Dad Shares Candid Account of Watching Wife Give Birth: 'Traumatized'

A father-of-two has described the "whirlwind" of watching his wife give birth in a video that has proven highly relatable to parents across social media.

Sam Mathews took to TikTok to share footage of her husband Dan's response to the question of what it was like to watch his partner deliver a baby.

Dan's eyes begin to widen as he recalls what he saw, before delivering a no-holds-barred account of the experience in a video that has already been viewed more than 4.4 million times.

Though nothing can compare to the pain of childbirth, it's clear from Dan's reaction that he went through something during the process - and he's not alone in that respect.

Anxiety is common among men both during and after pregnancy, with a 2021 study published in the National Library of Medicine showing that one in 10 men experience prenatal and postpartum anxiety.

Dan's experience may not quite fall into that category, but his story offers a glimpse of the kind of experience awaiting any expectant dad eager to be at their partner's side during birth. "It was a whirlwind," he explains on the clip. "Between you pooping...there's a lot of traumatic things."

Holding up a basketball he continues: "You pushed out freaking things like this out of your hoo ha." Dan says: "Nobody prepares you for this. In school they teach you about trigonometry. Why don't they tell you that your son's head might come out in one section and then another section."

In a startling bit of imagery, he describes how his son's head emerged shaped like a "bowling pin" adding "Why aren't we talking about this?"

It can sometimes be the case that a newborn's head is molded unevenly as result of passing through the birth canal and the fact babies are born with soft areas on their heads, known as fontanels, where the skull bones haven't grown together yet.

Sam and Dan have gone through childbirth on several occasions as the parents of two, who have served as surrogates to another couple.

Sam told Newsweek the video came about because: "We were talking about labor and I realized I never heard it from his side. Everyone asks how labor was for the woman but not the man."

The Experience for Dads

The clip has proven popular with men and women alike offering their perspectives on the experience many dads face.

"My husband froze in shock with his mouth open," CNPelham said. "I had to tell him to go with the baby and snap out of it."

Kristen Felger, meanwhile, recalled how her husband told her: "Well, it was like watching a car accident. You wanted to look away, but you couldn't."

Morgansbeaddesigns commented: "my husband says he doesn't want any more kids because he said seeing me go through that was the worst thing he has ever witnessed," while ilisillybunny wrote: "My husband was traumatized by the placenta i pushed after. His reaction made everyone in the room laugh."

Reflecting on the video's popularity, Sam said: "I think Dan brings humor and light to it. He is saying what a lot of men think but never say."

As a couple who have gone through the process, Sam admits that despite all of the advice online, parenthood remains something that is very difficult to plan for.

"Whether it is not being fully educated or just not knowing what to expect. It's definitely hard to prepare yourself for," she said. "You may plan for things to go one way but it may go the complete opposite direction!"