Father Reveals Real Reason He Broke Down Crying During Birth of Baby

By Amanda Thomason September 8, 2018 at 8:33am

Birth is an emotional time for all involved. Whether because of joy, terror, relief, pain, or a hundred other emotions and feelings, a lot of people end up crying when a baby is born.

Even the baby announces its entrance into the world by participating in that very human action. It can all be a little overwhelming for dads, who are looking on as their wives are in labor and do the heavy lifting.

Kirstie Perez of Kirstie Perez Photography has made witnessing and capturing these meaningful encounters her job. She’s photographed many births, but this one was special because it represented so much sacrifice.

She posted an album on Facebook, detailing the story behind the pictures. From a casual glance, it’s easy to tell that the husband is emotional — something that people might expect.

But most people probably wouldn’t guess why. He wasn’t just overjoyed to finally meet their child; the real reason he was crying was that he was looking at his wife.

“He helplessly watched his wife vomit profusely for 285+ days,” Perez wrote on Facebook. “He witnessed her lose 30 pounds in pregnancy not being able to nourish herself due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum & preeclampsia.”

Would you want to have someone photograph the birth of your child?

She was hospitalized 4 times for dehydration throughout her pregnancy. Ate more dinners on the front steps of their home than he could count because any scent literally made her ill.

“After months of simply being there for her as much as possible, he supported her during birth. I told him I captured him crying seeing his son and he said, ‘That’s not why I was crying.'”

“Puzzled, I asked what he meant. He teared up again and said, ‘This is the first time I have seen her smile in 10 months.'”

Ten months is a long time to power through, to force yourself to get through when your existence is not only miserable but dangerous, too. The relief and happiness this man felt must have been monumental.

“Men, please understand how powerful your empathy can be,” Perez concluded.

“To all of the mothers who have traumatic pregnancies and still find a way to smile…thank you for sacrificing yourself and enduring to bring your precious child into the world. That is no easy feat.”

Submit a Correction →