Moms Share Birth Stories—And What They Needed From Partners

Motherhood and parenthood stories are well-loved on social media. People love heartwarming stories, and a lot can be gained from a parenting journey filled with them.

However, heartbreaking stories are familiar, just like the Jollibee paper bag story that went viral on TikTok. A mother recounted her birthing experience at a public hospital, she wrote:

“[I] went through a traumatic experience giving birth at a public hospital… Alone for 16 hours of labor and pain every five minutes. The nurses were nice, but the doctors were the opposite and would get mad at me for reacting to the pain I felt. [I] had IE five times, and it was the worst pain ever while laying on a [unclean] delivery bed, with blood stains from other people. All this while another woman five steps away from me is screaming in horror, giving birth, no curtains or anything to divide us.”

The mom went on to say the unhygienic treatment she received from a doctor, how she had to give birth with around 10 students watching her and one capturing the birth on their phone without her consent, and how she had to take a cold water bath right after. She then recounted the ordeal to her husband, seeking comfort, only to get an “Ok lang yan. Tapos naman na” response. And to cap it all off, the mom shared what happened the day after: “He comes back to the hospital holding a [Jollibee paper bag]. My eyes light up and I say, ‘Hala love, sarap nyan!’”

“He says, ‘Sorry [love], sa akin lang ito. Gutom na kasi talaga ako. Alam mo naman na puyat din ako naghihintay sa yo. May libre naman na hospital food dyan, yun nalang sa yo.’”

The post spread like wildfire, partly due to the husband/new dad’s seeming nonchalance and hitting a raw, familiar nerve. Everyone, most especially moms, knows the hardships of giving birth, and moms are vocal about getting the support they need and deserve. The post also reignited moms’ experiences and feelings right after giving birth.

Beyond the Paper Bag Story

In Smart Parenting Village, a community of 100,000+ Filipino parents, dozens of moms jumped in to share their own stories. Most are heartwarming, and some are sad, just like the original story. But all were real. Moms experienced the warmth of support or the heartbreak over the lack of it in a moment when they were raw, in pain, and emotional. The story is not just about fast food. It’s about the treatment mothers receive in one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

It taught a hard lesson: “Bilang babae, maging wise sa pagpili ng magiging partner habang buhay… Dapat may emotional intelligence din,” an anonymous comment read on Smart Parenting Village.

Sadly, the situation is more common, as more moms share how they felt neglected by their husbands/partners right after giving birth.

One mom shared how her partner was still looking for money right up to the moment she gave birth, “May hawak kaming pera before ako manganak, pero hindi ko alam anong ginawa niya at pinahiram niya sa nanay niyang nagsusugal… Ayun, hiwalay na kami ngayon.”

Another shared how in spite of having her own money, she still had to make do with a simple meal: “May pera akong dala at nagpabili ako sa partner ko ng Jollibee after ko magising… Bumili nga siya pero para sa mga bantay. Tapos yung ulan na sinerve sa hospital na tilapia, bawal daw sa akin. Kaya ang kinain ko ay tinapay na binili ko sa naglalako sa hospital. Nakakainis kasi kanya-kanya naman kami ng pero tapos yung pera ko pa ang ginamit para sa mga bantay. Eh kung tutuusin wala din naman talaga akong bantay dahil bawal din sa public hospital.

Moreover, the bad treatment mothers get from public hospitals is another common experience worth noting. As another mom, Aja Saki, recounted her own experience: “Na-experience ko rin mapagalitan: ‘Eh sabi nang buka eh!’ Syempre masakit talaga, maiiyak ka. Hindi ko alam if lahat ng public hospitals ganun, pero kami noon, naka pila kami at talagang naririnig namin yung mga nauna umire sa amin. At if first-timer, kakabahan ka talaga. Wala din kurtina sa mga beds, tapos sisigawan ka pa.”

While we know and acknowledge the hardships of healthcare professionals, especially those in government managed and run institutions, we also could not help but hope for reform. Because for a woman in the throes of childbirth, even one small act of cruelty is too much.

“Kahit walang tulog, kahit walang kain, he made sure I wasn’t alone. Yan ang hindi ko makakalimutan.”—Cath

Those Who Showed Up

Thankfully, many moms shared their stories of kindness, sacrifice, and quiet heroism. These are the dads who stepped up and made their presence felt via simple gestures such as:

Acts of Service

Several dads shared the burden of childbirth by doing small yet meaningful and helpful tasks for their partners. Smart Parenting section editor Judy Santiago-Aladin shared: “Alam niyang bored ako, kaya dinalhan niya ako ng libro. May lavander oil pa kasi masakit ulo ko. Ramdam ko yung concern niya kahit na hindi ko siya kasama sa labor room.”

Another mom, Cris Huerte, shared how her husband took care of everything when it was time for her to give birth, and not being “mareklamo” about it as his normal nature is: “Si hubby nag-asikaso lahat: contact family members, nag-asikaso ng papers sa hospital, kumuha ng gamit sa bahay. Walang reklamo kahit na sinusungitan ko siya.”

While another mom, H, shared a raw and heartwarming moment of how her husband cared for her: “CS mom here at sobrang hirap ako kumilos noon. Tinatry ko mag-poop noon pero nung nasa CR ako, hindi nag-work. Nung nasa bed na ako, nakaramdam ako ng pag-sakit ng tiyan pero dahil hirap nga ako kumilos, I pooped na sa diaper. Hindi ko inexpect pero nilinis ako ng husband ko. Akala ko i-aassist lang niya ako sa CR pero hindi. Aside from giving me all the food I want, nakita at naramdaman ko yung sacrifices niya even sa mga uncomfortable moments.”

Another anonymous commenter shared how her husband bathed her: “Pinaliguan niya ako kasi may swero pa ako nung nanganak ako sa panganay namin. Grabe yung pakiramdam. Naka-diaper lang, duguan, saggy tummy. Pero nakita ko siya na nakangiti pa rin.”

Food Nourishes More Than the Tummy

It may be simple, but for most moms, like the original mom in the Jollibee paper bag story, serving them yummy food they love or crave throughout the nine months of pregnancy is one way to show them: I see you. I know you. You matter.

An anonymous commenter shared how her husband served her cake right after giving birth since she had endured gestational diabetes throughout her pregnancy: “In-ask ako ng OB anong gusto kong kainin agad after manganak. Sabi ko, ‘Doc, cake po.’ After ko manganak at pagbalik namin ng room, may cake na and Burger King. Kin-iss niya kami agad at pinakain ako.”

Another mom, Cath G., shared: “After ko manganak, pinabili ko siya ng hot chocolate sa Jollibee dahil na-miss ko mga matatamis dahil pre-diabetic ako bago mabuntis. Tapos pinabili ko din siya nung sikat na lugaw at puto sa Pateros. Sobrang alaga ni partner sa akin.”

To the partners who showed up: Thank you for your care and love. Childbirth may seem like a one-woman job—delivering a new life into this world—but it doesn’t have to be.

The Real Lesson

More than the food or the acts of service and the improvements we need to demand from our government, an important realization sticks out for most moms: Choosing the right life partner. 

“This is why choosing the right life partner is very important. For better or for worse talaga,” mommy Svetlara Hernandez emphasized.

Another mom, Cath, reflected: “Kahit walang tulog, kahit walang kain, he made sure I wasn’t alone. Yan ang hindi ko makakalimutan.”

At the core of every mother’s story is this: giving birth is physically and emotionally brutal and exposing. And what happens in those moments, in those hours—who shows up and how—becomes part of a woman’s emotional memory forever.

To the partners who showed up: Thank you for your care and love. Childbirth may seem like a one-woman job—delivering a new life into this world—but it doesn’t have to be. Partners can deliver compassion, presence, and care to the woman they profess to love doing the hardest job of her life.

Here’s proof that a mom’s body needs rest after childbirth.