A Dad Tried A Labor Pain Simulator And … It Was A Bit Much

Baby showers are normally fairly understated celebrations. Sometimes they’ll involve a gender-reveal stunt, but barring that, the parties mostly consist of some low-key mingling and gift-opening, along with some food and drinks.

Well, one grandparent-to-be wanted to turn the event into a teachable moment for his son, the expectant father. To achieve that end, they spiced up the festivities by bringing a labor simulator to the party so the man could get a good sense of what his wife was in for during the birth of their first child.

Without giving too much away from the eye-opening and hilarious video, it goes … painfully.

The devices, which came to prominence several years ago, were developed in China as a means to foster empathy from dads-to-be in what their partner was enduring, and they use electrical impulses to the abdomen to simulate the pain of labor contractions. At the time of their innovation in China, fathers-to-be weren’t allowed in the delivery room during childbirth, so there was a need for other avenues of creating understanding and empathy.

There’s little doubt after watching this expectant dad twitch and sweat that he’ll be brimming with empathy for his wife when the big day finally comes. Of course, these machines do nothing to replicate the myriad other issues and experiences involved in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum healing, but judging by this guy’s reactions, he gets the idea.