To some extent, the meals thing is probably just because the mother is the one who is the admitted patient, so her name will be readily on record. As the fathe

To some extent, the meals thing is probably just because the mother is the one who is the admitted patient, so her name will be readily on record. As the father is likely both a) not in need of even a contingency of medical care related to the birth process and b) not even necessarily well-established, present, or even alive at time of birth, I can see that being a more ephemeral label.