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This dad's comments are downright terrifying.
By John Sundholm — Written on Dec 16, 2022
A new mother has been left shocked and disturbed after overhearing the way her husband speaks to their new baby.
Being a new parent is of course rife with frustrations — the lack of sleep alone is enough to shorten most people's fuses.
But what this new mother heard coming out of her husband's mouth over the baby monitor is anything but normal venting.
In a posting to the "r/TrueOffMyChest" subReddit, a forum where people can air out the things that are bothering them, she described overhearing her husband saying things that left her "frozen" in "shock."
She heard her husband 'cursing out' their baby.
As she turned up the volume on the baby monitor, rather than hearing the usual sweet things a father says to his baby, she heard him "basically insulting her."
"Insulting" is putting it mildly.
She heard her husband say, "I hate you so much you have no idea, that’s right you heard me, you little f--k."
That's disturbing enough, but when her husband returned from the baby's room, "he was completely normal, the sweetest guy."
The new mom thought the baby's father was involved and enthusiastic.
She wrote that ever since she told her husband she was pregnant, he was "over the moon" about their baby girl, who was born in September.
He's also been a very active father.
She writes that "he longs for any opportunity to hold or feed her, he’s the one bathing her in the evening as part of her bedtime routine."
So what she heard on their baby monitor that one night was nothing short of horrifying.
The new mom is questioning whether she should be worried for her and her baby's safety.
At first, she seems to have assumed the incident was maybe just a one-off moment of frustration on her husband's part.
But the following night, she set up the monitor ahead of time to listen in again — and sure enough, he hurled similar invective at their newborn.
She went on to write that she is "so confused" by the "horrifying" way her husband speaks to their child, and she has no idea how to handle it.
Writing that she's not sure "how to even approach this," she also wondered if she and her baby are safe.
Most people on Reddit agreed that something is very wrong here.
They said she was right to wonder whether her husband is dangerous or not.
As one Redditor put it, "I could see occasionally joking insults since [the baby] can’t understand yet...like taking to a pet.... But what you’re mentioning is a bit wild and scary..."
Others floated the possibility that her "husband may have [postpartum depression]" — the condition can also impact men who are new fathers — and to alert her doctor.
But many Redditors were more certain that something far more dangerous is going on, and that her husband may become abusive or even violent.
One Redditor was reminded of true crime stories like that of infamous murderer Chris Watts, who she described as having been a lot like how the new mom described her husband.
"Perfect husband, perfect father, couldn’t wait for baby number three, then killed his pregnant wife and both baby girls."
Several Redditors urged the new mom to record her husband's bizarre comments to their baby in order to "garner evidence for divorce and child protection," and to confront him — but only in public with a third-party present.
One Redditor wrote, "the longer you sit on this, the more chances he has to be around her or alone with her."
Hopefully, she can get the help she needs.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.