Mom ‘Worked Very Hard’ to Get Pregnant with Baby No. 2. Now, Her Husband Tells Her He ‘Doesn’t Feel Supported’

A pregnant mother says she’s struggling to understand how to support her husband after he told her he feels overwhelmed and unsupported.

In a post shared on Reddit, the woman explained that she is a stay-at-home mom to an 18-month-old and is currently 10 weeks pregnant. Her husband works a physically demanding blue-collar job, putting in roughly 50 to 60 hours each week. The pregnancy, she noted, was achieved through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and is something she worked extremely hard for.

Since becoming pregnant, she says she’s been dealing with intense nausea, fatigue, and food aversions. Cooking has been especially difficult due to smells, leading her to pick up dinner for her husband most nights instead.

Tensions came to a head one evening when her husband arrived home upset that there was no hot meal prepared, despite leftovers being available. He was also frustrated that she hadn’t picked up a prescription from the pharmacy, telling her that he feels he “can’t get [her] to do anything” and doesn’t feel supported.

According to the mother, the missed pharmacy trip happened because she had a doctor’s appointment and then needed to pick up their daughter. She said she feels her husband is reacting unfairly to the fact that she’s unable to do as much while pregnant, adding that she finds it upsetting to be criticized during such a physically demanding time.

In the comments, many readers encouraged her to have an open and honest conversation with her husband about what both of them are dealing with.

“It sounds like there’s a lot happening, and you both need to talk about how hard things are now — and how challenging they may be with a pregnancy and two young kids,” one commenter wrote. “You’re probably both exhausted, but you need to approach this as a team.”

Others suggested that her husband may not fully grasp the physical toll of pregnancy.

“It seems like he’s not seeing your side,” another person commented. “Many men struggle to understand what pregnancy really feels like.”

That commenter also acknowledged that long work hours can take a toll, adding that while pregnancy is often harder physically, fatigue and stress may be causing misplaced frustration. They suggested exploring whether reducing work hours could be possible.

A third commenter offered practical solutions to ease the pressure on both partners, such as using pharmacy delivery services or food delivery apps.

“My husband works similar hours, and it’s incredibly tough,” they shared. “Even without nausea, pregnancy exhaustion made cooking hard. Maybe there are ways to lighten your load — prescription delivery, grocery pickup, or easy meals like frozen dishes or rotisserie chicken.”

Overall, commenters emphasized the importance of communication, empathy, and finding small ways to reduce stress during a demanding phase of life for both partners.