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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that it's my labour and not our labour?

150 replies

GummyGoddess · 13/09/2016 19:18

I'm due to have our first child shortly and have been nagged by several midwives to write down some sort of birth plan.

I wrote said plan today (bullet points, less than one page) and shared it electronically with my husband in case he had anything he wanted to add. I then at some point referred to it as "my labour list" and he said it was also his labour list. I pointed out that I would be in labour and not him, therefore it was about "my labour for the birth of our child" and therefore I get final approval of it as it will be me doing the hard work. He said that it would be hard work for him too.

He now appears to not be speaking to me. I do have a (small) degree of autism but surely it's my labour list as I will be in labour? Am I right or is it his labour as well?

OP posts:
rockyroad3 · 14/09/2016 07:18

At my antenatal class there was a man that acted like he was the one to give birth. During the exercises/antenatal positions (that were for the expectant mother) he kept complaining that they weren't comfortable for him and demanded extra pillows to support his back Hmm I would have loved to have been a fly on their delivery room wall.

GummyGoddess · 14/09/2016 07:35

Thank you for your responses, I do feel better knowing that I am correct and it is normal for me to get the final say in how things go.

Vitamin K - I appreciate the later responses but I have already said baby is having this so it doesn't really need to be discussed further. I don't equate it to being on the same level as picking a pram though, they were just examples of the things I left to my husband and were in no particular order.

I don't think he will be going on about how hard it was for him later, I think once it gets started he will see that his job is comparatively easy, though I'm not denying that it will be difficult for him to see me in pain.

I do really appreciate all responses and will bear them in mind while I wait for labour to start in case he still doesn't understand.

OP posts:
mathsmum314 · 14/09/2016 09:12

Its funny how equality works, men are expected to be responsible for everything but women want ownership of it all.

Its your labor. your birth and your child. The father should just go back to work and earn the money for us to look after the children. Confused

motherinferior · 14/09/2016 09:29

No. Plenty of us earn money to support our families; plenty of men do a decent share, or their full share, of childcare.

But childbirth itself is something happening the mother's body. It is physical. Unavoidable. How in hell's name is it actually and physically happening to anyone else?

Bogeyface · 14/09/2016 09:36

What on earth are you talking about Maths?

No one is denying that a father can be involved but the simple fact is, he is NOT going to be the one in labour! Equality has absolutely nothing to do with basic biology, he can no more give birth than I can make a woman pregnant!

Reminds me of that bit in The Life of Brian.....

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 14/09/2016 09:38

I was the main earner when I had my first DS and the only earner when I had my second, mathsmum. DH was a house husband. We were, however, equal.

It's always a downer when a woman posts this MRA type rubbish. Leave it to the knuckle draggers why don't you?

bookwormnerd · 14/09/2016 09:44

I don't think its women want ownership maths, but while in labour the mum is in pain and doing the work. Supporting is great and my husband was very important in both my labours, but it was happening to my body and just with other medical things I would want final say, my husbands role was to be mine and childrens advocate. My husband has equal say in other things after having baby but he saw it as my decision completely about what pain management I had etc... As he wasn't going through it.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 14/09/2016 09:47

Oh, what a load of bullshit, maths.

DP is pregnant and I am under no illusions about who's getting the sickness, the pain, doing the hard work and facing the labour.

It is properly weird to want to take ownership of a bodily process you are not going to undergo, especially one that's going to be bloody painful and difficult.

Arfarfanarf · 14/09/2016 10:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NauticalDisaster · 14/09/2016 11:04

My exH was one of those 'we're pregnant' people, he also ended up insisting on attending every medical appointment, even if it wasn't pregnancy related, because anything could affect 'his' child I was carrying.

I didn't see it at the time but it was a huge red flag about his controlling nature and his view of me as the vessel for his spawn. After children I was no longer a separate entity.

I call bullshit on 'our labour', it is the woman who is pregnant who goes through labour.

LittleLionMansMummy · 14/09/2016 11:06

I'm pregnant with our child. I will go into labour and dh will support me as much as he can. Only when he can push a melon out of his penis in sympathy will it be our labour.

This is as bad as saying 'we're pregnant'. No. 'We' are going to have a baby together. I am pregnant. And I have the stretch marks to prove it.

passingthrough1 · 14/09/2016 11:29

Can I admit something here? I used to say "we are pregnant", sometimes by accident, and I'd probably do it again in a second pregnancy too. For me pregnancy physically was a doddle. No sickness, general pain, nothing apart from a little heartburn. The difficult bits were the worry.. A few red flags came up and it was stressful for both of us and no more for me than for him so yes I felt like it was all something we went through together.
The labour however was something I went through alone with partner watching / supporting only. Anything to do with the baby - Vit K, delayed cord clamping, etc etc were joint decisions but my partner never tried to persuade me into or out of pain relief or into or out of breastfeeding as he wouldn't be the one doing it and I would have been pretty furious if he'd wanted to interfere there!

ineedwine99 · 14/09/2016 11:34

Your labour, go with what your happy with.

altiara · 14/09/2016 12:07

Of course it's your labour - he might be stuck in traffic and miss the birth! He is not essential for this part, that's an undisputed fact.
Assign him his jobs on how he is to support you and at thereby you will both have a baby.

Ps I would definitely want to choose the pram as I was the one to use it the most, but we also took into consideration DH being a foot taller than me so we made sure the handles were extendable.

altiara · 14/09/2016 12:08

At the end, not thereby

KurriKurri · 14/09/2016 12:31

This would make me so pissed off I would be reminding him he is an invited guest to your labour - he isn't entitled to be there.

Also ask him if he want's an extra pool and an extra midwife for his labour?

Total appropriation by men of a female process - arrogant beyond belief.

(I'm not saying your partner is a terrible man - hopefully once you've had the baby he will admit to his twerpishness)

Good luck for your birth Smile

ToriaPumpkin · 14/09/2016 12:51

A friend of mine was at a child's birthday party when she was pregnant with her second child. One of the fathers turned to her husband and said "We'll, as we all know, it's harder for the father isn't it?" How she didn't lamp him I don't know!

So no OP, YANBU. I hope he comes to is senses soon and everything goes well with YOUR labour.

sentia · 14/09/2016 20:13

Its funny how equality works, men are expected to be responsible for everything but women want ownership of it all

No, that's really not how equality works. Nor how I think anyone on the thread is suggesting it works.

KurriKurri · 14/09/2016 21:11

Its funny how equality works, men are expected to be responsible for everything but women want ownership of it all

No one is saying that - what an odd interpretation. Most people are simply saying that people have autonomy over their own bodies. Parenting becomes an equal job once the baby is born, but it is a woman's body which nurtures the growing child and her body which pushes it out. No one is saying that partners shouldn't be supportive and be as involved as possible, but no one owns another person's physical experience.

If my partner got a vasectomy it would be him having the operation - not me. It would not be 'our vasectomy'.

When my Father had dementia, HE had it - not my mother who looked after him, and bore a huge burden of care - but she never described it as 'Our alzheimer's'

I;ve had cancer - all my family were affected by it, but it was me who went through the treatment and my body that bore the effects of that treatment.

If you try to encroach on someone's experience you diminish that experience. It isn't yours to appropriate. In the same way the OP's partner will be involved in the birth in a different way from her, it will not be his labour, he will not labour, but he will be there at the birth of his child - that is his experience.

It is really important for women to know that they own their bodies, no one else does, - this is what we want all our girls and women to grow up knowing. Men talking about 'our labour' are claiming ownership which they do not have, and they would be the first to complain if women started talking about 'our prostate exam' etc.

And the thing is if women did start appropriating male experiences, they would be looked at as if they were crazy. Yet for some bizarre reason when it comes to childbirth a new trend has come into being where men think it is OK for them to treat us as extensions of themselves.

coconutpie · 14/09/2016 22:01

Gummy - "it will be difficult for him to see me in pain". LOL.

When you are pushing that baby out, the LAST thing on your mind will be how your husband feels. Difficult for him? How about difficult for YOU?! You're the one pushing a baby out of your vagina. You aren't going to care if he is finding things difficult because you will be too busy concentrating on getting your baby out!

puglife15 · 15/09/2016 02:53

OP I mean this kindly but I'm worried that your husband's need for control and anxiety inducing behaviour (like not talking to you) could actually have a very negative effect on your labour and birth. If you feel even a smidge that you're not living up to his expectations or change your mind during labour on what you want or need and thus go "off plan", you may not be able to relax or get in the zone enough to labour unimpeded. I hope I'm wrong but if he's making you feel tense, you need to find a way to block it (or him) out.

VenusRising · 15/09/2016 03:33

You need a doula op, not some me me, it's all about me man-child. He sounds bordering on abusive actually.

And if you're the one going to push the pram, get one that suits your height and one you can carry. Don't let him choose that unless he's going to be the only one pushing it.

This isn't a "to be fair" thing that's happening in your life now. You are the most important person in your house from hereon in. End of.
Your DH preferences and wishes must take a back seat in all things from now. It's just not important what he thinks or feels. His opinions are just that, and have no basis for negotiation or decision. You're in the driving seat.

I wish I had just had midwives at the births too, my DH was green in the gills and hopeless, but at least he knew I was doing the work, and didn't try and make it all about him (or I would have fired him)

I would also like to see your DH's labour plan- I don't think I've heard anything so ridiculous. He has a LOT to learn.

I do hope he's not going to be "too tired" or "too stressed" to help you out with the newborn. That would be my worry about him...

Give the baby vitamin K drops, and best of luck to you and your baby in your labour.

Let us know how you get on won't you?
Please don't think a caesarean is awful and to be avoided at all costs.
Sometimes the baby's head and your pelvis have other plans than a home birth. Flowers

blinkowl · 15/09/2016 18:49

DP says he's got a lot to learn.

He says his job in labour is to shut up, load up on caffeine to keep awake and do as he's told!

GummyGoddess · 22/10/2016 07:29

Just thought I'd let you know that he turned out to be really helpful in labour and managed to clean up all the vomit and blood without complaint (he can feel really faint about blood and it was everywhere!) and did whatever I asked of him during labour and his paternity leave

OP posts:
BigGreenOlives · 22/10/2016 07:36

Congratulations on the safe arrival of your baby!

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