Mom In Labor At Work Told To Finish Meeting Before Going To Hospital
Normally when a pregnant woman goes into labor, everyone around them drops what they’re doing to make sure they make it to the hospital. When a mom-to-be’s water breaks, we do what we can to help make sure they get to the hospital so they can give birth safely, right? But a viral tweet reminds us that not everyone is on board with that idea, especially in the “hustle culture” business world.
Christine Carillo, a CEO herself, took to Twitter to share her friend’s experience when she went into labor at work. She writes that her friend said, “I need to go to the hospital, my water just broke!” And the lead investigator from a well-known fund responded, “Ok, but can we finish the meeting first?” So her friend finished the board meeting in the car while en route to the hospital. Carillo ends her tweet with a very appropriate “WTF.”
But sadly, this woman is not the only one facing this situation at work. You’ve probably heard other moms talking about how they worked through contractions and pain right up until they gave birth. A Twitter user replied to Carillo’s tweet with her own story of being at work in meetings all day while in labor, using Post-Its to keep track of how far apart her contractions were, and not leaving for the hospital until after her last meeting. Commenters call the stories “appalling” and “despicable,” but as Carillo points out, the reality for many women is “they don’t have the option to say no.”
