From Start of Pregnancy, Man Doubted Baby’s Paternity — Later Refuses to Sign Birth Certificate

From day one of his partner's pregnancy, a man couldn't help suspecting the baby's paternity. After the child was born, he downright refused to sign the birth certificate without getting the baby DNA-tested.

While parenting is an exciting concept for many expecting parents, a new dad refused to sign his baby's birth certificate since he suspected the child's paternity. Nearly 7 years later, he ran into the baby's mother, who told him they needed to go to court to amend the kid's birth certificate, sending chills down his spine.

Since then, Redditor xsladex claimed he was agitated and turned to the internet for help. He asked random strangers online if he still needed to pay child support to a kid he'd abandoned 7 years ago after his suspicions boiled down to the accuracy of DNA results.

The Original Poster (OP) admitted to having dated his now-ex-girlfriend for almost a year. She fell pregnant in September 2011, but OP wasn't delighted as he suspected the baby may not be his. Although he wanted a DNA test done before the delivery, he kept calm to avoid undue stress.

The couple welcomed the baby in January 2012. And due to certain medical conditions, the newborn had to be shifted to an intensive care unit for a couple of months. Unsurprisingly, OP refused to sign the baby's birth certificate without getting the DNA test done.

Since the nurses insisted that the baby wouldn't be released without the signature, the man had no choice but to sign it. Although OP concealed his doubts for another two months following the baby's discharge, he confronted his wife for the paternity test.

The couple opted for a non-court binding DNA test and eagerly awaited the results. OP was flooded by mixed emotions when the results revealed he wasn't the father. His partner and her baby moved to her dad's house the next day.

The woman was left speechless when her partner doubted their baby's paternity, saying: "What if she's not mine?"

Following the explosive revelation, OP decided to take every initiative to erase his fatherhood from the child. He visited the notary public to get the baby's name changed, but the certificate remained unrevised. However, OP assumed everything was over until he chanced upon his ex 7 years later.

The woman told OP they needed to go to court to remove his name from her child's birth certificate. Several questions emerged in his mind, and he worried about having to go through the parentage declaration process all over again.

Although OP was determined to produce the old DNA results as evidence, he feared being asked to provide child support for the past 7 years even though his ex had no intention of claiming any money from him. He questioned random strangers on Reddit about his chances of survival.

"This will not be a DIY project. Go see a family lawyer of your own as they are in the best position to know what argument to make and what evidence to present," Redditor Fool-me-thrice suggested.

Meanwhile, user daniellederek advised OP to immediately cut contact with the child's mother for his own good, saying, "No more contact with the mother… Pay to get the court recognized DNA test done," adding:

"You should be safe as the relationship dissolved before automatic common law was established. Hope for the best plan for the worst."

While OP hoped submitting the DNA test in court would work, another father was just as alarmed as OP regarding the provision of child support to a kid that he doubted was never his.

In a recent revelation on Reddit's "Parenting" sub, newbie mom cerealmush said she refused to let her partner see their daughter after he declined to sign the baby's birth certificate.

Although the man agreed to let the mom have her last name recorded as the baby's surname, considering they were still unwed, he suspected his newborn daughter's paternity when filling out the paperwork. The woman was left speechless when her partner doubted their baby's paternity, saying: "What if she's not mine?"

He was also unwilling to provide child support for the next 18 years if his suspicions were proven. Although the woman explained that signing the birth certificate wouldn't compel him to pay a dime until the DNA tests turned positive, the man disagreed and had a few additional reasons for refusing to sign.

Apart from his uncertainty about the child's paternity, the man claimed he disliked how his partner treated him when she was pregnant and gave the baby her last name instead of his. He also feared that getting his name removed from the birth certificate could be a tedious process in the long run if the baby turned out not to be his.

Nevertheless, the man still wanted to have a relationship with the child despite not claiming her as his daughter. The woman thought he was immature and felt communication was the only way to help him realize their co-parenting goals.

"So yes, I did tell him he can't see our daughter until we can start communicating," she stated, adding that her partner was still hell-bent on visiting their daughter through court.

Questions to Ponder:

Do you think OP should've raised his suspicions about his child's paternity before the delivery?

In his declaration, OP said that though he wanted to get a paternity test done on the child before birth, he didn't disclose his intentions to his partner to avoid stress on both sides. However, the seeds of doubt had already bred severely in his mind over time and compelled him to refuse to sign the child's birth certificate. Although the child turned out not to be his in the end, should OP have discussed his doubts with his partner while she was pregnant?

Was child support one of the key factors both men feared after speculating about their child's paternity in the two scenarios?

OP claimed even his partner said she didn't want him to pay any child support as her kid wasn't biologically his. However, he still doubted if the legal proceedings in court would demand him to pay child support for the last 7 years and beyond. In the other father's case, the mom said her partner was unwilling to pay child support based on his suspicions regarding the baby's paternity. How would you react to both these situations if you were the mother?

If you liked this story, here's how a DNA paternity test prompted a man to kick out his wife & newborn baby, only to be shattered after taking two more tests later.

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