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Giving birth is a wonderful experience, but it can also be exhausting, scary, and traumatic for some women, which is why they might need the support of their partner. Even if their significant other can’t do anything to relieve their stress, their mere presence might do wonders.
Unfortunately, some men have missed the birth of their children, and the stories behind their absence are definitely surprising. It’s now up to you to decide whether the reasons they’ve given actually make sense or aren’t justifiable at all.
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#1
The pt’s husband decided to look down there and proceeded to pass out and hit his head on the corner of a table; so he was getting imaging done while his child was delivered 😅
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#2
My man left the hospital to move our room to our downstairs living room and was gone for a good four hours but I honestly thought it was such a sweet gesture. After my c section it made my life a lot easier having everything downstairs. He also took a shower, bought food and ate it at the hospital. Idk why it’s a big deal. He’s taking care of himself and was able to put 10000% effort and energy into taking care of me during labor and postpartum. He took the best care of me ❤️
#3
My dad missed my older sisters birth because of pizza, he did not make the same mistake twice, he was there when I was born😂😂
LakotaWolf (she/her) 55 minutes ago
OP clarified: "the pizza was mainly for her, for after the birth and my dad's a great dad if that's what your imply" (sic)
Pregnancy might be a lonely time for the mother, who often has to deal with the pain and changes happening in her body on her own. That’s why the partner’s support is of the utmost importance because they can help around and make things much easier for the pregnant individual. It’s also why their presence during labor and delivery is so necessary.
The problem that a study found is that at least 1 in 5 fathers have missed the birth of their kids, and a shocking 1 in 10 have missed the delivery of two or more of their children. An even more unfortunate statistic is that 42% of dads who rushed to be with their laboring partner missed their baby’s birth by a matter of minutes.
#4
My husband had to change his socks. You know what they did? They gave him grippy socks because no way was this man leaving me for socks 😂. My wagerglt all on his shoes and socks while they put an epidural in.
#5
For my sister, my dad went to play foot tennis because the doctor said she couldn’t be out for hours 😵💫 my poor mom who barely spoke English at the time was left alone to fend for herself
#6
My hubby wanted to be there… hospital told him to go home and grab a bag it will be a while…he missed it and it was one of my most traumatic births…
Even though more dads now want to witness the miracle of their kids’ birth, there are still many who fear being there for the labor and delivery process. According to research on 318 fathers who were present for their child's birth, around 23% felt helpless, 36.5% felt fearful, and 27% were traumatized by what their partner went through.
Nobody wants to see their loved ones suffer, and labor is the one time when it’s not possible to alleviate the pain that the other person is going through. It’s possible that some new dads might purposely choose not to witness their child’s delivery so that they don’t have to see how their significant other is struggling.
#7
I missed my first born’s birth because my wife was already going into labor (precipitous) when we got to the hospital during Covid. They never had time to check her in and she wasn’t in the system yet. So they wouldn’t let me in the hospital until she wasn’t checked in. Because of this, I missed my daughter’s birth l. All the while I was sitting on the parking lot in the car waiting for my wife or the nurse to contact me. Overall, covid policies held me back from being there. But I have been there for my other children’s birth.
#8
My Dad almost missed my birth. My Mum was already in hospital due to some complications but there were no signs of me arriving anytime soon so my Dad went to work that was a few ours drive away but then my Mum started labour and because this was a time where not many people had mobile phones they had to ring my Dad’s work to tell him to come back but thankfully he made it in time. He was so tired you can see it in the photos even my Mum wasn’t as tired as him. I have a habit of changing my mind at the last minute so my Dad jokes that I’ve been doing it since the day I was born. 😂
#9
My dad missed it because he was out of town working, he got a call and told his friend (the boss) his boss told everybody to wrap it up and they sped home lmao
Historically, childbirth has excluded fathers and been more of a female-only matter, but this started changing in the mid-20th century when more dads wanted to be included. Slowly, over time, fathers being present during delivery became mainstream and more of a requirement as a source of emotional support.
This positive change also happened due to an increase in education and shifting societal expectations. Plus, studies have found that paternal presence during childbirth can reduce labor length, decrease emotional distress, and lead to better attachment between father and infant.
#10
When I was born, my father was with my mother and when my sister was about to born, my mother was at my grandmother's house (her mother's house) and when my grandmother called my father and said baby is about to come out, my father drove 70 km at 3:00 am to my mother . And that's BARE MINIMUM .
#11
The doctors and nurses seemed annoyed my dad was there with my mom (this was with youngest brother) she was getting induced and they told her they wouldn’t start until 1pm it was noon so my dad left to get food because they were both hungry. When he came back they had induced her (at 12:15 btw). He didn’t miss the birth but he was pretty frustrated.
#12
My husband missed the birth of our fourth child. He dropped me off at the ER and then had to meet the person who was going to watch our other kids. I was dilating fast and had our other kids via c-section so they had to rush me to the OR… when he arrived he had JUST missed our son being born. He was so sad he missed it… 🙈 but glad we were both okay. 🤍
What you might have noticed from this list is that some dads missed the birth of their child due to wholly avoidable reasons like needing to get a hospital bag, eating pizza, or being unprepared for the sight of labor. That’s why experts advise fathers to be more present during birthing classes and appointments so that they can get an understanding of the entire process.
Expectant dads should also keep a hospital bag ready with essentials like clothing, snacks, chargers, insurance documents, and any comfort items their partner might need. Along with this, they should map the route to the hospital and do a practice run to know how long it takes to get there. All this should help them be prepared and arrive on time for their child’s birth.
#13
I was rushed to the hospital and my phone was out of battery, I was then fully hospitalized and not stable. My daughter was born emergency c section. I was then stable and able to contact him. It was a new complicated relationship and we were not actually a couple. But 10 years later were married and have 2 kids. And he was in the hospital when I had our second one
#14
I sent my husband home to shower cuz he smelled and when my ob came in to say if I didn’t progress in the next hour I was going in for a csection I called him quick he was pulling up to our house just for him to turn back around and come back😂
Even though the pregnant person might have to do all the work of delivering their baby, it can make a big difference to have their partner by their side for emotional support. It’s also a wonderful environment for a baby to enter, and may even lead to a better parent-child attachment.
Hopefully, none of the dads on this list will ever miss the delivery of their baby ever again. What do you think about these stories, and do you know of any fathers who missed the birth of their child? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
#16
My dad missed the birth of my sister because of me xD we were both sitting and waiting but I was like 10 and got really hungry. So we went home and he made food for us. While home, my mom called and said she got birth and then we went there. Ups
#17
My dad thought he had time cuz my brother took like 22 hours to be born. Chat he was parking the car and then I was already out by the time he walked back into the hospital.
#18
My dad missed the moments of my birth because my sister was sick in a different room in the hospital and had gone to check how she was. Anyway, that sister still gives me shit for streaking her mum 😂.
#19
mine was deployed, left at the beginning of my third trimester, tried to have him come home since i was on bed rest for the last month and they refused to let him
#21
I wasn't ready for this much stress... and to think could have been me with my ex. An he probably would have had his face in his phone
#22
Dad missed birth because he had to pick up the kids from school and drop them off to the babysitters 🤷🏻♀️
#23
My ex missed my baby’s birth because he was “scared” to see me again, I begged him to come he made so many excuses. Especially “it’s hard to do anything when you’re depressed and don’t want to get out of bed” like I wasn’t depressed my entire pregnancy…
#24
I was 3cm dilated and going nowhere so I told my husband to go home, take a shower and walk the dogs. Gone an hour and I fully dilated and he almost missed the birth 😅 oops!
#25
I can understand stepping out because he couldn't handle being in the room. It's a lot of blood and gore and someone you (hopefully) love is in a lot of pain. Better he step out than faint
#26
My fiance almost missed the birth of or son because he decided to fall asleep even when he knew I was scared and didn’t want him to sleep right then and there, my nurse had to fairly vigorously shake him to wake him up 🤨👍
LakotaWolf (she/her) 47 minutes ago
Not excusing OP's fiancé's behavior, but one doesn't always "decide" to fall asleep XD Sometimes you virtually just pass out the second you sit down, even if all the lights are on. I imagine both OP *and* the fiancé were exhausted and stressed.
#27
Husband had to do 30 minute drive to take our dogs out after being induced the previous day and having no nearby family/friends. Then got a nail in the tire and had to stop and get a patch. Missed it by like not even 10 minutes. Shit happened really fast at the end, didn’t even push that long.
#29
Mine was fighting a war at the time so he met me 2 months later. I forgive him. Favorite human.
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What do you think ?
Teutonic Disaster 27 minutes ago
I was born in the middle of December in a particularly cold and snowy winter (think double digit negatives celsius) and the hospital was easily an hour away from home in these conditions. My mum stayed overnight and my dad went home because a) they didn't have accommodations like today and b) I was the first (and only) child and as such, took my sweet time. Around 8 am next morning, things got serious and they called my dad, who unleashed his inner Scandinavian rally driver and raced my parents' 75hp, rwd 1st gen BMW 3 series to the hospital in about 30 minutes. He made in time.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 39 minutes ago
Er, well, I've never had a human child, but my then-boyfriend (now ex) was present for only one of my/our pets' adoptions/acquisitions XD Amusingly (or unsurprisingly?) that pet happens to be his absolute favorite and also loves him tremendously XD When I moved back home, I left that cat, Preacher, there with my ex, as it was the best thing for the cat. Preacher does love me, but ex is absolutely his favorite human.
Teutonic Disaster 27 minutes ago
I was born in the middle of December in a particularly cold and snowy winter (think double digit negatives celsius) and the hospital was easily an hour away from home in these conditions. My mum stayed overnight and my dad went home because a) they didn't have accommodations like today and b) I was the first (and only) child and as such, took my sweet time. Around 8 am next morning, things got serious and they called my dad, who unleashed his inner Scandinavian rally driver and raced my parents' 75hp, rwd 1st gen BMW 3 series to the hospital in about 30 minutes. He made in time.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 39 minutes ago
Er, well, I've never had a human child, but my then-boyfriend (now ex) was present for only one of my/our pets' adoptions/acquisitions XD Amusingly (or unsurprisingly?) that pet happens to be his absolute favorite and also loves him tremendously XD When I moved back home, I left that cat, Preacher, there with my ex, as it was the best thing for the cat. Preacher does love me, but ex is absolutely his favorite human.
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