In perhaps the greatest injustice plaguing the public health system; a man was NEVER OFFERED A DRINK while his partner was in labour for 12 hours.
Posting to online forum The Dadsnet last week, the anonymous man titled the post "2nd class citizens", and shared his experience of... not getting enough attention while his partner heaved a human baby out of her vagina nearby.
No, really:
"Currently having a newborn in hospital waiting for his arrival. Just hit me that dads on labour wards seem to be invisible," he posted.
"Sat yesterday for 12 hours never offered a drink or anything I felt invisible. It was a disgrace and made me feel quite mad. All the tax and national insurance I pay and not even a courtesy of a teabag now and then or even just like I had a right to be there supporting my missus and waiting for our miracle."
NOT EVEN A TEABAG.
That poor, poor man. We really hope he's OK and hasn't shrivelled up from dehydration.
"Have any of you experienced same treatment?," he asked the online community.
Thankfully - for our opinion of the male race - no dads took the side of the original poster.
If fact, most were viciously damning of his unprecedented levels of selfishness.
We couldn't have put it better than this particular man:
"Two things toolbelt," he brilliantly began his eloquent schooling of the original poster. (We are most certainly filing ‘toolbelt’ away as an insult to use in future).
"1: This experience should never be about you. But since your frail ego can’t seem to handle that… Congratulations on putting your pee-pee in a vagina until climax. Might I offer you a beverage? Perhaps a tea?
"2: If you were there for the missus… ACTIVELY there for the missus, you wouldn’t “feel invisible” you’d be too concerned with her to care.
"Every hospital I’ve ever been to I acknowledge my role as support for the patient. To encourage, make sure they know they aren’t alone, to help with pain, fear, and boredom. If I want a tea, I get it for myself. I ask the patient if they want something.
"The hospital staff has always treated me with kindness. They were accommodating, and complimentary. (Compliments make me uncomfortable).
"It’s obvious you’re somewhat of a selfish jerk. Because you take a time when your wife is in great pain, she’s scared, she’s anxious, she’s pushing a human out of her body… and you make a point to draw attention to how you were deprived of attention. Like I didn’t have a right to be there supporting my missus.
"What in the passive-aggressive, in no way did you actually feel this, narcissistic, self-prescribed, victimhood is this bullsh*t? I hope this child matures you."
A-freaken-men.
When the man's original post was re-posted on Twitter, the great people of the internet didn't hold back either:
Do you think men get ignored when their wives are giving birth? Tell us in the comments section below.
Top Comments
From nurses everywhere: awwww diddums. STFU. Your wife has one baby now, she doesn’t need another
I know a midwife who is glad to be retiring from the profession because the current generation of mothers are so demanding. They complain when they don't get their champagne, when their husband can't sleep over, about the food, demand sheets be changed now, expect immediate response to buzzers etc.etc. It isn't just the dads but the self-absorbed Gen y mothers. The same women who invented wishing wells, save the date cards, gender reveal parties, cash smashes and will no doubt expect everyone to attend every one of their childrens' birthdays every year, year after year and probably tell guests what gifts to buy them.