Social media has convinced an entire generation of partners that their significant other’s pain is actually just content waiting to happen. There is a specific, cursed corner of the internet filled with videos of husbands “pranking” their laboring wives for views, and it is arguably the least funny genre of comedy to ever exist. One woman on Reddit just lived through this nightmare scenario when her husband decided that her contractions were the perfect backdrop for a practical joke he saw online, proving that some men really cannot read the room even when that room is a maternity ward.
The OP is a twenty-three-year-old new mom who recently delivered her first baby. Her twenty-four-year-old husband had been supportive throughout the pregnancy, but he had recently developed an unhealthy obsession with prank videos. He kept watching clips of men messing with their partners during delivery and joking that he would do the same. The OP, being a rational human being who didn’t want her medical event turned into a circus, explicitly asked him to knock it off. He promised he would behave himself, but apparently, the allure of internet humor was too strong to resist.
Eight hours into a twelve-hour labor, the OP was exhausted. She had just finished a round of contractions when her husband decided to strike. He let out a massive fart, turned to his suffering wife, and loudly asked, “what the h£ll have you been eating OP? It smells disgusting.” He didn’t just pass gas; he recited a script from a viral video. He looked at his wife, who was physically pushing a human out of her body, and decided to try and humiliate her for a laugh.
The OP didn’t hesitate. She recognized the line from the video immediately and went into protective mode. She demanded he leave the room. He tried to argue that it was “just a joke,” which is the universal cry of a man who just realized he made a colossal mistake. Thankfully, the nurses were on the OP’s team and escorted the amateur comedian into the hallway. He spent the next four hours sitting in the waiting room while his wife delivered their child solo because he couldn’t keep his gas—and his bad jokes—to himself.
When he was finally allowed back in, the vibe was not apologetic. He was fuming. Instead of asking about his newborn or checking on his recovering wife, he demanded to know why he was kicked out. He feels entitled to that moment despite violating the one boundary she set. He hasn’t spoken to her in a week, which honestly might be a blessing considering his last contribution to the conversation was a fart joke during a contraction.
To make matters worse, his mother has entered the chat. She is siding with her son, calling the OP a “complete b!tch” for denying him the chance to see his child being born. It is always fascinating when a mother-in-law thinks her opinion matters more than the person who just underwent a major medical procedure. The husband, who usually defends the OP, is nodding along with his mommy this time, claiming the OP robbed him of the experience of cutting the cord.
The OP feels a twinge of guilt because he missed the birth, but let’s be clear here. He cut his own cord the second he prioritized a TikTok trend over his wife’s dignity. Labor is vulnerable, messy, and painful. It is not a stage for an open mic night. He agreed not to do the pranks, and he did it anyway because he thought his amusement was more important than her comfort. The nurses even asked if she wanted him back, and she stood her ground. That takes a spine of steel.
If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. In this case, the prize was missing the birth of his child. Maybe next time he will remember that “no” means “no,” especially when it comes to delivery room etiquette. You don’t get to stress out a birthing person and then cry when you get sent to the lobby.
So, is the OP the ahole? Absolutely not. She was busy doing the hard work while he was busy trying to be a viral sensation. He can stay mad, or he can apologize for treating the birth of his child like a frat party.
What would you do if your partner pulled a prank like this in the delivery room? Would you have kicked him out, or let him stay? Let us know in the comments if you think the punishment fit the crime!