Yumi, the mother of a 17-month-old girl in Tokyo, said she started feeling the burden of raising a child even before she became a mom.

During her pregnancy, she felt pressured by subtle comments people were making, such as her mother-in-law, who would casually -- and probably out of good intentions -- say, "Take care of yourself."

"Maybe it was because my baby was going to be the first grandchild for both my and my husband's parents," Yumi, who asked that her family name be withheld, said. "I kept thinking, 'What if something bad happens to my baby?' "