Their machismo attitude aside, first-time fathers such as those described on the outset still exhibit stress, anxieties, and to an extent, depression.
And despite the tonnes of research that has been done on childbirth, there is no respite for men who still approach the event with a measure of apprehension.
Volume 35 of the Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology says men are little-prepared for one of the most important events in their lives. It says that the role of men in the delivery room has never been straightforward despite their partners' preference that they [men], be present.
"Bringing a baby into the world, however, is arguably one of the most life-changing events that a man will experience, yet little attention has been paid to the consequences, positive or negative, for men of the blanket expectation to be there at birth," says the journal.
The publication went on to describe what could be at the root of many men's aversion to being present during the delivery of their babies.
It said: "The thought of being present at birth for some men fills them with fear and anxiety. That fear can be triggered by many things - of the unknown, of the sight of blood, of seeing their partner in pain and feeling unable to act effectively."
According to the journal, many fathers accompanying their partners to the delivery room may have expected to be treated as part of a "labouring couple" but become bystanders in a process they can do nothing about.
However, they soon find out that that they were relegated to a supporting role and despite their initial fire in their bellies to support their wives, "they found that labour was more work than they had anticipated".
But should men though be scared of the "horrors" of the labour ward?
Dr Simon Kigondu, an obstetrician gynaecologist, says such fear in men is normal with several factors attached to it.
"It is normal for a human to fear something he cannot control," he says. "It could be the trauma associated with childbirth. Actually, some of the stories such men may have heard including women screaming are true and part of the women's mechanism of coping with pain. But without the pain, a child will not be born, at least the natural way."
However, Kigondu says such fear in men could be so paralysing that some have vowed "not to have sex with their partners for fear that they might get pregnant and end up in the labour ward again".
In addition, Kigondu says that even the women giving birth go through similar phases of fear but have no choice as they still have to deliver. "In the end, it comes down to how well the labour process is managed. There are pain relief medical procedures that can be used in the labour ward including epidural anesthesia."
Locally, some hospitals have sessions where expecting couples are taken through the process of childbirth and what to expect in the labour ward or delivery room.
James Muriuki, a father of two says that were it not for the sessions, he too would have been consumed by the morbid fear that surrounds childbirth.
According to Muriuki, the sessions included going through the exercises that are needed to relax a woman's muscles in anticipation of childbirth.
"There is a lot of misinformation out there as many new parents do not anticipate what will happen in the delivery room. There are so many stories that go around and some are shrouded in mystery. Even women who do not know how to push are fed many horror stories. The sessions helped us see that the pain is there for a reason. It actually helps push the baby," says Muriuki.
Among the virtues of a good father extolled by modern parenting included being present at the labour ward during the birth of his children. However, it is obvious that man's presence in these hallowed grounds has never been so straightforward.