A woman preparing for a scheduled C-section says her husband recently surprised her with an unexpected request: a “free pass” to travel while she’s recovering from childbirth.
In a post shared on Reddit, she explained that her procedure is scheduled for around December 10. During a conversation with her husband about New Year’s plans, she mentioned she might feel up to traveling with their newborn and friends since infants mostly sleep.
“[He said], ‘Okay, but if you change your mind, do I get a free pass?’ ” she wrote. “I asked what that meant, and he said, ‘If you’ll be okay with me traveling alone,’ meaning leaving me at home with a newborn (and possibly our toddler, though she might stay with her grandmother).”
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The mother-to-be admitted she was stunned by the suggestion. “I’d be less than a month postpartum from major abdominal surgery, recovering, breastfeeding, and adjusting to two kids. I thought he’d obviously be home to help and support me — so I was shocked and hurt he’d even ask this.”
She added that her husband insisted he was “just checking” in case she decided against traveling, but she felt it was selfish of him to even raise the idea. Turning to fellow Reddit users, she asked if she was wrong “for being upset and thinking he shouldn’t even be asking?”
One commenter responded: “My takeaway reading this was that he doesn’t understand how serious a C-section is, or that it’s surgery. If OP explains it to him and he’s still not getting it, maybe a medical professional needs to explain it to him.”
Another added simply: “You will likely need significant support during this time.”
