During pregnancy, women experience physical and emotional instability. Concerns arise about the baby’s growth, safe delivery, understanding severe morning sickness and illness, and how others perceive these struggles. Encouraging words from others can provide much-needed support during these challenging times. A community post asked about uplifting moments during difficult pregnancy periods, with responses highlighting the importance of supportive words. For some, reassuring messages about the baby’s growth were comforting, while others appreciated partners expressing understanding and support. Overall, kind gestures and words of encouragement can greatly impact a pregnant woman’s well-being and help alleviate anxieties during this delicate time.
During pregnancy, both physically and emotionally, women fall into an unstable state. There are many worries and anxieties, such as whether the baby is growing well, whether the birth will be successful, and how people around us understand severe morning sickness and poor health. At such times, casual words from others can be encouraging. In the Mama Star Community, there was a post like this:
“During pregnancy, especially when morning sickness was severe and I was emotionally unstable, please tell me something that made you happy.”
Do you know any pregnant women around you who are currently suffering from severe morning sickness and feeling depressed? The severity of morning sickness varies from person to person, and some may find themselves in a situation where they cannot even get up after repeatedly vomiting. If morning sickness is severe and causing weakness, it is recommended to consult a doctor early. What kind of words did mothers appreciate when they were going through severe morning sickness or emotional instability? Let’s take a look at some of the comments received.
I was happy to receive words of encouragement that my baby is growing well.
“I was told that severe morning sickness is evidence that the baby is growing well.” “For some reason, I couldn’t eat and kept vomiting, and I was worried if the baby was growing, so I was happy.”
“My husband told me, ‘It’s amazing that you are creating a human being inside you.'”
The pain of morning sickness includes not only one’s own physical condition but also the constant worry about whether the baby is growing well. When food doesn’t go down, and you keep vomiting, you worry if the baby is getting enough nutrition and gaining weight. At times like this, some mothers were happy to receive words of encouragement like “Severe morning sickness is evidence that the baby is growing well” and “It’s amazing to raise a baby in your belly.”
“Is the baby okay?” My husband and parents just said ‘Oh’ without paying attention to the test results, so I was happy that they showed interest in the baby’s life and growth.”
“When I was told there were no abnormalities in the prenatal checkup, I didn’t know what was happening, but I felt relieved.”
To dispel such anxious feelings, isn’t prenatal checkup the best way? When you see the baby growing bigger and more active than at the previous checkup, you feel relieved. Some felt reassured when the doctor said, “It’s ok,” while others were happy when someone showed interest in the baby’s growth and asked questions. It’s understandable that being concerned about the baby’s growth, and getting sympathy for the pregnancy itself, can bring happiness.
Do you not want your husband to say anything? All words have the potential to irritate different people.
“I wanted him to stay quiet.”
“I would prefer him not to say anything extra. The person I am most grateful for is the one who quietly watches over me.”
As a partner in raising a baby, it’s natural to want your husband to be more supportive than anyone else. Therefore, it’s understandable that mothers become extra sensitive to their husband’s words. When mothers were asked about words from their husbands that made them happy during pregnancy, surprisingly, many responses were “I wish he had stayed quiet.” Even if the words were meant to show concern for the mother, there were few mothers who weren’t irritated and asked, “What do you mean?” or felt unstable. One mother who was hurt and anxious by her husband’s words expressed, “It would’ve been better if my husband had stayed silent and taken care of me.”
“My husband said, ‘I’m sorry I can’t replace you,’ and I think that was good.”
“My husband told me, ‘I’m sorry I can’t take care of you, but instead of being happy, I thought, ‘There’s no need for that, please do the housework.'”
“If there’s one thing I heard from my husband that made me happy, it’s ‘I’ll work hard so we can have enough money!'”
Have you ever told your husband about your severe morning sickness or seen your mother struggling and been told, “I’m sorry I can’t replace you”? Opinions were divided in published materials about this phrase. Some mothers rejoiced in it, while others thought, “I wish he would just do the housework instead.” Although it may seem like words of encouragement, realistically, it may signify something that cannot be replaced, and hence shouldn’t be trivialized. Another word she wanted to hear from her husband was, “You work hard, earn a lot of money, don’t you?” This word conveys the husband’s encouragement to work hard alongside the mother who is fighting and how they are going to overcome it together.
An episode that made me think, “I want to be like that too”
“When my belly grew so big that I couldn’t sit down and was standing on the train, a person a little farther away took my hand and said, ‘Please sit down,’ and I was very happy.” Down! “I wanted to be this kind of person.”
“When a colleague told me, ‘Don’t worry about work, trust each other as much as you like, take it easy and take care of yourself,’ I shed tears of gratitude.”
“My mother-in-law said to me, ‘Sleep, take it easy.’ Do what you want to do. My husband can take care of himself, so if something happens, call me. “Are you okay? What can you eat?” I said to her, ‘If there’s something I can eat, please let me know,’ and she immediately handed me the requested fruit.
This post contains various episodes, such as being kind to strangers on the train or in town, and bosses or colleagues caring more about your health than work, and more. Some mothers may feel guilty about not being able to perform regular activities during pregnancy and may have feelings of remorse and hesitation towards society. Therefore, when someone says kind words to them, they may be moved to tears. There were also envy-inducing episodes where the mother-in-law was kind to her and brought food from afar. If you have experience, it may be helpful to know what pregnant women do in such situations or what to say if someone tells you.
What words made you happy when they were spoken during your pregnancy?
Text: AKI, Editing: Miho Arimura, Illustration: Ryuji Ueno