Laboring Woman's Husband Mows the Lawn as She Has Contractions — "Typical Man"
Published Oct. 11 2023, 11:49 a.m. ET
I have five kids, so there have been a lot of trips to the hospital to have babies. Two occasions stick out in my mind when my husband seemingly had other things on his mind than me about to bring his child into the world!
The first time, he stopped for coffee at Dunkin' on the way to the hospital. OK, yes, it was the middle of the night, and I'm sure he was tired, but, um, reminder: I'm in labor, about to have a baby.
The other time, he couldn't quite pick out a parking spot he felt good about in the hospital parking garage. Say what? He'll confirm that I leaped out of the moving car, went inside to check in, and he had to find me once he managed to select the right place to park our vehicle while I delivered our daughter!
Given my experiences, I had to laugh at this woman whose husband was literally mowing the lawn while she labored. Details ahead.
Why did this woman's husband think this was the right time to mow the lawn of all things?
TikTok creator @stephielooloo explained in her short video — because she's in labor — that she has been having contractions all day and is ready to go to the hospital.
As for her husband, um, not so much. "What is he doing?" she asks her following, laughing, and adding, "Typical man."
Then, she walks over to the window, where her husband is "just trimming the grass." Great timing!
"OK, I'll just be in here waddling around, packing my bag," she giggles, although there's a moment that we can see a flash of annoyance across her face, which is 100 percent fair enough.
The incident would be funny if so many moms couldn't relate to this TikToker's experience. Indeed, she and I are far from alone when it comes to our husbands finding something they just have to do while we prepare to birth literal people out of our bodies.
So many men find things to do other than take their laboring partners to the hospital.
Many people could relate to this mom-to-be, whose husband was "nervous mowing" according to one commenter.
One TikTok user shared how her friend's husband decided the moment her water broke would be an excellent time to walk their dog.
Another woman's husband was intent on washing the windows when she went into labor. Perhaps the funniest story was about a dad-to-be who took out a ladder and began decorating the house with Christmas lights.
The creator, who later shared in the comments that this incident was actually a false alarm (she had the baby a few weeks later), was delighted to read more tales from women whose husbands and partners launched into completing a bunch of unrelated tasks while they labored, from washing their boat, to just taking an extra long time in the bathroom.
Meanwhile, someone else said their husband went upstairs and fell asleep, and yet another laboring woman had to wait for her man to get a haircut before they could go to the hospital.
The irony for me is that I make to-do lists for my husband all the time, and the lists yellow from time before he does any of the tasks. Why would a guy think that when their partner is in labor is a good time to get things accomplished?
At least all my husband did was grab a coffee and suffer an existential crisis over parking. Apparently he could have decided to have our car detailed before I gave birth!
