Birthing Betrayal: A Husband’s Accusation Leads to a Surprising Lesson

My Husband Accused Me of Embarrassing Him While I Was Birthing Our Child, So I Taught Him a Lesson

I recently gave birth to a child with my spouse, Owen. We couldn’t have been happier to have the child in our lives, and our families have always been there for us. I had assumed that the birth would go easily because the pregnancy had gone well, but I had not anticipated the level of suffering. And I assume Owen wasn’t either, because he kept talking about how loud I was.

A whirlwind of emotions swirled through me as I sat across from Owen in the dark living room, our newborn son Liam sound asleep in the adjoining room.

Just a week prior, Owen was at my side as I was in the hospital, deeply in labour. I was troubled by the memory anyway.

I inhaled deeply, gathering my bravery and thoughts to confront what had transpired during labour.

“Owen, we need to talk about what happened at the hospital,” I said in a firm yet gentle tone. There was a glimmer of hesitation in his eyes as they met mine.

He gave a nod, which I interpreted as permission to continue. “Do you recall asking me to stop screaming while I was in labour? I was embarrassing you, you claimed.”

He moved in his chair uncomfortably, which I interpreted as acknowledgment. “Yes, I do remember,” he said in a guarded but slightly regretful tone.

I hesitated, allowing his acknowledgement to linger in our shared space. With a harder voice, I said, “I want you to understand how those words made me feel.”

“Owen, I was in so much pain. While I was attempting to conceive our child, your only thought was how ashamed you were.”

It was not the response I had hoped for from him. Rather than expressing sympathy or even an apology, my husband’s expression became stern and his voice became angry.

“It is a woman’s job to listen to her husband, and you could have been quieter during labour!” he snapped.

Admittedly, I was taken aback by my husband’s tone, who is typically kind and considerate.

I was so taken aback by his response that I started to become angry. How could the father of my kid, the man I loved, be so callous?

However, I could also feel nervousness and embarrassment beneath the fury.

When we made the commitment to help one another through life’s obstacles, this was not the kind of relationship I had imagined.

“Owen,” I continued, sobbing uncontrollably, “is that really what you believe? that in order to spare you distress, my suffering and labour should be silenced?”

He merely gave me a glance. That was one of the first occasions when I was genuinely unable to read my husband’s mind.

I got to my feet, completely repulsed by what I had just heard him say. I went upstairs, into the main bedroom, and got our baby out of his cot.

I spent most of the day there, keeping the door shut to prevent Owen from entering. It wasn’t until I heard him start his car and head off to meet some friends in the evening that I opened the door once more.

That day helped me understand Owen’s character a little better. I didn’t like what I had seen in him; it was a different side of him. After all the time we’d spent together, I knew I still loved him.

However, I had to demonstrate to him that I wasn’t merely there to follow his instructions. I therefore made use of the time I had to myself to devise a plan to have him view me as more than just his servant. And I needed support from my family.

Owen was nervous, and I could tell when we went to my parents’ house for supper a week later. He was aware that this was not your average family get-together dinner.

I suppose he sensed something was wrong. Unaware of the conflict between us, my family greeted us warmly and showed us how much they loved and cared for us.

Laughter and discussion filled the supper table. There were stories told, and the aromas of my mother’s cooking filled the room.

Everyone was delighted to join us in celebrating the new baby. I invited my sisters to talk about their own birth experiences as the evening went on. Owen was to hear other women’s birth stories and contrast them with ours.

My sisters talked about the suffering, the happiness, and most of all, the steadfast support that came from their husbands.

Their testimonies depicted husbands who were present not just physically but also emotionally, providing support and understanding, and who fostered a partnership and mutual respect.

Owen listened in silence, his recent intransigence giving way to careful listening. I could see how their remarks affected him, how they made him realise what he had failed to notice in his role throughout our own labour and delivery.

For him, it was a pivotal moment, and my goal was that it would enable us to revert to our previous state.

Owen sat silently while everyone else around the table told stories. I observed as his brow drew farther and farther together and his countenance darkened.

It appeared like he blinked off a tear at one point, I swear. I started to question if it was really the best idea to out him in this way. That would only make him look bad and distance us even more, wouldn’t it?

I looked at Owen when it was my turn to tell my story. There was obvious regret in his eyes. It was as though he had come to terms with being publically humiliated.

I immediately realised that I did not want my marriage to continue in that manner.

Therefore, rather of narrating the suffering and disappointment, I made the decision to emphasise the excellent things that Owen had done for me during my pregnancy and to skip over the parts when I actually gave birth.

“Owen was kind and supportive the entire time I was carrying little Liam,” I told my relatives. Perhaps not a direct lie, but an omissional falsehood nonetheless. However, I did mean what I said.

I informed them about Owen’s everyday assistance and how he rubbed my sore feet. Owen stared at me with the same affection that had always been in his eyes, and my family loved the stories.

He drew me aside as we were heading out for supper. He sincerely apologised and assured me that he would never treat me like a servant once more.

“I apologise really, Sarah. I became aware of how much I still need to learn tonight. I swear to be a better partner and husband to you.”

It was a peaceful drive home, full of introspection and the comforting sound of music. Liam was already sound asleep as he laid in the back.

I was having trouble letting go of the choice I had made at my parents’ place. Had I been correct to keep Owen from knowing the whole truth about what he’d done?

That night, as I watched him go to sleep, I felt at ease. Indeed, I did believe him. Owen was really sorry. It was obvious he wanted to change.

My decision to choose empathy over conflict had given us both the opportunity to move on and strengthen the basis of our family and our relationship. It was about choosing a future where we grow as a team and learn from our mistakes, not about forgetting the past.

However, would you have accepted your husband’s actions? Would you have allowed him to defend his behaviour in front of the whole family, or otherwise? Tell us on Facebook!

This is another story about a 16-year-old guy who arrived with a newborn that you might find interesting.

“I’m sorry, mom, but I had to leave him,” Says 16-Year-Old Son Bringing Baby Home

Following our acrimonious divorce, my life unexpectedly changed. Josh, our kid, had a wish for the reunion of our broken family that appeared both far-fetched and desperate when I became a single mother to him.

However, the universe has a strange way of fulfilling a child’s dreams; in our case, this was demonstrated by a stunning development.

One day, Josh returned home holding a newborn child in his arms; the child represented both a bridge over difficult waters and a brand-new set of difficulties for which none of us was ready.

When we go back in time, our family used to have real happy times together. However, that fabric of family unity was torn away by the divorce and Derek’s subsequent departure to begin a new life with someone else.

Josh’s relationship with his father endured the upheaval, which is evidence of the purity of a child’s love that is unaffected by the difficulties of adult relationships.

My son expressed uneasiness at meeting Derek’s new partner, Sylvia, which made his want to bring back the past much more meaningful.

Derek’s introduction of Sylvia as Josh’s “new mommy” was an extreme example of his insensitivity, and it made me furious.

It was a smack in the face that phrase was casually thrown into the discourse, ignoring the years of love, effort, and attention I had given to raising Josh.

My first thought was to cut off any contact between my son and his father in order to shield him from additional harm.

When Sylvia, who was pregnant and had been dumped by Derek, reached out to Josh during her most vulnerable time, things became more serious.

I was uneasy and harboured old grudges, but something sparked within of me when I saw Josh cuddling his half-brother Andrew, Sylvia’s infant. It was a call to accept a role I had not expected, brought on by Josh’s steadfast determination to uphold his brother’s honour.

Josh’s request to adopt Andrew once he reached legal adulthood made me think. It was an attempt to see how forgiving, understanding, and most of all, loving I could be. In sharp contrast to Derek’s absence and carelessness, his acts demonstrated his maturity and sense of duty.

Ultimately, we chose to start a new chapter in our life when we decided to accept Andrew. Josh had not imagined a family reunion like this, but compassion, resiliency, and an unforeseen turn of circumstances brought the family together in a way that was unified.

Derek eventually made an unsuccessful attempt to re-enter our life in order to ask for forgiveness and to have a part in Andrew’s upbringing.

Despite being nontraditional and having grown through hardships, our family had achieved balance.

Josh, who is now Andrew’s father figure, and Emma, his partner, gave Andrew the stability and love he needed, demonstrating that family is defined by commitment and love rather than blood.

As I think back on our adventure, I see how strong we are when we tackle life’s unexpected obstacles. It is the tale of a family that, in the face of hardship, redefined itself by moving forward with hope, love, and an unwavering devotion to one another rather than by returning to the past.