Thanks so much to Mika and Millicent for sharing their stories and their time with me. Mika Koyama Yokohama, Japan Mika arrived at MIT in September 1999 with her husband, Tomohisa, who is a graduate student in the Technology Policy Program. All of her children were born in Japan. Pregnant women are rarely given medicines, unless a test result indicates a supplement is needed. Mothers wear loose clothing so as not to attract attention to their bodies, so for Japanese people, it is strange to see pregnant women in tight clothing.
Pregnant women can attend childbirth classes.
Women also learn about pregnancy and childbirth from their midwife. The midwife educates the mother about taking care of herself during pregnancy and how she will know when to go to the hospital for the delivery. At the hospital, the woman is attended by the midwife during labor and the doctor arrives only for the delivery. It is very unusual for a husband to be present at the birth of his child. Men work hard, long hours in Japan, and job security is extremely important.