Being pregnant is definitely a full time job on its own, but doesn’t mean that people should just take a backseat with their other responsibilities. For many expecting mothers, they still work, exercise and do household chores well into their pregnancy – sometimes even right up until a week or so before they actually give birth. While it’s common for women to feel tired or uncomfortable during this process, it’s important for them to continue moving their bodies to help with their pregnancy.
According to My Healthfinder, staying active while pregnant can help women feel better and can even result in a shorter labor and recovery period. On top of that, staying active during pregnancy can also lower the risk of other complications related to the pregnancy.
Unfortunately, it seemed like one expecting mom was not on board with this idea. Her husband went to Reddit in February 2021 to voice his concerns about how she was behaving while carrying their child, and asked Reddit users for their advice. He picked up all of the household chores along with working a full time job. On top of that, he would go out at all hours of the day and night to cater to his wife’s food cravings.
However, it all became too overwhelming, and one night he snapped at her, demanding that she start pulling her weight more. This led to a big fight and has since resulted in a huge rift between the pair, leaving the husband to wonder if he was wrong for calling her out in the first place.
Relationship Complications
For Illustration Purposes Only (With Models) – istockphoto,com/fizkes
Starting off his Reddit post, the original poster (OP) said that his wife is 24 weeks pregnant and has had an easy pregnancy thus far, according to his wife and her doctor. “I have done my best to be a good husband,” he said. “I work full time, started doing all the chores (cooking/cleaning/pet care), and of course try my best to accommodate her cravings. She has been taking it easy and spends most of her day relaxing.”
OP explained that he was starting to feel burnt out. He was happy to oblige to all of his wife’s wants and needs – especially if it would help with her pregnancy – but the workload was draining.
“I recently had two separate conversations asking if she’d be willing to do an 80/20 chore split instead, but both times she got offended,” OP said. “She says that it would stress her out and possibly harm the baby, which scared me (I don’t want anything to happen to our baby), so of course I didn’t push it.”
However, at 2 a.m. one morning, OP’s wife woke him up asking if he would go to the store to buy her fruit snacks. He was exhausted, and said no, which resulted in a huge fight with the wife calling OP selfish and a terrible husband. She even expressed concerns over how he would be as a father.
This was OP’s breaking point. “I snapped at her,” he admitted. “I told her I’ve been taking care of 100% of the responsibilities for the past six months.”
Reaching His Breaking Point
For Illustration Purposes Only (With Models) – istockphoto.com/Vesnaandjic
OP explained that he had a tone while speaking to his wife, and again asked for a more even split with the chores. However, his wife still wasn’t having it, and made him sleep on the couch. “This has caused a huge rift between us,” OP said. His mother-in-law has since called him to tell him how mean he was being. “They both said the stress I am putting on my wife will hurt the baby so now I feel super guilty,” he explained. “I need perspective.”
In the comments, OP admitted that he is “a bit afraid” of how his wife will act when their baby is born. She used to agree to do her share, but now is outright refusing. Redditors filled the comments section to explain that OP was not in the wrong in this situation.
One user said, “Six months?? I worked full time up to 38 weeks with my first, in the middle of summer. I’m not gatekeeping but assuming she’s in good health and isn’t considered high risk, wifey is in her second trimester which is exactly when she’s going to be feeling her best. OP has said she’s even admitted to feeling good. You can’t always play the pregnant card.”
Another user commented, “Have been pregnant four times, all high risk, and not once has my doctor told me not to do regular household chores. If anything, he encouraged it because it kept me active and reduced the amount of issues I could have.” The user also pointed out that some chores involving cleaning chemicals or changing a litter box shouldn’t be done while pregnant, but light chores should be fine.
For Illustration Purposes Only (With Models) – istockphoto.com/Jevtic
Do you agree with this husband that his pregnant wife should be helping more with the household chores? Have you ever been in a similar situation? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your loved ones, too.
