Man Sparks Online Debate After Making His Heavily Pregnant Wife Get Up At 3am To Tend To Their Baby

If both mom and dad are exhausted, who has the responsibility of tending to the baby at night?

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• July 8, 2023

In the bustling life of a devoted couple, responsibilities of work, parenthood, and an incoming baby have succeeded in causing a rift that neither is prepared to own up to. Our narrator (Original Poster) finds himself in the midst of this whirlwind, juggling career demands and his growing family's needs. 

With a loving wife who is six months pregnant and a charming 1.5-year-old, each day is a delightful adventure with joy and a hint of weariness. Together, they have established a routine that balances their roles and ensures their little one receives the attention he deserves.

Nighttime rituals were once a shared duty, but OP took it upon himself to lead the charge in sleep training their child. Recognizing his wife's fatigue during her pregnancy, OP decided to maintain the arrangement of tending to their child during the night when needed.

As fate would have it, OP’s professional life demanded his undivided attention during a crucial time. He was heavily involved in planning a once-a-year conference, which gradually ate up his strength as the event drew closer.

After a long, draining conference, OP returned home, desperately seeking rest. Unfortunately, their child got up at 3 am and needed someone to put him back to sleep.

Overwhelmed with exhaustion, OP asked his wife to handle it, as he had already made it clear that he was stepping back from late-night duties for that particular day.

In the morning, OP woke up to an angry wife, who labeled him as inconsiderate for leaving their son's care all to her. She highlighted her own fatigue from pregnancy and the added responsibility of dropping off and picking up the child from childcare throughout the week.

Reflecting on the situation, OP questions whether he made the right decision by not tending to the child during the night and seeks to understand his wife's perspective.

Scroll down to find out the verdict of the Reddit community.

Let's dig into the details

A bit of background

OP had a conference to prepare for, so he asked his wife to cater to their son for the night

After a long day at the conference, OP returned to get some rest. However, the next morning, his wife slammed him for making her cater to their son at 3am without offering to help

Here's what the Reddit community had to say about this story:

"If this is the one and only time this happens, bc of your yearly conference, NTA."

"NTA...Yes it’s exhausting being a pregnant parent but that’s life"

"You’re both exhausted from parenting and better communication could have solved this."

This Redditor has an unpopular opinion to give

"NTA...You just had one very intense week, where you needed some help with your kid duties."

"This was just a perfect storm of two tired people dealing with a situation where you're both depleted and not at your best."

"It seems perfectly reasonable for her to take on this task on occasion when you are really busy with work."

This story delves into the complexities of balancing responsibilities and the sacrifices made in the face of exhaustion.

The majority of the Reddit community has rallied behind one notion: No one is to blame in this situation, as both parents were genuinely fatigued. The key to a resolution? The power of communication.

Hopefully, OP and his wife can talk things out and better prepare for a situation like this in the future.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments below.

Jesse