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Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delivery?

inquisitive one

New Member
I would like your input and opinions please on the following matter.

I was recently asked at the last minute to attend the birth or a friend/acquaintance and agreed to do so.
I texted my wives to let them know what was happening. One text me back and one called me back, both saying that they felt it inappropriate for me to be present in the delivery room and they didn’t want me to be there. I felt that this lady needed someone to be with her as it was her first child, she has no family and her partner had walked out on her and I am her only friend.

One of my wives said that she would be accepting if I waited in the waiting room until after the delivery, however I was actually present in the delivery room at the time of the birth. My wives found out and now both wives are very angry and upset with me and think that I did the wrong thing whilst I think I did the right thing by helping out a friend.

How can I make things right with my wives?

Comments from both men and women wanted please.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Congrats to your friend and the new addition to her family. In my own opinion... I believe your wives were correct. The birthing of a baby is very intimate. Along with the intimacy part, it is a time of bonding for the new mom, the dad... (if present) and close family and friends. Your wives may assume that you are bonding with your friend and the baby without their knowledge. It probably would have been better to wait in the waiting room as your wives did recommend. Even though you felt you were supporting your friend who had no one... your wives are your first priority.
My question to you is... Does your friend know of both of your wives?
And in your mind are you considering making your friend a third wife? Because of her situation?

My final thought is.... You may have broken your wives confidence and trust that they had in your leadership... We will be praying that God will mend their hearts and that you will find a way to resolve this issue with them...

Just my thoughts...
Silas
 
Re: OK for husband to be present at a friend's delivery?

Most people in the West neglect aftercare; a new mother needs to take steps to restore herself in the weeks and months after delivery. Maybe you can ask your wives to support her in this, while you step back. This way what's done is done, you lead forward, and their expertise is validated.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

inquisitive one said:
Mystic

With respect you seem to have missed the point here.
You asked
How can I make things right with my wives?
Mystic suggested a way to make things right with them by getting them involved. That's what you asked for.

Quick question. Is your second wife the reformed prostitute from your other thread or someone else? It has no relevance to this thread I know, but I'm interested to know how you got on and you don't seem to like to join in on discussion on this forum and let everyone know how you're doing.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Adhere

Out of respect to my wives i decided not to be in the room to view the actual birth of the baby coming out of the birth canal. She in fact she had a Cesarean.section the nurses indicated that i could be in the room but seperated by a screen and be able to see her face, hold her hand and comfort her. I felt due to the circumstances i was meeting my wives concerns about seeing the womans genitals and i would be able to be by my friends side at a stressful time when she was in need of a friend.

However i did not relay this information to my wives.

As for being a wife she was in consideration three years ago but i felt that she was not right for the family and which she also agreed at that time and we are only platonic friends
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

We don't know each other, I don't know your wives, nor the background relationships so my input isn't worth very much but I'll say: Sounds like your heart was right, and taken alone me thinks it would be a wonderful thing to support a woman in that way. But I totally agree with ADHERE, it would have been more prudent to take your wives input even more to heart, even if it didn't make sense at the time. Recommended your ask for forgiveness from your wives and let them know you really didn't make the best choice here and although your heart was in the right place, you were actually a bimbo and should have done something else.

I think you're wise for asking for input here.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Agree with JAG that we really don't know much about this, just a brief description from your point of view. Supporting a friend like that may or may not be appropriate depending on many factors. Your wives know much more than we about you and this woman. Had only one of them thought it was a bad idea she might well be wrong. But since both of them agreed that this was inappropriate, and both know much more than we do, I will defer to their far better informed and unanimous judgement.

You probably acted completely inappropriately.

In that case the first step to fixing things is to admit your fault and apologise.

I would also suggest you apologise to Mystic for your rudeness above, and answer FollowingHim2's question as this will help everyone to understand your situation.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Samuel

Thanks for your response and you are correct about mystic and i offer my apologies and thanks to him/her.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

FollowingHim2

In response to your question, no my second wife is not the prostitute.

Many thanks for your continued interest.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

First you give us the story this way:
inquisitive one said:
both saying that they felt it inappropriate for me to be present in the delivery room and they didn’t want me to be there. I felt that this lady needed someone to be with her as it was her first child, she has no family and her partner had walked out on her and I am her only friend.
Then the story changes:

inquisitive one said:
Out of respect to my wives i decided not to be in the room to view the actual birth of the baby coming out of the birth canal. She in fact she had a Cesarean.section the nurses indicated that i could be in the room but seperated by a screen and be able to see her face, hold her hand and comfort her. I felt due to the circumstances i was meeting my wives concerns about seeing the womans genitals and i would be able to be by my friends side at a stressful time when she was in need of a friend.

However i did not relay this information to my wives.
As I see it, more than anything you have a communication problem.
With both your wives and with us.

If your wives have a problem with what actually happened (as opposed to what you misled them into thinking) then you may have deeper issues to deal with.

In my understanding, great bonding happens between a birthing mother and the person who gives emotional assistance during the birth. If you already have history with this girl it may be a factor very overlooked by you, but important to your girls.

I look forward to discussing this in my household, but I am predicting that at least some of the focus from the goils is that your friend needed the support, which they may have fought me to provide by being there themselves. :)
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

As Alice in Wonderland would say, "Curiouser and curiouser!"

Bib-fammers have already done a yeoman's job here of probing the ins and outs of what happened, the less than stellar level of communication, the history of the relationship with the friend, and just what constitutes appropriateness. As someone who coached birth in five metropolitan hospitals, gave birth in a clinic as well as at home, and has a household member who is preparing for a career in midwifery, the whole scenario as described makes me wonder if the understandably upset wives here have given birth themselves.

Modesty can ALWAYS be preserved in birth if the coach,( whether male or female,) positions themselves with their back to the plumbing and their front to the laboring gonna-be mom. The coach's job in the lion's share of cases is to coach and not to catch. While I understand that broaching this offer of help could have been handled much better on so many fronts, the actual objection to viewing the reproductive area of a friend nearly borders on being a straw man argument. The labor and delivery logistics just don't wash here.

In answer to the question, "Is it OK for a husband to be present at a friend's delivery?" I would say, "It depends." In our house it would certainly fly in most cases, AND we would all talk about it PRIOR to the need! I also know that if I were the friend described here, there is no one I would rather have breathing with me and coaching than our hubby.; )
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Alit53

Thanks for your response. In answer to your question, yes, both wives have had several babies themselves.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

I'm wondering, if this friend was a consideration from the past, why aren't your current wives also involved with the friendship? Why are you her only friend? I agree with Steve, maybe the current wives should have been a part of the support. Why weren't they? Seems they would have known of this upcoming birth and the question of you being a part of it would have come up sooner. Definitely a communication issue. Definite apologies needed. Where is your relationship now with the new mom and baby?
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

UPDATE

For those interested in the outcome relating to the original post.

This is being written by one of the wives.

My husband has now divorced me because I asked him to explain why he went into the delivery room with this woman and I held him accountable for not respecting his wives, their feelings and their needs. For putting his own selfish desires before the needs of his family. For claiming that he didn't know that we didn't want him to be present even though I had the text messages to prove to him that I told him at least 9 times that I did not want him present in the delivery room. Not forgetting his other wife who also told him that she didn't want him in the delivery room either. Because I wouldn't let him side track the conversation and charm his way out of the situation and kept holding him accountable, my husband lost his temper, started throwing items and smashed two windows in the house. He maintains that he did this because I "pushed his buttons" So it was my fault and nothing to do with his disregard and disrespect for his family.

I have been the victim of a previous abusive marriage and will not be threatened or intimidated and so for my part I stood up to him and kept handing him things to throw to show him that I was not afraid or intimidated by him. I accept that I was at fault for doing this and it was wrong of me. I don't however believe that this excuses his behavior. It was during this time that he wrote me a 'letter of divorce' stating that "we are incompatible".

Our husband moved himself into the spare bedroom at this point, some 5 - 6 weeks ago without any discussion with either of his wives. I gave him this time for reflection on what had happened and to have a feeling of what it would be like to loose both his wives. He settled into the room very nicely and carried on as if nothing has happened.

About one week ago I gave him a letter asking him for a decision as to if he still wanted to be my husband because he claimed that he wrote the divorce under stress and later asked me to "rip it up" I told him that a divorce was a very serious matter and not to be taken lightly. That you cant keep threatening to divorce someone (which has happened frequently) and then just rip it up when it suits you. That such behavior would be totally unacceptable in a court of law for a "legal" divorce. I told him that I required an answer by the end of the week as this whole situation is making me physically and emotionally ill and I need to move on with my life. On the Wednesday I wrote him a letter outlining what he needed to do if he did want to still be my husband. The details of which are below. On this last Sunday, I sat with him and asked him for his answer. As usual he wanted more time. He always wants more time. He appears to think that time heals all and he can carry on doing what he's always done without any consequence and everything will quietly slip back into 'normal' and he can carry on like nothing has happened.

During a previous discussion about the woman who's delivery he attended I asked my husband if the child was his. He responded without hesitation "no". I asked if he had ever had sex with her. He responded without hesitation "no". I asked if he has had sex with anyone other than his wives since we got married and he hesitated, asked where is all this questioning leading and refused to answer the question and has consistently refused to answer the question ever since. Stating at one point that his reason for this was that he wanted respect for his privacy. I told him that as his wife, I had a right to know if he has had sex with other women. Not least, to establish any health risks to myself. My husband steadfastly refuses to answer my question leaving me with no option but to assume that he has been unfaithful. I believe that he is doing this because I made it quite clear from before we married that I will not accept infidelity and it will lead to divorce. I believe that he is not making the admission because he knows that at that point any chance of reconciliation is permanently gone.

In the intervening time. I have discovered pornographic pictures by the thousand, on a thumb drive and on his cell phone. He has a long standing history of pornographic use which I believe is now an addiction. Whilst trying to transfer some business pictures for him from his cell phone onto the computer (at his request), I accidentally came across more pornographic pictures and a contact page for local prostitutes which he has used in the past. Further cementing my suspicion of infidelity.

I am not able to accept his continuing pornography addiction and recent and ongoing infidelity and use of prostitutes.

The incident in the topic of this original post was the catalyst for the divorce and is only one of many similar events.

I offered to give my husband another chance and to help him work through these issues if he was willing to dispose of all pornography and not seek it in the future and to seek professional help.

I also asked him for total fidelity to me and his other wife. To cease having female friends due to his own admission of "weakness" and past history with other women (see previous posts elsewhere on this site) which leads to inappropriate behavior/infidelity.

I also asked him to get tested for STD's, HIV/AIDS as I have had to do myself. He refused to do so.

I also asked him to seek psychiatric services and counseling, again he would not agree.

I asked him to remember my birthday, anniversary's etc that are important to me. I have never had a card or gift from him except for a wooden 'card' that he made from scrap materials in his shed for my last birthday.

I also asked for a greater presence of God in our lives and he felt that he was doing sufficient. I add that the only prayer in this house is at meal times and there is no bible study.

Despite all of his previous history and indiscretions, I offered to help him through this as his wife and friend if he did the things I asked of him as stated above, but he declined.

To my mind my husband chose his pornography addiction, infidelity, prostitutes and other women such as in the topic of this original post, over me and the sanctity and vows of our marriage.

He will tell you that I am being too demanding and dictating. You will make up your own minds.

I have tried to give a fair representation of events and feelings but of course this is only my side of the story and there are two or in this case three (my sisterwife) sides to this story. My husband believes that he can still salvage his other marriage although he chose to move into his own separate bedroom some 5 - 6 weeks ago and has slept alone since then.

Thank you all for your input in this and previous posts. Love and God bless to you all.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Thankyou for the update, we will be praying for all involved. I would like to encourage you to sign up with your own username and get to know the other ladies here, you're clearly going through a very rough situation and may benefit from having someone to talk to.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Thank you Samuel

The difficult part was not knowing where I stood. I do love my husband but he does not want to change even though he talks of it, he never actions it.

How can I believe that he ever loved me if he refuses to put my mind at ease about such a crucial thing as if he has had sex with other women? If he has done no wrong, then why hide it? He doesn't even think enough of me or respect me enough to do that for me yet he can drop everything, leave his work and rush off to attend the birth of a woman he hardly knows.

I'm sad at the breakdown of my marriage. I'm sad and troubled for my husband. But I rest assured that God will take care of my husband.

There is so so much more to this whole scenario. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Now I know where I stand in his rating, I can move on with my life.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

There is always far more to every situation than can ever be expressed in a post on a forum. You are not the only woman here to go through difficult situations, there are many here who can help if you need it.

If you sign up with your own username, tell me what your new name is (private message or here) and I'll change the author of the last two posts to yourself. Right now your husband can log in at any point and delete what you've said since it's on his account, it would be better to put you in control of your posts.
EDIT: I have locked those posts so he can't edit or delete them - but neither can you, so I'll unlock them once we can change the author to yourself.
 
Re: Is it ok for a husband to be present at a friends delive

Wow what a complicated and difficult story.

I feel that because we are breaking new ground with PM, and there is a lack of public/church scrutiny, we have to be super high in our standards.

Here are some items in my personal creed:

1. I don't say I love you until I am prepared to take that woman as my wife.
2. No physical affection with a woman until I have her father's consent.
3. If I take that woman as my wife, it is for life. No matter what.
4. Divorce is a dirty word and not to be mentioned.

They are just for me, I am not saying everyone has to do that.

But I would expect those as a MINIMUM for anyone interested in my daughters.

Quite frankly posts like these terrify me for my daughters. I think I might discuss PM with my sons but insist on monogamy for my daughters. That's a shame really.

Thank you for sharing and I will pray now as soon as I click Submit.

Grace to all,

ylop
 
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