Reddit Stories - RELATIVE and sibling INSISTED that I SURRENDER my infant because they believed I

Episode Date: August 3, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #relationships #familydrama #parenting #conflictresolution #moralquandarySummary: RELATIVE and sibling INSISTED that I SURRENDER my infant because they believed I was unfit. Struggling with their demands, I sought advice on Reddit's AITA community, sparking a heated debate on family boundaries and parenting decisions.Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, relationships, familydrama, parenting, conflictresolution, moralquandary, infant, surrender, unfit, advice, community, debate, familyboundaries, parentingdecisions, redditadvice, familyconflictBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Relative and sibling insisted that I surrender my infant because they believed I lacked the means to properly care for her. Upon my refusal, they contacted child protective services and falsely accused me of neglect. Using drugs and planning to hurt my son. I'm 22 and yeah, I dropped out of college two years ago because I couldn't afford it anymore.

Honestly, the debt was killing me and I wasn't even sure what I wanted to do with my life anyway. I work at a grocery store now and it's not glamorous, but it pays the bills and I have health insurance, which was important when I got pregnant. The baby's father isn't in the picture and that's fine by me because he was a piece of shit anyway and I'm better off without him. When I found out I was pregnant, I was scared,

but also weirdly excited because I've always wanted to be a mom. I know that sounds stupid when you're 22 in working retail, but I've been taking care of myself since I was 16 when my parents died in a car accident and I moved in with my aunt Fiona, who is my dad's sister. She took me in and I'm grateful for that, but she's always made it clear that she thinks I'm a disappointment and that I should have done better with my life. The thing is, Fiona has this daughter Penny who is 28 and married to this guy Owen, and they've been trying to have kids for like five years now and it's just not happening for them.

They've done fertility treatments and IVF and all that expensive stuff and nothing works, and Penny is basically obsessed with having a baby. I feel bad for her, I really do, because I can see how much it hurts her, but that doesn't mean I should feel guilty for getting pregnant when she can't. So anyway, when I told Fiona I was pregnant she was not happy about it and kept asking me what I was going to do and suggesting that maybe I should consider adoption because how was I going to raise a baby on my own with no education and no education and no. real job. I told her I was keeping my baby and that was that, but she kept bringing it up every

few weeks like she was hoping I'd change my mind. Then when I was about six months pregnant, Penny came over to Fiona's house while I was there and she started crying and talking about how unfair it was that some people can just get pregnant without even trying while she's been doing everything right and following all the rules and spending thousands of dollars and still nothing. I felt awkward as hell sitting there listening to this, but I didn't say anything because what was I supposed to say. But then Penny looked right at me and said that maybe this was meant to be and that maybe God wanted her to raise my baby because she could give him everything he deserved and I could go back to school and have my life back. I just stared at her because I couldn't believe

she was serious, and then Fiona jumped in and said that Penny had a point and that I should really think about what was best for the baby. I told them both that I wasn't giving up my baby and that this conversation was over, but Penny started crying harder and saying that it wasn't fair and that she would be such a good mom and that I was being selfish. Fiona told me to think about it and not make any hasty decisions, but I said there was nothing to think about because this baby was mine and I was keeping him. After that, things got really tense in the house and Fiona kept making little comments about how hard it was going to be for me and how babies were expensive and how was I going to afford daycare and all that. She wasn't wrong that it would be hard, but she was saying it in this

way that made it clear she thought I was making a huge mistake. Penny started coming over more often and she would bring baby clothes and toys and talk about how excited she was to be an aunt and how she just wanted to help, but it felt weird and possessive like she was planning something. She would ask me about my birth plan and if I had picked a pediatrician and offered a help with research, and I kept saying I had it handled but she wouldn't drop it. The worst part was when she asked me if I had thought about what would happen if something went wrong during delivery and who would take care of the baby if I couldn't. I told her that was morbid as hell and I wasn't discussing it. She said she was just worried about me and the baby and wanted to make sure we were both taken care of,

but it felt like she was hoping something would happen to me so she could swoop in and take my kid. So my son was born three weeks ago and the delivery went fine and he's healthy and perfect and I love him more than I ever thought possible. The first few days were rough because I was tired and sore and figuring out breastfeeding, but my neighbor helped out a lot and brought me meals and things were going okay. Fiona came to see the baby the day after I got home from the hospital and she held him for like an hour and kept saying how beautiful he was and how he looked just like Penny when she was a baby, which was weird because Penny and I aren't even related directly. Then she asked me again if I had really thought about what I was doing and if I was sure I could handle being a single mom.

I told her I was sure and that I needed her to stop questioning my decisions because I was his mother and that was final. She said she was just looking out for me, but I could tell she was still hoping I'd change my mind. Penny came over the next day with Owen and they brought this huge gift basket full of expensive baby stuff, and Penny kept asking to hold him and taking pictures and talking about how she was going to spoil him rotten as his aunt. Owen seemed uncomfortable with how intense she was being, but he didn't say anything. Then Penny asked me if I had thought any more about our conversation and I said what conversation, and she said about letting her and Owen adopt the baby. I told her I thought we had settled this months ago and that I wasn't giving up my son,

and she started crying again and saying that I was being cruel and that she would love him so much and give him opportunities that I never could. I got really angry then and told her that she needed to leave my house and stop asking me about my baby because he wasn't hers and never would be. She said I was being selfish and that I didn't understand what it was like to want something so badly and not be able to have it, and I said that didn't give her the right to my child. Fiona jumped in and said that Penny was just emotional and that I should be more understanding, but I said I was done being understanding and that they both needed to accept that this baby was mine and stopped trying to guilt me into giving him away. Penny left crying and Owen followed her, and Fiona stayed behind to tell me that I was breaking her daughter's heart and that the least I could do was consider what was best for everyone involved.

I told her the only person I needed to consider was my son and that what was best for him was staying with his mother who loved him. She said that love wasn't enough and that Penny and Owen could give him stability and a real family in college funds and all the things that I couldn't provide. I said that I was his real family and that I would figure out the rest and that this conversation was over. Things were quiet for about a week after that and I thought maybe they had finally gotten the message, but then last Monday I was at home with the baby when there was a knock on my door and it was a social worker from child protective services saying they had received a report that I was using drugs and planning to harm my baby. I felt like I was going to throw

up because I have never used drugs in my life and the idea that someone would say I was planning to hurt my son made me physically sick. The social worker was actually really nice and professional and she explained that they had to investigate all reports, but that she could tell right away that the accusations were probably false because I was clearly taking good care of the baby and he was healthy and well fed. She still had to do a full investigation though, so she looked around my apartment and asked me a bunch of questions and had me take a drug test which came back clean, obviously. She said that whoever made the report claim that I had been seen doing drugs and had told someone that I regretted having the baby and wished he would just disappear.

I knew immediately that it had to be Fiona or Penny who made the report because they were the only ones who had been pressuring me about the baby and they were probably hoping that CPS would take him away so Penny could adopt him. The social worker said that false reports were unfortunately common in custody disputes and family situations and that she could tell this was probably one of those cases. The investigation took three days and it was the worst three days of my life because I was terrified that they were going to take my baby away from me even though I knew I hadn't done anything wrong. I couldn't eat or sleep and I just held him and cried and promised him that I would never let anyone take him away from me. Finally the social worker called and said that

the case was being closed because there was no evidence of any wrongdoing and that the report appeared to be false. I knew it was Fiona but I couldn't prove it, so I decided to just cut them off completely. I packed up all the baby stuff that Penny had bought and dropped it off at Fiona's house with a note saying that I didn't want them in my life anymore and that they were not welcome around my baby. Fiona called me that night screaming about how I was being dramatic and that she was just trying to help and that I was making a huge mistake. I told her that I knew she or penny had called CPS and that what they did was unforgivable and could have ruined my life and taken my baby away from me. She denied it at first, but then she said that maybe someone was

just concerned about my ability to take care of a baby and that if I had nothing to hide then I shouldn't be upset about the investigation. I said that making false accusations to CPS was illegal and that I never wanted to see her again. She started crying then and saying that I was all the family she had left after my parents died and that she loved me and she loved me and just wanted what was best for everyone. I told her that if she loved me, she wouldn't have tried to destroy my life and take my child away and that what she did was evil and I would never forgive her. Penny got on the phone then and started screaming at me that I was ruining her life and that I was a selfish bitch who didn't deserve to have a baby when she

couldn't. She said that she would be a better mother than me and that my son would be better off with her and Owen and that I was going to mess up his life because I was too young and stupid and poor to raise him properly. I completely lost it then and started yelling back that she was a psychotic baby stealing lunatic and that if she ever came near me or my son again I would call the police and get a restraining order. I said that just because she couldn't have kids didn't mean she could steal mine and that she needed serious mental help.

Fiona got back on the phone and told me I was out of line and that Penny was just hurting and that I should apologize, but I hung up on her and blocked both of their numbers. It's been a week since then and I keep getting messages from other family members saying that I'm being too harsh and that Fiona and Penny are family and that I should forgive them and work things out. They say that Penny is devastated and that Fiona is heartbroken and that I'm tearing the family apart over a misunderstanding. But I don't think it was a misunderstanding at all. I think they called CPS hoping that my baby would be taken away so Penny could adopt him. And I think that's sick and twisted and unforgivable. I love my son more than anything in the world and I would do anything to protect him.

And right now that means keeping him away from people who think they have a right to him just because they want him. I know I'm young and I don't have a lot of money, but I love him and I'm a good mother and that should be enough. Fiona keeps saying that I'm making a mistake and that I'll regret cutting off my family, but I think the only mistake I made was trusting them in the first place and not seeing how far they were willing to go to get what they wanted. I guess what I'm asking is am I the asshole for refusing to forgive them and cutting them off completely, or am I justified in protecting my son from people who tried to have him taken away from me? I feel like I'm going crazy because some family members are telling me different things and I don't know what to believe anymore. So Ida.

Update 1, I posted this a couple days ago and got a lot of responses, and I wanted to update because some things have happened since then that make me even more sure I made the right decision. Some people asked about my neighbor who helped me after the baby was born and yes, she's amazing. Her name is Sandra and she's like 65 and her kids are grown and moved away and she's been like a grandmother to my son. She was actually the one who told me I should document everything because she used to work in family law and she knows how these things can escalate. So anyway, yesterday morning Sandra came over to check on us like she does every day and she seemed really upset about something. She said that a woman had been parked outside our apartment building for like an hour just sitting in her car and watching our windows and that it made her uncomfortable. I looked outside and sure enough there was Penny's car parked across the street and I could see her sitting in the driver's seat just staring at our building. I felt sick to my stomach because I realized she had probably been watching us for who knows how long and I hadn't even noticed.

Sandra said she was going to call the police if Penny didn't leave, but I said let me try to handle it first. so I went downstairs and walked over to her car. When she saw me coming, she rolled down the window and started crying immediately. She said she just wanted to see the baby and that she missed him and that she was sorry about everything that happened. I told her that she needed to leave and that she was scaring me by sitting outside my home watching us, and she said she wasn't trying to scare me, she just wanted to talk. I said we had nothing to talk about and that she needed to stay away from me and my son or

I was going to call the police and get a restraining order. She started sobbing then and saying that she loved the baby and that she just wanted to be part of his life and that it wasn't fair that I got to be a mother when she couldn't. I felt bad for her for like two seconds, but then I remembered what she and Fiona had done and I got angry again. I told her that her infertility was not my problem and that she couldn't have my baby just because she wanted one and that she needed to get help instead of stalking me. She said she wasn't stalking me and that she had every right to be on a public street,

but I said that sitting outside someone's home watching them was definitely stalking and that if I saw her car here again I was calling the police immediately. Then she said something that really freaked me out. She said that I couldn't keep the baby away from family forever and that he deserved to know his real family who could take care of him properly. I said I was his real family and she said that blood didn't make a family and that she had more love to give him than I ever could. The way she said it was so creepy and possessive, like she really believed that my son belonged to her somehow. I told her she was delusional and

needed professional help and then I walked away while she was still crying in her car. She sat there for another ten minutes before finally driving away, but I was shaken up about it for the rest of the day. Sandra said I should definitely file a police report just to have it on record in case she comes back and I think she's right. Then last night I got a call for my uncle Terry, who is also my dad's brother, and he said that Fiona had asked him to reach out to me to try to smooth things over. He said that he understood I was upset but that family was important and that I should try to forgive and move on. I told him what had happened with the CPS report and Penny stalking me and he got quiet

for a minute. Then he said that he didn't know about those things and that Fiona had told him it was just a disagreement about the baby's future. I said it wasn't a disagreement, it was them trying to steal my child and making false accusations to the government and that there was no coming back from that. He said he would talk to Fiona and try to get her to back off, but that I should consider family counseling to work through the issues. I told him there were no issues to work through because I was done with Fiona and Penny permanently and that anyone who took their side could stay away from me too. He seemed surprised by how firm I was was being and said that I was burning bridges that I might need someday. I said I would rather have

no family than family who would try to take my child away from me and that he could tell Fiona and Penny that if they contacted me again or came near my apartment I would get a restraining order and press charges for harassment. After I hung up I started thinking about what he said about burning bridges and wondering if I was being too extreme, but then I looked at my baby and remembered how scared I was when CPS showed up and I knew I was doing the right thing. Sandra helped me install a security camera that points toward the street so we can see if Penny comes back, and she's going to keep an eye out during the day when I'm at work. My boss has been really understanding about me bringing the baby to work sometimes when I can't find child care and my

co-workers have been supportive too. I know some people think I should try to work things out with my family, but they don't understand that these people tried to have my child taken away from me by lying to the government. That's not something you forgive and forget, that's something that could have destroyed my life and my son's life forever. I'm going to keep protecting my baby no matter what anyone says, and if that means I have to cut off toxic family members then that's what I'll do. My son deserves to grow up safe and loved, not constantly under threat from people who think they have a right to him.

Update 2. So it's been quiet for the past week since Penny was stalking me and I thought maybe they had finally gotten the message, but I should have known better. Yesterday was my day off and I had planned to just stay home with the baby and catch up on laundry and stuff, but around noon Sandra knocked on my door looking really worried. She said that Penny had come to her apartment that morning asking questions about me and the baby and claiming that she was worried about my mental health. Sandra said Penny told her that I had been acting erratic and that the family was concerned that I might hurt myself or the baby. I felt like I was going to throw up because I realized Penny was trying to build a case against me by getting my neighbors to say I was unstable. Sandra said she told Penny that I was a wonderful mother and that she needed to leave me alone, but Penny kept pushing and asking if Sandra had noticed me acting strange or neglecting the baby.

Sandra said Penny also asked about my work schedule and when I was usually home alone with the baby and whether I had any help taking care of him. She said it felt like Penny was gathering information for some reason and that it made her really uncomfortable. I thanked Sandra for telling me and for not giving Penny any information, and then I called the police to report the harassment. The officer who came out was really nice and said that what Penny was doing could definitely be considered stalking and harassment, especially given the history with the false CPS report. He said I should document everything and that if it continued I could get a restraining order, but that they couldn't do much about someone asking questions in the neighborhood unless it escalated further. He did say he would drive by

more often to keep an eye on things, which made me feel a little better. But then this morning the real shit hit the fan. I was getting ready for work and packing the diaper bag when someone knocked on my door really hard like they were trying to break it down. I looked through the peephole and saw Fiona standing there looking absolutely furious. I didn't look at the peephole. I didn't want to open the door, but she started yelling that she knew I was in there and that we needed to talk right now. She was being so loud that I was worried the neighbors would complain or that she would wake up the baby, so I opened the door but kept the chain lock on. She immediately started screaming at me about how selfish I was being and how Penny was having a

breakdown because of me. I told her to lower her voice and that she needed to leave, but she kept yelling and trying to push the door open. She said that Penny had been hospitalized yesterday because she tried to hurt herself and that it was all my fault for keeping the baby away from her. I felt terrible about Penny hurting herself, but I also knew that wasn't my responsibility and that she needed professional help, not my baby. I told Fiona that I was sorry Penny was struggling but that I wasn't responsible for her mental health and that giving her my baby wasn't going to fix her problems. Fiona started screaming that I was heartless and cruel and that Penny could die because of me. Then she said that if I really cared about what was best for the baby I would

let Penny adopt him before something terrible happened and that she wasn't going to let me ruin everyone's lives because I was too stubborn to do the right thing. I asked her what she meant by something terrible happening and she said that accidents happen all the time to young mothers who don't know what they're doing and that it would be tragic if something happened to me and the baby had no one to take care of him. The way she said it sounded like a threat and I got really scared. I told her that if she was threatening me I was calling the police right now and she said she wasn't threatening anyone, she was just pointing out that life was unpredictable. I slammed the door in her face 911 while she was still pounding on it and yelling.

The police came really fast and found Fiona still outside my building screaming about how I was killing her daughter. They talked to her for a while and then came up to talk to me and I told them everything that had happened including the veiled threat about accidents happening to young mother. The officer said that was definitely threatening language and that combined with the stalking and harassment it was enough for a restraining order. They arrested Fiona for disturbing the peace and threatening behavior and I gave them a full statement about everything that had happened over the past month.

The officer said that they would recommend that I get an emergency restraining order against both Fiona and Penny and that I should talk to a lawyer about pressing charges. I called in sick to work because I was too shaken up to leave the baby and I've been a service wreck all day jumping at every sound. Sandra came over and stayed with me for a while and helped me research lawyers who handle restraining orders and family harassment cases. I found one who specializes in this kind of thing and has an appointment available tomorrow morning.

Sandra is going to watch the baby while I go meet with her because I don't want to take him out in public until I know Fiona and Penny can't get near us. The lawyer I talked to on the phone said that what Fiona and Penny have been doing is a clear pattern of harassment and that the threat about accidents happening was definitely grounds for a restraining order. She said that false CPS reports combined with stalking and threats often escalate and that I was smart to document everything. She also said that I should consider moving if possible because people who are this obsessed with getting a child sometimes don't stop even with restraining orders in place. That terrifies me because I can't afford to move right

now and I don't have anywhere else to go. I keep thinking about what Fiona said about accidents happening and wondering if she was really threatening to hurt me or if she was just trying to scare me. Either way I don't feel safe anymore and I'm afraid to be alone with the baby. I never thought my own family would try to destroy my life over a baby, but I guess I didn't really know them at all. The Fiona who raised me after my parents died would never have done something like this, but maybe that person never really existed. I'm going to get that restraining order tomorrow and press charges if the lawyer thinks I have a case. I'm also going to ask about moving the case to family court because I'm worried they might try to use Penny's suicide attempt to claim I'm an unfit mother for some reason.

This whole situation is insane and I can't believe it's my real life, but I'm going to fight for my son no matter what it takes. He's innocent in all this and he deserves to be safe and protected from people who would use him. as a pawn in their sick games. I'll update after I meet with the lawyer tomorrow, assuming nothing else crazy happens between now and then. Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me through this nightmare, it really helps to know that I'm not crazy and that other people understand how messed up this situation is. Final update, I met with the lawyer and got the emergency restraining orders approved for both Fiona and Penny, and I wanted to give you guys one last update because some people have been asking what happened. The restraining orders were pretty easy

to get because I had all the documentation in the police reports and the lawyer said it was one of the clearest cases of harassment she had seen. Both Fiona and Penny have to stay at least 500 feet away from me and my son and they can't contact me directly or through other people. The lawyer also helped me file charges for making false reports to CPS and for stalking and harassment. She said that while it's hard to prove who made the CPS call because they are meant to protect the caller's identity, the pattern of behavior makes it clear that it was part of an ongoing campaign to get my baby taken away. Fiona was released from jail the day after she was arrested, but she violated the restraining order almost immediately by having other family members call me to try to get me to drop the charges. Each time someone called on her behalf I reported it to the police and now she's facing additional charges for violating the protection. order. Penny got out of the hospital and apparently her husband Owen finally realized how

crazy the whole situation had gotten and he filed for divorce. The lawyer said that the charges will probably result in probation and mandatory counseling for both of them, which is fine by me. I don't necessarily want them to go to prison, but I wanted on record that what they did was wrong and illegal. As for moving, I found a small apartment across town that I can afford and Sandra is going to help me pack and move next weekend. It sucks that I have to uproot my life because of their obsession, but I'll feel safer knowing they don't know where I live. My new place is actually closer to my work and in a better school district, so it might

end up being a blessing in disguise. Sandra is going to miss us, but she said she understands why I need to move and that she'll visit once I'm settled. Work has been really supportive through all this and my boss even gave me a small raise and said that when I'm ready they might have a supervisor position opening up that would come with better benefits. It's nice to know that some people believe in me and think I'm capable of more than just being a poor single mom. The restraining orders are good for a year and can be renewed if necessary, but hopefully by then Fiona and Penny will have gotten the help they need

and moved on with their lives. That's all for me and I probably won't update again unless something major happens, but hopefully this is the end of the drama and we can just live our lives in peace now.