21 Random Acts of Kindness Towards Pregnant Pinays: 'Paupuin Ninyo ang Buntis!'

A woman undergoes many difficult changes during pregnancy, so it’s important that she gets support and encouragement in the nine months that she is carrying a tiny baby inside her womb. Unfortunately, there are still some people who choose to make preggos feel bad about themselves. It’s disheartening, but we believe there are still people out there who go out of their way to make a pregnant woman feel special.

21 random acts of kindness strangers extended to pregnant women

We asked our SmartParenting.com.ph readers for the little acts of kindness that strangers have extended to them while pregnant and our faith in humanity was restored. Apart from the unexpected perks that you can only get when you’re expecting, a lot of Pinoys still treat expecting moms with utmost care. Here are some of the heartwarming stories.

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“A male colleague accompanied me to a store to buy my baby things. He helped me carry it to the bus stop, then looked for a cab for me. He wrote down the cab’s plate number, seriously warned the driver to drive carefully, all before taking a bus and departing.” — Ayo Daramola

“Manong fruit vendor always gives me pasobra (extra). A grumpy, old colleague gave me her snack, and one of my patient’s family sent me a basket of lanzones because they heard me craving for it. [They are] god-sent angels!” —Junette Sumaya

“As soon as I stepped inside a crowded bus on my way home, the bus driver shouted, ‘Paupuin ninyo ang buntis, paupuin ninyo!’ He did not stop until I was seated. Salute!” — Angela Callejo

“Pumila kami sa isang event. May number na binibigay and since late kami nakarating, super haba na ng pila. May stranger na binigay na lang yung number niya sa’kin para raw next na ako at hindi na ako pumila ng matagal. Marami pa ring mga mabubuting tao talaga.” — Lulu Manesce

“They gave me their stock water recently!” — Mie Reyes

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“[A stranger] talked to me and asked me if I needed help because I looked so pale. She even hailed a cab for me and helped me get in. I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to ask her name!” — Cynch Angel

“Ang isa sa di ko makakalimutan ay ‘yung batang lalaki na 5 years old siguro ang edad niya. Nasa labas kami ng Pizza Hut at inaantay ang order namin na take out. ‘Yung batang lalaki, hinatak ‘yung upuan niya papunta sa akin, tapos sabi niya, ‘Ate, upo ka, oh.’ Ang sweet ng batang ‘yun. Maayos ang pagpapalaki sa kanya ng magulang niya.” —LyCon Roremse

“Binaha kami nung 2009 dahil sa Typhoon Ondoy. Wala kaming stock na food kasi dapat mamimili kami nung araw na ‘yun. Pinalipat kami nung kapitbahay sa kanila dahil mas mataas ang bahay nila at pinakain rin kami.” — Mel Cordero

“Sa Nuvali, naabutan kami ng ulan while feeding a koi. A guy offered me his umbrella. ‘Yung husband ko, tumakbo sa parking lot para kunin ‘yung umbrella sa sasakyan. Inantay niya munang bumalik ang husband ko bago siya tuluyang umalis.” — Jhal del Mundo

“A dad (I knew because he had his three daughters with him) offered to carry my three very heavy grocery bags before they got off the jeep we were riding in. He was really concerned as I was getting off at the next stop pa. Kudos to him for setting a good example for his daughters!” — Marissa Dorado Lacorte

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“At the office, I bought junk food and put it on my table. I took a short coffee break and when I came back, the junk food was gone and I was surprised to see a veggie salad, fruits, and tuna roll. My officemates replaced my snack para daw healthy si baby!” — Hayzel Ilagan

“My team and I were eating in a restaurant. Most of my teammates ordered unlimited fried and roasted chicken with calamares. Hindi practical na ‘yun ang orderin ko kasi hindi naman ako makakarami ng kain. Gusto ko ng calamares kaso hindi pwede mag-share ng food. Nagpaalam ako sa waiter na baka pwede akong humingi na lang sa officemates ko kasi buntis ako. Umalis si kuya waiter at pagbalik, dinalhan ako ng plate ng calamares. Libre na raw ‘yun kasi request ng buntis!” — Rasel Paala

“A neighbor gave me a lot of cute onesies na di na raw nagamit ng anak niya. ‘Yung team leader ko naman lagi akong binibigyan ng fruits kasi ni-research daw niya na ok ang fruits sa mga may morning sickness.” — Jessica Chano

“’Yung araw na manganganak na ako, biglang ayaw umandar ng sasakyan namin. May mabait kaming kapitbahay na may jeep (si Mang Andring) at hinatid niya kami sa ospital. Kahit gabing-gabi na! At siya na rin ang tumingin sa panganay ko na bawal pa sa ospital. Habang nasa ospital ako at ang asawa ko, siya muna ang nag-bantay sa kanya.” — Belle Bek

“A woman gave me katinko and massaged my back because I was nauseous at that time.” — Pao Duazo

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“An old lady knitted a cute baby hat and blanket for me. It was so cute!” — Abigail Stursa

“Galing akong checkup, patanghali na at sobrang init habang binabaybay ko papuntang Baclaran para makasakay ng bus. Nakita ako ng MMDA officers at pinahinto nila ako. Kahit bawal magsakay dun, nagpahinto sila ng bus para makasakay agad ako!” — Kristin Mari

“I had a traumatic pregnancy. I was dealing with thalassemia with bouts of anemia and my cervix was incompetent all throughout my journey. I was overwhelmed since some of my friends and other people prayed for me. It helped a lot since I didn’t have my family abroad. Plus, a lot of people offered a hand even my patients that I had just met. They gave me hadia (tip), or even left food and baby toys at my desk.” — Krishna Pagarugan

“Yung dahan-dahan sa pagda-drive si mamang tricycle driver habang binabaybay ang lubak-lubak na kalsada.” — Katrina Balobalo

“Akala ko may patago kaming food sa ref nila. Palaging may delivery ng lunch and merienda e!” — Shah Cadangan

“From five months onward, three neighbors on different work shifts gave me carpool rides. They all dropped me off at and picked me up from work until before I gave birth.” — Anna Day

What’s the kindest thing a neighbor or stranger has done for you? Share it with us in the comments!

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