Having a child is a huge responsibility that some people may not be prepared to take on. When it does happen, ready or not, parents have to make decisions that are in the best interest of their children so that they are healthy, happy, and well taken care of. For parents who are no longer together, that often means allowing the child’s father to build a relationship with the child prior to their birth as well as after.
Whether two people are together or not during the pregnancy when a mother makes a decision about medical care or anything else pertaining to the child, what the father feels about this decision may mean very little. This can be especially difficult to deal with when the parents are on bad terms, but the father still wants to be there during the pregnancy and birth. The good thing is, once the child is born and parentage is proven, they may be able to be a part of these decisions and their opinion will matter.
Although fathers have little to no rights prior to a child being born, when they are present throughout the pregnancy and during the birth, they are helping to establish their desire to have a relationship with the child. Since this is something courts may look at should a father be asked to prove paternity, it would be wise for men to step up and be present during these times. It is understandable that the relationship with the child’s mother may be a negative one, but that doesn’t mean the child should suffer.
Not every mother is willing to let the father of her child be in the child’s life. Even though this is the situation for some parents, that doesn’t mean there is nothing that the father can do about this. If a father wants to prove parentage and exercise his rights as the child’s father, they may want to contact an attorney for assistance.