Woman Insists on Having Her 3yo Son Witness Her Home Birth, but Her Ex Says Absolutely Not

A concerned father has sought advice after his ex-wife insists on having their three-year-old son present at her home birth, saying that the event will traumatise him.

But his heavily pregnant ex insists that their two children, 7 and 3, bear witness to the birth of their new sibling. She has planned a natural birth at home, and if she has custody of the children when she goes into labour, the children’s father will have no say in whether they attend or not.

“I think my daughter can handle it and would get something out of the experience,” the dad writes on social media. “My son is very sensitive and I don’t think he will handle it well.”

Explaining that if the upcoming birth is anything like her previous deliveries, it will be all-natural and “involve a lot of screaming and pain” which he fears will permanently traumatise his son.

Without understanding the full story from both sides, it is obvious that this dad cares very much about his young son’s mental health. As he describes his ex-wife’s “emotionally abusive” behaviour towards him during their marriage, it becomes apparent that she will do anything to get her way and that the young boy will most likely be present during the birth.

There is nothing wrong with older children witnessing their younger siblings come into the world. Home births are becoming more and more popular and it makes for an incredible family experience that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

But children need to be prepared carefully for the event so they understand what is happening — it can be quite scary for them to watch their mum in pain.

They should be looked after by a trusted friend or family member while their mother’s labour is progressing and allowed to visit with their mum throughout. Labours can be long and boring, and even if the child remains in the room with their mum, having someone to help give them food and play with them if they do “tap out” is important.

Hopefully, this mum has all of these things considered if she is determined to allow her toddler to watch her deliver his new sibling.

What are your thoughts?