When the day finally comes that you introduce a new, tiny member into your family, it’s difficult to think about anything else. After waiting a long nine months (or perhaps even years if you’ve had challenges starting a family), there’s nothing more magical than getting to hold your little one in your arms.
But despite how beautiful becoming a parent is, one dad seemed to be more interested in playing video games than being attentive during his son’s birth. Below, you’ll find a story that a new mom recently shared on Reddit, detailing how she got her ex kicked out of the hospital only hours after their son was born.
This mom’s ex was insistent on bringing video games into the hospital while she was giving birth to their son
Image credits: amenic181/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
So when he refused to leave his PlayStation in the car, she decided he didn’t need to be there at all
Image credits: nastuffa/Envato elements (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Commercial-Grand-552
Labor typically lasts between 12 to 24 hours
Image credits: Ольга Жарикова/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Having a child should be equally exciting for both members of a couple. Being a parent will massively alter your life, and regardless of whether you’re a mother or father, you should be prepared to prioritize your little one over yourself for the rest of your days. But during pregnancy and birth, it’s impossible to deny that the parent carrying the child will have to take on a bit more.
Sure, the father might be working more hours or be responsible for baby-proofing the home. But Mom is the one who has to watch her body change, deal with increasing discomfort for 9 months and experience intense hormonal changes for the entire pregnancy, as well as during the time she’s breastfeeding if she chooses to do so. And when it comes to labor, she’s in for an extremely difficult day.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, mothers are typically in labor for an average of 12 to 24 hours for their first birth. If they have more children in the future, labor is likely to be a bit shorter, often ranging from 8 to 10 hours. Women experience early labor, which is usually the longest phase, followed by active labor and afterbirth. And as we all know, childbirth can be excruciatingly painful.
Giving birth is an excruciating experience, so moms need all the support they can get
Image credits: Büşranur Aydın/Pexels (not the actual photo)
Healthline reports that it’s difficult to measure exactly how uncomfortable childbirth is, because it’s dependent on a number of factors, but the pain begins with the contractions. These might feel like intense menstrual cramps, causing a dull ache in the back and pressure in the abdomen and pelvis.
During active labor, moms might feel like their contractions are wrapping around their body, and they may even experience cramping and discomfort in their legs. And finally, when it’s time to push, moms feel an intense pressure that resembles the feeling of needing to go to use the toilet. But the pain might be even worse if a woman experiences an episiotomy or vaginal tearing, along with the muscle pain and fatigue caused by pushing.
While it might be difficult for dads to know how they can be helpful while their wives, partners or exes are in labor, it’s pretty safe to assume that bringing a PlayStation and video games into the delivery room won’t be beneficial. So what can they do? Well, Parents.com recommends being prepared to be patient. It can help to bring a book to read to the mother, her favorite show or movie to watch, card games, conversation starters, music and more.
Dads should focus on being attentive and helpful while mothers are in labor
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Waiting around for a bit is inevitable. It’s also important that dads show their support for moms, advocate for them when speaking to hospital staff, take photos (when given permission), avoid complaining and focus on making the day special. Who knows if you’ll ever get to experience this again? It’s best to be present for every moment!
When it comes to what not to do, The Bump advises fathers in the delivery room to avoid falling asleep, talking on the phone, whining, watching anything the mother isn’t interested in (she might be irritable from the pain, hormones and stress), telling bad jokes, getting in the way and freaking out. Birth can take a long time, be extremely messy and be overwhelming for all involved. But the most important thing is that the mother and baby are happy and healthy. Dads should focus on doing everything in their power to look out for their family members.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time a new father has decided that he couldn’t sit in the hospital without having video games to entertain him, and it probably won’t be the last. But we would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this dad deserved to be kicked out of the hospital? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing delivery room etiquette, look no further than right here!
Readers took the mother’s side and were quick to call out the father for his immature behavior
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