A dad-to-be took to the Reddit community to ask the very important question, “Am I the a**hole for not wanting my wife’s mom in the delivery room with us?” Issues with a mother-in-law in the delivery room? We’ve heard that one before…
The original poster (OP) goes on to explain that he feels strongly about who is in the room when their first child is born.
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Is This Dad the A**hole for Not Wanting His Mother-in-Law in the Delivery Room when His Baby Arrives?
“My wife and I are expecting our first in May,” OP’s post begins. “We’ve been together 10+ with 7 of them married so naturally, we’ve discussed all things baby, family, etc. One of the things that has come up before is the day of our little one’s arrival. I’ve stated in no uncertain terms that I believe the only ones in the delivery room outside of medical professionals should be her and I.”
Things are even trickier, though, because his wife, the mother of his baby-to-be, feels differently.
“My wife, however, has expressed that she’d like her mother to be in the room,” he writes.
The proud papa goes on to state his case to Reddit readers.
“I’m of the opinion that this is one of those bonding moments for us and us alone since we are the ones directly involved in this event. I’m not saying she shouldn’t be at the hospital, or even come in to see her before the procedure begins – I’m fine with all of that. But when it comes time for the main event so to speak, I feel it’s time for her to head to the waiting room. I want this time alone with my wife to laugh, to cry, to enjoy our child privately before they become a spectacle for everyone else.”
He sums up the letter with a big question for the community.
“I’ve learned quickly that pregnancy hormones are a very real thing, so I’m not entirely certain what to expect when this conversation happens again. So I’m wondering AITA if I stick to my guns on this one, or am I better off taking one for the team, sucking it up and letting my MIL (in my opinion) ruin the moment?”
While the community was somewhat divided, most seem to suggest that the dad step aside and respect his wife’s wishes by welcoming his MIL into the room.
“YTA,” one commenter said, meaning that they think the OP is the “a**hole” in this situation. “Your wife about to do an extraordinarily hard thing. Your job is to make sure she has everything she needs and to support her. If she needs her mom, you make sure her mom is there. You’re about to be a parent. Everything you do from now on will need to be about others. Start practicing. This is not about you.”
The majority of comments touched on similar criticisms.
So, dad-to-be, looks like your mother-in-law will be in the delivery room with you after all. You’ll live!