A woman from Staten Island, New York, has succeeded with a court petition to have her estranged husband banned from attending the birth of their third child.
According to the New York Post, Brianne Stoffers Tagliarini sought the order on the basis that this is a ‘privacy issue’ and Eric Tagliarini will serve ‘no purpose’ in the delivery room.
The former couple, who split in February, already have two children together: a four-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. Their third child is reportedly due any day now.
After seeking the order banning Mr Tagliarini from the delivery room, the mum-to-be said: “I don’t feel he should have the right to be in the room when I’m in my most vulnerable state, seeing me in pain and seeing me uncomfortable.”
The Supreme Court judge handling the case, Justice Catherine DiDomenico, granted the order, insisting that Ms Stoffers Tagliarini has the right to ‘determine the course of her medical treatment’.
“If the court were to grant the husband access to the delivery room against the wife’s wishes, it would create a potentially unsafe and volatile situation,” she added.
Mr Tagliarini, meanwhile, claims that it is his basic right as a father to attend the delivery. He admitted he is devastated with the decision.
“I want to be in the delivery room. I’m a full-time dad; I’m not a part-time dad. When the verdict came down, I was beside myself,” he told the Post.
What are your thoughts on this court decision?
