New mom considers leaving husband who panicked and abandoned her in delivery room, sparking debate

An expecting mother endures immense physical and mental stress to bring her child into the world, and every mother deserves ample support—especially from her partner. But what happens when the father voluntarily leaves the delivery room, offering no emotional support during labor? Reddit user u/Anxious_Committee_42 shared her painful experience of how her husband chose not to be with her during delivery and the difficult aftermath that followed.

The 29-year-old mother explained that she was seeking an unbiased perspective from others as her husband Jake’s actions were creating serious friction within her family. They have been married for three years and were excited to welcome their first child. However, the pregnancy period wasn't easy on the mom. She experienced severe morning sickness and gestational diabetes but Jake was supportive throughout these phases. As the delivery date approached, the woman wanted her husband to be in the delivery room for support, and he agreed. However, a few days before the delivery, Jake began to act strangely.

"He was distant, distracted and wouldn’t engage in any baby-related discussions. I thought he was just anxious about becoming a dad, so I didn’t press him too much. The day I went into labor, Jake drove me to the hospital but seemed off. He was quiet and kept checking his phone. When we got there, he pulled the nurse aside and spoke to her privately. She came back and told me Jake wouldn’t be in the delivery room because he was 'uncomfortable with blood and medical procedures,'" the post read. The stunned mother begged Jake to stay with her, but he refused. He kissed her on the forehead and left to wait in the waiting room.

Heartbroken and feeling abandoned, she endured a long and painful labor, supported only by the medical staff. When her son was finally born, she held him for the first time, saddened that Jake wasn’t there to share the moment. She asked a nurse to fetch Jake, only to learn he had left the hospital hours earlier. "I didn’t see him until the next day. He showed up at the hospital with flowers and an apology, saying he’d panicked and needed some air. He claimed he’d gone home to shower and change and fell asleep. I told him I didn’t believe him. I told him he had let me down in the worst possible way," the woman wrote.

She chose to spend her hospital stay alone, not allowing Jake near their baby despite his repeated apologies. "Jake has been trying to make amends. He’s been taking parenting classes, attending therapy and is constantly trying to be present and supportive. He abandoned me at one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. Every time I look at him, I remember being alone in that delivery room, terrified and in pain, wondering why the person who promised to be by my side wasn’t there," she explained. Her family was also divided over the incident—some felt she was being too hard on Jake, while others believed their marriage lacked a strong foundation.

The Reddit community came forward with their opinions as well. u/its1966 noted, "Why did he keep checking his phone that's totally suspicious to me. I think there was more going on than showers and sleep." u/werewere-kokako wrote, "He was acting shifty for weeks before the birth; he knew weeks beforehand that he was going to bail on her. If he had been honest with her, she could have made arrangements to have someone else with her at the hospital." u/Thaelina added, "Even if he truly could not deal, he should’ve been upfront about it. He not only abandoned her, he also deprived her of the option to make alternative plans forcing her to give birth alone."