Man’s Reaction After Wife Told Him She Was Pregnant on His Birthday Slammed – ryan

A woman’s effort to surprise her husband with news of a long-awaited pregnancy has sparked debate among viewers online after her story drew over 6,000 upvotes on Reddit.

The woman’s post under u/famous-ask-3105 recounted what was intended as an intimate, joyful birthday celebration that instead ended in hurt, confusion, and silence between the couple.

“My husband’s birthday was one week ago,” the 23-year-old woman said in the post from April 13. “We’ve wanted a baby for a really long time, and when I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited!”

The woman, who said she and her 25-year-old husband had been married for four years and were actively trying to conceive, explained her choice to present the pregnancy test as a surprise gift.

“Knowing my husband’s birthday was in 3 days, I decided to keep it a secret, and give the test to him as part of his (birthday) gift,” she said. “He wouldn’t be expecting it…It would make it more shocking = exciting? At least that’s how I thought it would be.”

The couple had planned a low-key evening alone, exchanging gifts and enjoying a nice dinner, but the woman’s plan to surprise her husband soon went awry.

“He was super happy with all of his gifts,” she said. “When he opened the box with the pregnancy test in it, his demeanor changed…He seemed upset.”

Her husband called it “a stupid gift” and accused her of hiding the news.

“How could you hide something like this from me?” he asked, according to her post.

Dorcy Pruter, CEO and founder of the Conscious Co-Parenting Institute and Soul Illumination Healing, told Newsweek the situation reflected more than a disagreement about birthday surprises—it was about deeper emotional expectations.

“What we’re seeing here isn’t just about a birthday,” Pruter said. “This is a moment where unspoken expectations, emotional timing, and relational communication styles collided.

“A pregnancy announcement is a deeply emotional event—it often activates our most vulnerable parts.”

Although the woman had only known about her pregnancy for three days and had hoped the timing would add to the emotional impact, her husband was clearly disappointed.

“He said that he was happy but the timing for me to tell him was horrible and that it was his birthday, not a celebration of pregnancy,” she said.

That night ended in a fight, with the husband sleeping on the couch. A week later, she said he was still distant and unwilling to discuss what had happened.

“He doesn’t tell me how happy he is, or any celebration about us being pregnant,” she said. “Whenever I talk to him, he doesn’t really reply, it’s just yes or no, or a grunt.”

In a follow-up edit to the post, the woman addressed several questions and clarified key details. The couple had openly agreed to have children from the beginning of their marriage.

“Yes, we’ve been trying to have a baby,” she said. “I didn’t stop taking birth control secretly…This was something we were both originally wanting.”

She emphasized that she had not told anyone else before him and that the birthday evening was truly private.

“I feel horrible,” she added. “I didn’t think this would be a bad gift…I thought he’d love it.”

Viewers on Reddit have largely slammed the man’s response to his wife’s surprise.

“I think he didn’t actually want kids,” one viewer said.

Another added: “Congratulations on the baby…Condolences on the husband.”

Pruter, however, said that the husband’s cold response could have been down to feeling emotionally unsafe in what was an important moment.

“What looks like rejection is often just dysregulated emotion,” Pruter said. “He didn’t reject the baby.

“He reacted to how he felt emotionally ambushed during a moment he hoped would feel safe and seen.”

The more serious issue, Pruter added, is the breakdown in communication that followed that evening.

“When someone goes quiet after conflict, it’s often because they don’t feel safe to express what they really feel,” she said. “He may be ashamed of how he reacted or scared this means something bigger, but silence builds resentment fast.”

She advised approaching the situation not with blame but with vulnerability.

“This is a time to reach for repair, not righteousness,” Pruter said. “Instead of rehashing the fight, she can soften into the original intention: ‘I wanted to make it special.

“‘Can we start fresh and talk about what this baby means to us now?’ That invites him back into connection, not conflict.”

Her final piece of advice applies to all couples: “Don’t confuse surprise with intimacy. Big news is best received when both partners feel safe, grounded, and connected.”

Newsweek reached out to u/famous-ask-3105 for more information via Reddit.

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