Should men be banned from the maternity ward? To some women, a "no boys allowed" policy sounds pretty harsh.
However, one user from British online mom discussion forum Mumsnet took a very hard stance on this issue. "There is no chance I want him [her husband] or more importantly a load of other blokes on the ward," she wrote in a post.
In her defense, being surrounded by strange men during such a high-stress and intimate situation is probably not anyone's idea of fun. However, many women take comfort in having their significant other's hand to hold (or squeeze) during the life-changing event.
With that said, the reaction and even outrage to this particular mom's call for a "man ban" in the maternity ward goes to show that apparently there's no easy answer to the question: What's a man's place in the delivery room?
It all began when a mom-to-be, who goes by the username hullabaloo234, was filling out paperwork to schedule her C-section.
Information regarding her "support person," and expectations for their behavior during her stay, sparked some strong feelings and language.
One user totally agrees: "I think its [sic] horrible that ladies who have given birth are expected to be ok with other peoples partners being on the ward 24 hours per day."
But that doesn't go for everyone…
Of course, some new mothers feel vastly different than the debate starter. The support of a partner is exactly what they need.
Another mother agrees with the one above about needing that extra support and speaks from experience.
"You are being a bit ott [over the top]," she writes. "I've had a lot of sections and trust me, you will want your oh there after your section."
On the other hand, this mother had such a bad experience with unwanted visitors that she had to leave the hospital prematurely.
You can read these responses and more at Mumsnet.com, where you will see that there are valid reasons to support both arguments.
Do you think men should be allowed in the maternity ward? Comment below and please SHARE with friends on Facebook to see what they think.
