Having been in this situation before (albeit never missing something as monumental as the birth of my child), I would add another reason for this type of faulty

Having been in this situation before (albeit never missing something as monumental as the birth of my child), I would add another reason for this type of faulty prioritization : vanity. It's so easy to be tempted by the notion that I am in fact so crucial and important to the business at hand that I have to attend. Flaunting the notion of my own importance was even bizarrely empowering. It's of course completely hollow and meaningless, and ultimately self-defeating.