother-in-law slapped her face and said, "How dare you talk back? Is that how your parents raised you?"

Angry, Ms. A turned her face away to avoid the contact, but the mother-in-law poked Ms. A's head with her finger and shamelessly said, "Like mother, like daughter." As the physical abuse continued, Ms. A forcefully pushed the mother-in-law's hand away, accidentally grazing her cheek in the process.

Believing she had been slapped by Ms. A, the mother-in-law immediately assaulted her and hurled verbal abuse. She punched Ms. A so hard that her glasses flew off, and she took out the discarded food waste and threw it inside the house while yelling. When their son came home, the mother-in-law tearfully claimed, "My daughter-in-law hit me like this," and although Ms. A explained everything to her husband, he forced Ms. A to kneel and apologize for hitting his mother. Enraged, Ms. A left the house with her son.

Regarding the story, lawyer Park Ji-hoon, who appeared as a panelist, said, "(Ms. A) did not slap her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law really hit her and threw food, so the husband is wrong to force her to kneel." He advised, "The husband needs to mediate properly. If he keeps forcing apologies, I think it might inevitably lead to divorce."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "She should have run away as soon as she demanded 10 million won," "Like mother, like son," "I'm scared of meeting such a mother-in-law," "My mother-in-law is kind compared to this. I should treat her better," and "The mother-in-law's temper is no joke."

Meanwhile, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts are dangerous because they can escalate beyond temporary quarrels into domestic violence or divorce lawsuits. If one wants to apply mother-in-law conflicts to divorce, Article 840 of the Civil Code, which states 'when a spouse or their direct ascendant treats the other spouse with severe unfairness,' should be considered. If serious violence, threats, or verbal abuse that can be recognized as domestic violence occur, even a single incident of conflict can lead to a high possibility of divorce being granted. However, if there is no visible violence or verbal abuse and the spouse has consistently made efforts to mediate and maintain the marriage, a divorce petition may be dismissed.