Woman Wonders If She Was Wrong To Call Out Parents Who Want Their Kid To Watch Their Sibling’s Birth

Jul 25, 2023

Giving birth is one of the most precious things in the world. The moment a new child is born means that a new life is being welcomed into the world. Families, especially parents of the couple expecting, who are now becoming grandparents, and their extended families are usually bouncing with joy because of the new addition. 

But for one woman, her memory of giving birth was tainted since she witnessed the birth of her brother when she was 6. 

“Front row and all, I was the first person to carry him in the hospital room. To be honest, I don't remember anything expect how horrific that memory is. My parents have apologized and we have made peace with it, they thought it would be cute for me to see my brother first, it wasn't, they said sorry and we moved on,” she recalled to the AITA thread on Reddit. 

However, she noted that while her parents regretted that moment for her, it seemed like her extended family had not. The story became something that had been frequently shared during parties, which they retell to be “magical.” 

The Original Poster (OP) recalled visiting her extended family at an event. As she walked into the room, the elders were talking with their visitors, which included a couple expecting their second child.

“... One of them are (sic) talking about how excited they are about the birth of their kid. I say nothing. They keep talking until I heard how they are also planning to have their first kid in the delivery room with the mom to have 'an experience like I have,'" she shared. 

Upon hearing the idea, OP did not hold back her words and said: “If what you want is (to) traumatize that kid for life, be my guest.” 

OP understood why she was dismissed after saying that snarky comment. The day after, her extended family blew up her phone and scolded her for apparently "ruining the birth of their child." The couple was left feeling bad and thought they were bad parents. OP was sure that she saved another kid’s eyes from a traumatic event, but she wondered if she was even in her place to interfere and meddle.  

People in the comments consoled OP, saying unanimously that she was not in the wrong. 

“NTA (Not the a**h*le). I honestly can't fathom wanting your child to witness their parent in pain just for them to see the 'miracle of birth'. That's extremely traumatizing for a child,” someone shared. 

“NTA. They made an incorrect assumption about an experience you had, and were getting ready to make significant decisions based on that wrong assumption. Correcting them was absolutely the right thing to do. If the rest of your family can't handle that, it's on them,” another emphasized. 

“NTA and anyone that doesn't think birth is traumatic is bonkers. It involves lots of pain, lots of blood, and in many cases a lot of medical intervention to deal with or prevent major complications,” a Redditor supported. 

Others also praised OP for moving on with her parents about the traumatic experience. 

“Very mature of you that you were able to move on with your parents and hold no resentment for that mistake!!” a user wrote. 

Meanwhile, a Redditor pointed out that OP could have phrased her thoughts better: “It would have been better if you had gone ‘actually my experience was this…’ because your phrasing was a bit harsh towards the couple, but it's really easy to pick apart someone's wording in hindsight, it's much harder to get it right in an emotional moment.”

What do you think about OP’s experience? Do you agree with her decision to burst the parents' bubble in thinking that it was a good experience for their child to witness birth? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other loved ones out there!