Dear MIMsters: Please Help Me Figure Out Why My Baby is Terrified of MIL

I have an 18 weeks old baby and she is very playful to anyone who comes around her, except with my MIL. Anytime we travel to the village, she smiles with everybody who carries her but whenever MIL carries her, she would cry so loud until someone takes her away from her. She is terrified of MIL.

I did not notice this before until now as we are presently in the village. If MIL touches her when she is sleeping, she will cry out as if she has seen a ghost and this worries me. Meanwhile, MIL blames me for it. She says it’s because I don’t bring her often to spend sometime with them.

Hubby usually rents his own apartment in the village when we visit even though we have a family house. This is because the house is fully occupied with MIL and her children apart from the fact that MIL talks too much and is very controlling and troublesome. Besides her children have no respect for anyone including my hubby and it pisses me to see them talk to my hubby disrespectfully while I won’t be able to utter a word. So I choose to avoid them to avoid quarrelling with them.

Also, renting our own apartment gives us privacy but MIL would prefer we rather stay in the family house. I declined her offer but I visit with them almost everyday so she can spend time with my baby, yet she is not satisfied. Now, she is very angry with me because she thinks that my baby’s fear of her is as a result of my refusal to stay with them in the family house. Could this be the reason?