Dad was in tears seeing his firstborn—then he asked a question that floored hospital staff

Childbirth is full of intense, life-changing moments, but for one new dad, a moment of profound concern for his wife is resonating with millions.

Rosalie Marie, who posts on TikTok as @xx.rosaliee, shared a video of her husband, Jake, meeting their firstborn daughter. The context is what makes it so powerful: Rosalie had an emergency C-section, so Jake wasn't allowed in the room. He decided to film his own reaction to show his wife, who couldn't be there.

The video shows Jake waiting patiently in the hospital corridor when nurses wheel the newborn's bassinet out. He immediately stands up, his eyes filling with tears as he gets his first look at his daughter. But before he even holds her hand, his first words are for his wife.

He looks up at the nurse and asks, "Is my wife okay?"

The hospital staff, clearly surprised and touched, reassure him that she is okay but had to be put under general anesthesia. "They told me about it. But she's not up yet?" he presses.

Jake later spoke to TODAY.com about the terrifying 40 minutes he spent pacing the hallway. "One of the nurses met me and explained that I wouldn’t be allowed in the room with my wife," he recalled. "Of course, I started to panic. All I could think was, she must be terrified — and I wasn’t able to comfort her."

A young father cradles his newborn babyCanva

After meeting his daughter, nurses offered him the chance to do skin-to-skin contact. Jake admitted he was hesitant at first. "I almost didn’t want to do it," he told TODAY.com. "I felt like this was something meant for my wife, especially after everything she went through."

Rosalie, who couldn't meet her baby for over two hours, posted the clip with the text overlay, "I couldn't meet her for over two hours, but her daddy got this moment with her and it's so special." She added in the caption, "I cry every time I watch this — my baby is so blessed to have a Daddy who loves her."

The bottom of a newborn baby's little footCanva

In her interview, Rosalie explained that this was just Jake being himself. "He’s very kind, very soft-hearted and wants to help everyone around him," she said.

The TikTok video's comment section was flooded with people equally floored by Jake's selflessness. One user, @tokki_velt, wrote, "The first thing he asked was, 'Is my wife okay?' Absolutely BROKE me." Another, @grace_bxoxoxo, remarked, "I love that he recorded this for you. You can hear the worry in his voice for you when he asked for you."

Follow Rosalie Marie (@xx.rosaliee) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

This article originally appeared earlier this year.