'AITA for denying a pregnant woman’s request to give birth in my bedroom?'

Commonly, sentimental wishes are linked to family and cherished memories, evoking feelings of joy. Yet, they can sometimes take an unexpected turn.

A 26-year-old homeowner recently shared a puzzling situation on Reddit, asking if he was wrong for denying a pregnant woman’s request to give birth in his home—where both she and her mother were born.

A homeowner shares unusual encounter with woman

The post, shared by the homeowner on Reddit under the username EDisKrad18, was titled, "AITA for telling a woman where she can and can't give birth?"

It began with a detailed background, "This is one of the stranger things that's ever happened to me. To set the scene, I, 26, bought the house I'm living in in 2019 from this lovely older couple. I thought, as I'm sure anyone who has been in this situation might think, that the signing was gonna be the last time I ever say them, or had anything to do with their family. I was wrong." 

The original poster explained, "Yesterday, I got a knock on my door. I opened it to find a young couple, probably my age, maybe a bit younger. The woman was pregnant, and looked like she was gonna pop any day. I asked who they were, and if I could help them." 

The homeowner described his conversation with the pregnant woman, "The woman replied that this home used to belong to her parents, and that she was born in this house. I asked again what it was that they wanted since that didn't really tell me if they needed anything from me. She told me that her mother had also been born here, in the upstairs bedroom." 

Homeowner explains why he denied pregnant woman's request

The 26-year-old homeowner explained why he denied the request, citing that the house no longer belonged to the woman's family, "For context, this is now my bedroom. She then asked if I wouldn't mind letting her bring the stuff that was needed to give birth in the same spot as she and her mother were both born in. I said no, keeping in mind that A; this isn't her or her parent's house anymore, and B; that the bedroom in question is my bedroom."

The confusion about whether he was right or wrong started when the homeowner explained the situation to his friends, "Now, I thought that this was as normal as a response as was possible given the strange question, but when I was telling my friends about this afternoon, one of the girls in the friend group said that it was pretty cruel of me to tell a pregnant woman where she can and can't give birth."

The OP detailed, "I didn't think that what I had said was all that strange, considering I had never met the couple before, and I don't exactly want a strange woman giving birth where I sleep, but my friend insists that I could have come to some sort of arrangement. So here I am, asking yous guys. AITA?" 

The post later included an update about the friend's conversation, in which she claimed, "So I would just like to add, my friend isn't an idiot. When we were having this conversation, we were... let's say having a fun time with fun substances. When I asked her about it today, she genuinely thought she'd imagined the conversation."

The OP added, "Obviously, she thinks it's a horrible idea for liability and health reasons, aside from it being weird. And for those concerned that she's getting high as a nurse, she's off for the next 2 weeks, she's flying home for the holidays, so we were having a little get together for those of us who are leaving for home." 

The post stated, "And for those saying that I made this up, I wish I had an imagination that good, I'd start writing if I did. I couldn't have predicted or come up with something like this in a hundred years." 

"I got an email back from the previous owners, I managed to get their contact info from the realtor who sold the house, it turns out yes, they have a daughter, yes, apparently she is actually pregnant, and they have cut her off for being a bit on the crazy side," the post concluded. "So yeah, I asked for anything that might be helpful for getting any kind of protection order for my house, but the cops have said that unless she actually tries anything, there isn't anything they can do. So, I guess on Monday, I get to talk to someone in my county's court system to deal with this."

Internet backs homeowner's decision

The homeowner's denial of the pregnant woman's request has sparked strong reactions, with many people supporting his decision.

One user shared, "NTA. Childbirth is risky, and having it at home—especially in a stranger’s bedroom—is a huge ask. Your house, your rules. She can find another sentimental way to honor her family history without putting you in an awkward spot." 

One person on Reddit wrote, "Nta. You didn’t tell her where she can or can’t give birth. Just that it couldn’t be in your home. And that’s a completely normal and reasonable boundary." 

A user questioned, "Was your friend high? And the pregnant woman is delusional. NTA." 

A user said, "NTA but your friend sounds like a moron. You didn't tell her where she can and can't give birth, you just removed your house from her options." 

One stated, "NTA. Who does she think she is to feel entitled to give birth in a strangers house because its where her mother was born. Thats insane." 

Another user declared, "NTA. It’s your home, your bedroom, and a very unusual request. You have no obligation to accommodate strangers, no matter how sentimental their reasoning. 😉"

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.