Husband’s Response to Pregnant Wife’s Remark Deserves a Medal

In relationships, it’s all about compromise—even if that compromise places you in freezing temperatures.

This was one man’s experience, documented in a viral TikTok video by @theghalifamily. In it, a pregnant woman’s husband stands in the snow eating French fries out of a McDonald’s bag because of her aversion to the smell of food. Since posting, the video has received over 220,000 likes and more than 2,600 comments, with many cheering on the husband and reflecting on their own bizarre pregnancy symptoms.

“POV: The smell of food irritates your pregnant wife,” the family captioned the video. “Glad we bought that patio set,” it added, referring to the snow-covered table the husband ate off of.

Viewers in the comments cheered him for his sweet—and hilarious— accommodation.

“Funny but also so incredibly kind!” @mygirlfriday42 wrote.

I remember those days when I couldn’t cook nor stand the smell of food,” @autarky4 said. “Hubby was living on takeaways. I applaud you not complaining and supporting the process.”

Many who have been pregnant before, and even those who are pregnant now, empathized with the man’s wife for her food aversions, especially related to smell.

“I hated the smell of fried chicken when I was like four months pregnant,” @lynnezell38 said. “My mom decided to fry some, and I cried like a baby.”

“Why didn’t I think about sending my husband outside when he eats his food. Currently 10 weeks pregnant and I can’t stand the smell of McDonalds,” @curlysfrys wrote.

Food aversion during pregnancy extremely common

The man’s wife is, on TikTok but also statistically, not alone. Medical center Cleveland Clinic previously wrote that nearly 70 percent of people who are pregnant have an aversion to at least one food during their pregnancy. These aversions are caused by hormonal changes and begin during the first trimester.

An increase in the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone is to blame—unsurprisingly, the same hormone thought to be responsible for morning sickness. HCG causes food aversions in the same way it causes food cravings.

Anecdotally, smell seems to be a major vehicle for food aversions in pregnant people—though scientific research is slim. Many people who have been pregnant say their sense of smell was heightened during their pregnancy: “Same happened to me, and my nose felt as if it zoomed in on every scent, no matter how far,” @natashabr121 commented under the video.

Cleveland Clinic suggests that it’s okay to avoid certain foods if you’re having an adverse reaction, as long as those foods aren’t vital to your diet.

Some may argue, but it seems like a McDonald’s aversion might be just fine.