Am I Wrong for Having My Partner Attend Prenatal Classes Solo Due to My Work Schedule?
AITA for suggesting my partner attend prenatal classes alone due to my work demands? Balancing career and family involvement sparks a debate on priorities and support.
A 28-year-old woman is pregnant with her first baby, and she and her partner are excited. Then she hits a wall, her job has irregular hours, sudden deadlines, and zero consistency, so prenatal classes together feel impossible to schedule around.
Her 30-year-old partner works a steady 9-to-5, so he offered to rearrange his week to make it happen. But OP feels guilty asking him to bend his life around her chaos, so she suggests a compromise, he attends solo and later teaches her what he learns at home.
Now the “bonding” plan is turning into a fight, and OP has to decide if she’s wrong for putting work first when the baby is literally on the way.
Original Post
I (28F) recently found out I'm pregnant with our first child, which we're both excited about. My partner (30M) suggested we attend prenatal classes together to prepare.
However, due to my demanding job with irregular hours and unexpected deadlines, I've been struggling to commit to consistent class schedules. For background, my partner works a regular 9-5 job that allows for more flexibility in attending classes.
He offered to adjust his schedule to accommodate mine, but I feel guilty asking him to make those changes. Given my unpredictable work hours, I proposed that he attend the classes alone and then teach me what he learns at home.
He was initially understanding but now feels left out of the pregnancy journey, especially since these classes are meant to be a bonding experience for us. He thinks my work should not take precedence over our family planning.
I value his involvement, but I also need to maintain my job responsibilities. So AITA?
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This mirrors the partner who refused childbirth class due to work, and the backlash that followed.
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OP’s pregnancy excitement quickly collides with her unpredictable work schedule, and suddenly the “together” part of prenatal classes is the problem.
Her partner, the guy with the flexible 9-to-5, agrees at first, but the guilt and logistics start to feel like a moving target.
When he realizes he would be going alone, he starts feeling left out of the pregnancy journey, even though OP is trying to be realistic.
Now he’s saying her work should not come before family planning, and OP is stuck between keeping her job and keeping him happy.
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section.
He’s not just mad about prenatal classes, he’s worried he’s being shut out of the whole pregnancy.
Still on the fence about skipping partner pregnancy appointments, read what happened when she considered missing them for work in Balancing Work and Family.
