Mum-to-be divides opinion for wanting to ban 'bath-obsessed' husband from birthing pool
13 January 2020, 12:14
The expectant mother refuses to let her partner join her during the birth of their child.
A pregnant woman has revealed online that she wants to ban her other half from their birthing pool when she gives birth to her child.
Taking to an online forum, she explained that she's concerned as her husband has an "obsession" with baths, and he's got his heart set on getting into the birthing pool.
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Writing on Reddit, the mum, whose identity is only known as FloralAlpaca, wrote: "Small summary.. my husband has a bit of a bath obsession, he'll come home from work and disappear into the tub for anywhere fron 30 minutes to 1 or 2 hours, I've repeatedly told him this doesn't work out well since we'll have a 1 year old as of next month (whom I stay at home with all day) and a newborn any day now."
After giving some context, the mother explained that things got slightly odd when they went for a tour around the hospital the week prior.
She added: "We toured the hospital I was to deliver in this past week to make sure it was the right fit, I asked him at the end of the tour what he thought of the tour and the only thing he thought of to say was that the tubs were nice.
"He couldn't wait to get into them. When I informed him the tub was for me to labor in and not for him to bath in he was upset.
"I can't seem to get the idea out of his head that he can't take a bath in the tubs and they're not for the father, he also refuses to believe that they won't let him in the tub as well when I'm delivering (there's various health reasons why plus I wouldn't like him all over me anyway)."
She asked on the forum, titled AITA (Am I The A**hole), what people thought of her situation and if she was in the wrong.
The replies came flooding in thick and fast, with one saying: "Your husband needs to be spoken to by a professional, although it’s concerning he won’t believe you.
"Do you know where the obsession comes from? I have to say this is a first for me, hearing this..."
Another added: "When I first read the title, I thought, oh, well, he wants to be in the tub to feel more involved in the process, be supportive, and bond with the baby.
"A little unsanitary, maybe, and he probably doesn't realize how much blood is going to be in the tub afterwards, but hey, it's a sweet thought, even if she's not comfortable with it.
"And...no. The dude just wants to be in the tub because he's obsessed with baths. I'll reiterate. The f***k?"
Someone else chimed in, slightly defending him: "I’ve heard of plenty of fathers being in the birthing tub while the mother gives birth."
And finally, someone added: "That’s really weird. Is he ok?"
