It’s a special thing to bring a new life into the world, and it’s even more amazing when you have a partner by your side as you do it. However, while a hand to hold and someone to bring you some ice chips to chew on might be helpful, the last thing you want while you’re in labor is for your S.O. to be holding up stupid signs in an attempt to go viral online like this guy did.
"You are my best friend, soulmate, and in just a few pushes, you’ll be the most amazing mother our daughter could ever ask for."
Husband of the year surprises pregnant wife with book of motivational messages to encourage her during two-day labor. https://t.co/T60ZKCEc7J pic.twitter.com/I3Q0bfzXy4
— ABC News (@ABC) September 20, 2019
- The woman was in labor for two days. It doesn’t matter if labor lasts two hours or two days—pushing something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a quarter is NOT easy. The experience can be stressful, painful, and quite hectic, so anything that makes it less so is always a good thing.
- It was meant to be motivational. Part of me wants to believe this guy was actually trying to be sweet and encouraging by making a series of cards with motivational messages for his wife on them as she was in labor. However, the realistic part of me knows that the fact that he had to film this whole thing means he was trying to go viral, and it seems he got his wish.
- The cards were really obnoxious. Call me callous, but if I was having painful contractions and getting ready to birth a human, the last thing I want is to be reading cards that say “Breathe (like we’ve been practicing)” or “I’d do it all over again to know the indescribable happiness I know today.” Not the time, dude! Talk about not knowing how to read a room…
- The worst part is, this guy probably thinks he did a good thing. I can imagine that this guy was patting himself on the back for being super ~evolved~ and supportive of his wife and their future child. After all, not many men are ready to get so openly emotional, but if there’s a time for it, it’s definitely when you’re about to become a father. However, it’s NOT the time to do so in the delivery room.
- Maybe just… use your words? Seriously, when did people stop speaking aloud and start insisting on making ridiculous cards with words to convey their feelings? It’s all part of the larger trend of desperation to go viral online since this type of thing does seem to garner attention. However, it would have meant so much more if he a) turned off the camera and b) just spoke his feelings aloud to his wife in the quiet moments between contractions.
- It cheapens a really special occasion. This guy is not the first or only man guilty of this, nor will he be the last, but it’s such a shame to see moments that are meant to be intimate and special be turned into quick clips for social media likes and shares. What has the world come to?
- Thankfully, I’m not alone in my feelings. Many women who saw the original ABC News clip have realized just how ridiculous this guy is and shared what would have been their response to being bombarded with this crap while in labor. You can see some of the best tweets below.
He could have cleaned the whole house in the time he took to think about and make these…
— LizzyF101 (@lizzyf101) September 20, 2019
Imagine if a woman did this while a man did something VAGUELY comparable, like "having the shits", or "puking his guts out with e coli." READ THE ROOM. https://t.co/kvvEh2L4Q0
— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) September 20, 2019
I mean, isn’t she going through enough? Why does she now have to read endless cue cards.
— Claudia Black SEP ONLY 1 ACCOUNT (@TheClaudiaBlack) September 20, 2019
I’ve had 4 children. This self-absorbed man would be a mass of paper cuts. And that wouldn’t even get us to hard labor.
— Lisa Suhay (@NiceChess757) September 21, 2019
