Pregnancy is a delicate time in a woman’s life that brings a myriad of changes. Even if you think you have it down, it can still be both mentally and physically tiring: everything from raging morning sickness to extreme mood swings. So having a partner who steps up and gets involved can certainly make things a bit easier.

But if you take it too far, the people who make up your support system can start feeling overwhelmed. And that’s exactly what happened to user fruitsnackk94. While working full time, the man still wanted to be a good husband. He was taking care of all of the housework by himself and assisting his pregnant wife who said she “never felt better.”

Yet, when the responsibilities started draining him out, he asked if the woman could take on a small part of the chores. To the user’s surprise, the woman got offended, saying that it “would stress her out and possibly harm the baby”. The soon-to-be dad turned to the AITA community for some guidance, so read on for his full story.

A soon-to-be dad was feeling “a little burnt out” after working 50+ hours per week and doing all of the housework by himself to support his pregnant wife

Image credits: Anastasiia Chepinska(not an actual photo)

He turned to the AITA community, wondering whether he was being unreasonable for asking his wife to take on a small portion of the chores

Image credits: Nathan Dumlao (not an actual photo)

Image credits: christopher lemercier (not an actual photo)

The user’s post amassed more than 10.2K upvotes and 2.1K comments. A vast majority of Redditors showed the author their support, determining that he’s not the bad guy in this situation. One commenter even mentioned that “the fact that she pulled ‘it would harm the baby’ … at being asked to take on even the smallest of responsibility is so manipulative.”

Many people wrote that unless it’s a high-risk pregnancy, both partners should create a plan and divide the household tasks between them. Well, fruitsnackk94 mentioned in his post that “so far it has been a fairly easy pregnancy.” This makes it look like the wife might be taking advantage of her husband’s kindness.

For most women, pregnancy is not an excuse for getting out of household chores, according to Web MD. While most tasks are perfectly safe, only a few should be taken care of either by their partner or someone else.

Expectant mothers should avoid changing the cat litter box while pregnant. As lovely as our cats may look, they might carry a parasite they can pass to soon-to-be moms: “This can cause an infection that may lead to problems with pregnancy, including miscarriage.”

When it comes to general cleaning, it’s best to keep the use of toxic chemical-based cleaning products to a bare minimum. “Some can harm your growing baby. If you’re not sure whether a product is harmful, check the label.” Web MD also advises opening doors and windows while cleaning and washing maternity clothes before wearing them since they might be coated with chemicals from the factory.

Also, picking up or carrying heavy things is important to avoid. The changes in a women’s body can make lifting more challenging, raising a greater risk of injury. “It’s not in your ‘job description’ during pregnancy. If you’ve got furniture to move—or are in the midst of a move to a new place—ask your partner, relatives, or friends for help, or hire it out.”

Of course, when a person is pregnant, they might have low energy levels that could lead to lounging around and taking it easy. However, as stated in Patient, it’s important to be physically active and have a healthy lifestyle.

“In most cases, moderate physical activity during pregnancy is safe and can have benefits for both you and your baby and should not harm either of you.” In general, it’s recommended to do a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity daily. So performing everyday household chores is a great way to stay fit and get some needed exercise along the way.

Redditors had a lot to say and rushed to the author’s defense

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