“Dad down!” When witnessing childbirth makes dads go down for the count. | Sonoma County Photographer | Labor and Delivery Nurse

Welcome to the comedic rollercoaster ride of labor and delivery, where the unexpected becomes the norm and dads face the ultimate test of their stoic resolve. Picture this: a brave dad-to-be, armed with all the confidence in the world, ready to support his partner through the miracle of childbirth. But then, reality hits, and suddenly, he’s the one seeing stars instead of the baby. Yes, we’re talking about dads passing out during labor, a hilarious twist in the journey of parenthood that’s as surprising as it is entertaining.

Almost every woman loves to tell her labor story, and when that story includes the baby daddy going down, it’s a pretty darn funny. I mean, the laboring woman is supposed to be the star of the show, right? So when dads take away all the attention by hitting the floor, they quickly become the talk of the entire labor and delivery unit.

Ask any L&D nurse and they will tell you most dads claim they don’t get squeamish and they have never passed out. I would venture to say, the ones who act the most macho are the ones to tend to faint. Most of the men who have passed out on my watch don’t even give me a warning; one minute they are standing next to me, and the next they are either on the ground, or sitting in a chair, pale as a ghost and ready to barf. At least women will say “I feel like I’m going to pass out”, but these dads…no warning.

I remember being in a delivery where the mom had been pushing for hours and exhaustion had set in for all of us. She finally had her baby on her chest, and I pulled her husband closer to her bed, and he ended up on her chest too, he was out cold.

Another time, a dad had to miss the birth of his child because he fainted during his wife’s epidural placement. He hit his head so hard he ended up in the Emergency Room.

How to avoid being the talk of the Labor and Delivery nurses

1. keep your blood sugar steady. Here are a list of good snacks
2. Don’t lock your knees when standing long periods. It’s important to know that first time moms can push 1-4 hours or more. Standing that long with locked knees will make you pass out.
3. Sip on juice if you start feeling light headed.
4. TELL YOUR NURSE IF YOU FEEL LIGHT HEADED then let her help you to a chair and keep your eyes open.
5. If blood makes you squeamish, stay at the head of the bed and encourage your wife by telling her she is a childbirth goddess and she is beautiful.

Luckily when I’m working as a photographer, I have never had a dad pass out, or anyone else for that matter. Childbirth is much more intense than photography. I like the balance between my two jobs. Click here to book a session with me.