A labour nurse has named the five mistakes she sees dads-to-be make when they're in the delivery room waiting for their partner to give birth - and they all give her the 'ick'13:25, 25 Aug 2026Welcoming a baby into the world is a nerve-racking process for all involved, but there are some things that fathers-to-be do in the delivery room that drive labour nurses crazy. If you're a dad waiting for your partner to give birth, your mind is probably racing between being scared, excited, and generally just not knowing quite what to do.‌These emotions are perfectly normal, but they can lead some men to make big mistakes that don't help the situation and can actually make things worse. One delivery nurse has now shared her advice with expectant dads on social media, urging them to avoid doing any of the top five common things that give her – and mums in labour–- "the ick".‌Kim Houk, a labour and delivery nurse based in the US, is a mum of seven herself and has been a nurse for almost a decade. In a TikTok video, she said male guests can do things in the delivery room that make her feel sorry for the woman giving birth.‌She then went on to round up the top five irritating habits she's witnessed first-hand. So have you or your partner been guilty of any of these?1. Playing video gamesThe first type of dad that frustrates Kim is the "gamer dad". She described this type of man as the one who brings his Xbox or PlayStation to the delivery room and immediately asks how to connect it to the TV so he can play video games while his wife is in labour.She said: "You're telling me you're going to play video games while she's in labour? How about you come help her? Make yourself useful."‌2. Answering questionsContent cannot be displayed without consentWhile men who don't help their partners are frustrating, Kim said that men who overstep are just as infuriating. She said one of the biggest mistakes expectant dads make is answering questions on their partner's behalf, as although they might think that they're helping, they could be making things worse.Kim said this can include speaking over your partner when they're being asked important questions, like whether they need anything to help with the pain, if they're ready for an epidural, and if they're comfortable enough.‌The nurse argued that the patient should be able to answer these questions themselves and doesn't need someone else to speak for them. She added: "You aren't the one having a baby come out of your body. Maybe we'll let her answer that."3. Turning up highKim insisted people would be "shocked" at just how many dads say they're going to "take a little walk" and then come back "clearly high as a kite" and smelling of marijuana. While this shouldn't be a problem in the UK, where the drug is illegal, it is very prevalent where Kim works in California, as it is legal there.She said: "You're not fooling anybody, we can see it from a mile away. Actually, we can smell it from a mile away, because now the entire unit smells like skunk and cheap cologne."‌4. Taking business callsYou can't necessarily avoid getting a phone call when your partner is in labour, particularly if it's a family member calling to ask how things are going. But what really grinds Kim's gears is dads who decide to take work calls in the delivery room and then try to loudly talk over the very important life event happening next to them.The nurse explained: "If you're going to be loud and on the phone while she's trying to be relaxed and in labour, maybe you can go in the hallway or take it outside."5. Oversexualising everythingThe final point on Kim's list was men who "oversexualise everything in the labour and delivery process". She said that anyone who works in labour and delivery would know exactly what she's talking about, and that it makes her very uncomfortable.‌She said: "It's disgusting. You're giving creepy guy vibes. I'm putting gloves on to check her dilation, and you're talking about a threesome."Or the baby's breastfeeding, and you're saying it's your turn next. The baby's born, and you're like, 'Look at the set on that guy, he's just like dad'. We don't need to visualise that."Honourable mentionsKim added some honourable mentions at the end of her video, saying she couldn't fit every type of delivery-room dad who irritates her into one video.Article continues belowShe added: "Honourable mention for the guy who's eating food the entire time while your wife is eating popsicles and ice chips. Honourable mention for the guy who is too afraid to kick all the visitors out of the room, even though I can clearly see that my patient wants to sleep and doesn't want visitors."And, of course, you know I'm going to give an honourable mention to the dad who is flirting with the nurse the entire time. It is so inappropriate, you do not need to be flirting with every nurse in the unit."