Father-of-4 shares 'unpopular opinion' about where dads should be during childbirth: 'We're not...'

Fathers were long advised to remain aloof during childbirth. While that has been carried on to the present age, a father of four has called for a change. Instead of standing behind the curtains, Myer Krah II (@here4thedads) from Georgia suggested that new fathers witness the magic of birth and all the compromises a mother makes at least once in their lives. Otherwise, it is a missed opportunity to see something wonderful. Based in Atlanta, Krah II, who recently welcomed his fourth child, came forward with his “unpopular opinion” in a viral video on Instagram. His thoughts were received with great admiration from fellow parents and praise for speaking out as a responsible father. 

On Instagram, Krah II did not fear the emotions taking over when he shared his experience of being in the delivery room watching his wife go into labor. “You need to watch your wife give birth,” he began. The 31-year-old father recalled following the age-old, rather ignorant, guidance of not being fully involved during pregnancy. “At some point, a dad told you, ‘Do not go past the curtain. Do not go to the other side. Because scary things are down there,” the dad of four continued. However, after three pregnancies, he decided he could do more than just be a bystander. “The last one, I felt like I was missing something. Like, I missed an opportunity. So, I did it.” 

When his best friend witnessed his wife’s home births and told Krah II that it was a “beautiful” experience, the latter barely believed him. Fortunately, his viewpoint changed soon as he watched his wife “be strong.” Holding back tears, the father emotionally spoke about the evident sacrifices his wife made for the family. “For the next 24 hours, I was in awe,” Krah II recounted. Naturally, his mind was filled with questions, questions he had no answer to, but could only wait and watch it unravel. Before concluding his thoughtful video, the father wanted to make sure the fathers watching understood his point.

“Dads, we’re not all built the same,” he quipped before suggesting that while it is a moment worth experiencing, not every father may have the mental strength to witness childbirth. But, otherwise, every father should watch their wife give birth. Krah II also penned a heartfelt note in the caption, where he explained his reservations about sharing the advice. “What I witnessed was nothing short of a miracle, and I’ve never seen the gift of motherhood so close. The pain, the power, the fear, and the anxiety,” the dad wrote. Meanwhile, Krah II told Newsweek why his opinion was out of the ordinary. “In the medical space, especially during pregnancy and childbirth, fathers are often treated more like bystanders than participants," he reflected. 

But when his turn came for the fourth time, Krah II seized the opportunity. He said he felt “disappointed” for having missed all the chances to “show up better” for him and his wife. He even equated childbirth to mothers laying down their lives for their family. “Watched my wife both times. It should be ‘required reading’ for fatherhood,” said @trevailian while @geblakes4 noted, “You realized they’re stronger than us.” 

You can follow @here4thedads on Instagram for more videos.