wow how cute my daughter was born in feb 2008 and thats her name Ella alexandra they even weight the same. really cute

Beverley, I think it shows tremendous respect on the part of the man if he accepts the woman’s preference to wait outside the delivery room. I didn’t want my husband there when I gave birth either, because for one, I hate to have people fuss over me and secondly, I knew he would have been uncomfortable being there. He doesn’t mind getting shots or being in pain himself, but he cannot stand to see someone he loves go through that sort of thing – something I knew from past experience. When I broached the subject of him waiting outside, you should have seen the look of relief on his face! In my case, I ended up having to have an emergency C-Section, so he wasn’t allowed in the operating room anyway and the decision that we had made was completely irrelevant in the end.

As Brannon said, this is a decision that each couple needs to make for themselves. Don’t assume that every man has a burning desire to be present for the birth of his children, nor does every woman long for that “special time” to share with her husband or partner while she is in labor and then delivers.

I think “quite unfair” is to tell your husband that you want the moment to yourself.

I am not referring to broken up couples of if he is a danger to himself or others, but if you are committed to each other, it is both of your moments, not just the woman’s.

Please remember – what is wrong for you may not be wrong for others. This may have been exactly right for them – and that’s really all that matters. To label some “selfish” without knowing them or being privy to their relationship, and what strengthens or weakens it, is really quite unfair.

I would never tell my husband that he couldn’t be there for the birth of OUR child. He has as much right and obligation to be there as I do. Who am I to take away his birthing experience? That would be selfish. Unless you made the baby by yourself, it is as much him as you, and he shouldn’t be told not to be there.

We have had 2 deliveries, and my husband wouldn’t ever be told to wait outside. Seeing your new baby together as he/she comes into the world is the most amazing moment you will ever share in your marriage, and to deny him of that is wrong.

Cynthia also chose to have the baby in Miami, not New York. That tells me she didn’t have much of a concern about her husband being there for much of labor/delivery. If she did, don’t you think she would have elected to stay and have the baby in New York? Granted, if the schedule had the team out of town on delivery day, the issue would have been the same. But the chances would have at least been greater if she chose to deliver in New York. I’m sure whatever arrangement they decided upon, worked for them.

I completely understand some women don’t want their husbands in the room but I think thats irrelevant in this situation because its not Cynthia saying it, its him. Of course, we don’t know if she had said the same thing privately to him before he said it publicly and it was something they joked about bc of the 1st time. Its just the way he worded it..

When I was in labor with my first daughter I didn’t want my husband looking at me because his look of concern was freaking me out. With our second daughter he knew what was going on and was a fantastic coach, I couldn’t have gone through my med-free waterbirth of a 9 lbs 13 oz baby without him there to support me.

I can understand not wanting your husband there (like I said before, I didn’t want to look at dh with my first labor, a medical intervention fest of an induction) but it’s a little odd to hear a man say it was a gift from God that he got there 10 minutes after the delivery. Maybe he’s thinking that it’s a good thing he wasn’t there because he might have passed out again and stolen his wife’s thunder again?

i didn’t want anyone but the doctor in the room with me when i gave birth – i don’t like people touching/fawning over me especially in a situation like that. i didn’t want nurses wiping my brow or anything of the sort hehe. each woman is different and since alex passed out when natasha was born maybe it IS better that he wasn’t there this time. some men don’t do well with childbirth. doesn’t make them insensitive or bad parents.

Silly to assume Cynthia wanted him there, especially if he wasn’t very helpful the first time. Not all women want their partners/husbands in the room. I didn’t – and he wasn’t. Don’t forget about different strokes folks!

That said, I love the names Natasha and Ella together and I much prefer Alexander to Alexandra.