While birth photography and birth selfies are becoming more mainstream, there’s an unexpected result of this trend: viral images of dads fainting.
While it is fairly common for dads to faint in the delivery room, these photos have brought awareness (and some laughs) to this situation.
We tend to focus a lot on the mom during the birth process.
This makes sense, since she is the one working hard to give birth after all. However, we sometimes forget about dads in the delivery room, and they are the ones who might actually need the extra support.
One survey found that about 5% of dads will faint in the delivery room.
There are a lot of reasons for this: The adrenaline of the situation coupled with a lack of food and sleep could make dads susceptible to passing out.
Plus, things can get a bit, uh, messy during the birth, which isn’t ideal if you’re squeamish.
Photos of dads passing out have been around long before the internet.
This award-winning photo from 1986 was taken the moment a woman laughed after finding out her husband had passed out.
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It was published in a Canadian newspaper, The Toronto Star .
Here’s another look at this iconic scene.
Thankfully, the father was quickly able to recover, but his wife clearly thought it was hilarious.
But, there’s no doubt that the internet has made sharing these moments of dads fainting much easier.
Many of these images have gone viral and been seen around the world.
This Reddit user shared his experience of passing out during his son’s birth.
“Today I welcomed my first child into the world. Here’s a photo of me waking up after passing out in the OR,” said Reddit user Hueybluebelt .
The YouTube show “One Born Every Minute” also featured an episode where a dad was a bit overcome by the birth process.
Luckily, nurses stepped in to help and make him feel comfortable.
Recently, one mom’s delivery room selfie has gone viral for capturing the moment her husband passed out.
While mom is all smiles in the photo, it’s clear that her husband was a bit overwhelmed. Medical staff crowded around dad to make sure he was okay, and even his newborn checked in on him.
The photo has been posted to a number of different platforms including Instagram and Reddit.
On Instagram, people congratulated the family on their new arrival and this hilarious pic.
Even though this is probably not how this family pictured welcoming their baby, people said it was a memorable moment nonetheless.
It made for a heck of a first family photo, that’s for sure.
Others chimed in, saying that their husbands also passed out in the delivery room.
Not only are these viral photos hilarious, they also show that this is a pretty common occurrence for new dads.
If you’re about to become a new dad, make sure to eat well and drink plenty of water before heading into the delivery room!
For dads getting ready to welcome a new baby who are worried about fainting, there are a few tips to keep in mind.
Experts say if you start to feel faint to let someone know right away, and sit down with your head between your knees.
They also say that staying near your partner’s head and focusing on her face can help.
Preparing for the birth process with a doula or birth coach before you arrive to the delivery room can also decrease the chances of fainting. You’ll have a better idea of what to expect going into the birth.