Changing 'No one understood' - Obstetrician offers free morning sickness support service 'Tsuwaraku'
Santodo Co., Ltd., led by an obstetrician-gynecologist, launched the 'Tsuwaraku' project to support early pregnancy. It provides the free 'Tsuwaraku LINE' to address morning sickness, aiming to solve the social issue of pregnant women suffering alone.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 01:09
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 16:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 15:24 (118h 52m after Collected)
Obstetrician-Gynecologist Starts Early Pregnancy Support Project 'Tsuwaraku'
In Japan, about 700,000 people give birth annually, and it is estimated that 70-80% (about 500,000) experience morning sickness. However, this suffering has long been treated as 'a path everyone goes through,' and social support has not been sufficiently established.
Have you ever felt that your morning sickness was so severe that 'I can't even think about a next pregnancy'? Research shows that 37% of women who experience severe morning sickness hold this same feeling.
In response to this situation, Santodo Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and Obstetrician-Gynecologist Yu Yomogida) officially launched the morning sickness support project 'Tsuwaraku Project' in March 2026. As the first step, we have released 'Tsuwaraku LINE' (free) to provide information on how to deal with morning sickness.
Morning sickness is one of the illnesses that is hard for others to understand due to its timing and the variety of its symptoms.
■ 'No one understood' - The reality of morning sickness spoken by those affected
Medical sites and social media are filled with voices like these:
'Even though it's so painful I can't eat, I was told "everyone goes through it".'
'I was told it wasn't bad enough to take time off work, so I just had to endure it.'
'I couldn't consult anyone and felt lonely.'
In a reference survey conducted on X (formerly Twitter), 66.0% answered that 'information regarding morning sickness was insufficient' (N=396; due to being an SNS survey, there are limits to statistical representativeness). Morning sickness is a symptom experienced by many pregnant women, yet its severity has not been fully understood in society.
Survey on Morning Sickness Information, conducted by our company on X (formerly Twitter)
■ Morning sickness is not a 'matter of endurance' but a social issue directly linked to the declining birthrate
In Japan, about 700,000 people give birth annually, and 70-80%—an estimated 490,000 to 560,000 people—experience morning sickness. The impact goes beyond individual suffering. In a study targeting women who experienced severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) (Fell et al., American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, PMC3077880), 37% answered that they 'do not want another pregnancy out of fear of hyperemesis gravidarum.' When limited to women whose condition worsened to the point of hospitalization, the impact is even more severe; a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands (MOTHER study, PMID: 34033123) also reported that about 40% of women hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum postponed their next pregnancy.
Lack of support for morning sickness causes hesitation for the next pregnancy, accelerating the declining birthrate—this possibility has been indicated by multiple international studies. The cost of leaving morning sickness to individuals as a 'woman's problem' is affecting society as a whole.
■ Globally an 'object of treatment' - Yet support in Japan is blank
Overseas, morning sickness is recognized as a symptom that should be treated, and various medications are widely used. In Japan, medical responses using IV fluids and antiemetics are provided for severe hyperemesis gravidarum, but outpatient treatment options for mild to moderate morning sickness are limited, primarily focusing on symptomatic therapy.
Furthermore, lifestyle support during morning sickness is far from sufficient. For daily difficulties such as being unable to eat, unable to move, or unable to continue working, there is no systematic support mechanism from medical institutions, local governments, or workplaces, continuing a situation where support is hardest to reach during the most painful period. Support for pregnant women suffering from morning sickness right at this moment cannot wait. The Tsuwaraku Project was launched to fill this void.
■ Why an obstetrician-gynecologist stepped out of the consultation room
Representative Yu Yomogida has been engaged in perinatal medical care for over 15 years and has been involved in the pregnancies and childbirths of more than 10,000 pregnant women. What he felt during this time was the 'suffering outside the consultation room' that medicine alone could not save. 'It's not understood at work, and at home they say, "Isn't it just your imagination?" I felt that this suffering is a social issue, not a medical one.' (Santodo Co., Ltd. Representative Director and Obstetrician-Gynecologist Yu Yomogida) Receiving the voices of many pregnant women through medical information dissemination on SNS also became the origin of the project.
Representative's Comment
'I believe the phrase "a path everyone goes through" directed at pregnant women suffering from morning sickness is a manifestation of society's indifference. I want to create a society where morning sickness is not "something to endure," but "something to receive support for." I want to gradually expand a society where pregnant women can feel "I am not alone."' Santodo Co., Ltd. Representative Director and Obstetrician-Gynecologist Yu Yomogida
Santodo Co., Ltd. CEO Yu Yomogida
■ What is the Tsuwaraku Project?
In Japan, about 700,000 people give birth annually, and it is estimated that 70-80% (about 500,000) experience morning sickness. However, this suffering has long been treated as 'a path everyone goes through,' and social support has not been sufficiently established.
Have you ever felt that your morning sickness was so severe that 'I can't even think about a next pregnancy'? Research shows that 37% of women who experience severe morning sickness hold this same feeling.
In response to this situation, Santodo Co., Ltd. (Representative Director and Obstetrician-Gynecologist Yu Yomogida) officially launched the morning sickness support project 'Tsuwaraku Project' in March 2026. As the first step, we have released 'Tsuwaraku LINE' (free) to provide information on how to deal with morning sickness.
Morning sickness is one of the illnesses that is hard for others to understand due to its timing and the variety of its symptoms.
■ 'No one understood' - The reality of morning sickness spoken by those affected
Medical sites and social media are filled with voices like these:
'Even though it's so painful I can't eat, I was told "everyone goes through it".'
'I was told it wasn't bad enough to take time off work, so I just had to endure it.'
'I couldn't consult anyone and felt lonely.'
In a reference survey conducted on X (formerly Twitter), 66.0% answered that 'information regarding morning sickness was insufficient' (N=396; due to being an SNS survey, there are limits to statistical representativeness). Morning sickness is a symptom experienced by many pregnant women, yet its severity has not been fully understood in society.
Survey on Morning Sickness Information, conducted by our company on X (formerly Twitter)
■ Morning sickness is not a 'matter of endurance' but a social issue directly linked to the declining birthrate
In Japan, about 700,000 people give birth annually, and 70-80%—an estimated 490,000 to 560,000 people—experience morning sickness. The impact goes beyond individual suffering. In a study targeting women who experienced severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) (Fell et al., American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, PMC3077880), 37% answered that they 'do not want another pregnancy out of fear of hyperemesis gravidarum.' When limited to women whose condition worsened to the point of hospitalization, the impact is even more severe; a prospective cohort study in the Netherlands (MOTHER study, PMID: 34033123) also reported that about 40% of women hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum postponed their next pregnancy.
Lack of support for morning sickness causes hesitation for the next pregnancy, accelerating the declining birthrate—this possibility has been indicated by multiple international studies. The cost of leaving morning sickness to individuals as a 'woman's problem' is affecting society as a whole.
■ Globally an 'object of treatment' - Yet support in Japan is blank
Overseas, morning sickness is recognized as a symptom that should be treated, and various medications are widely used. In Japan, medical responses using IV fluids and antiemetics are provided for severe hyperemesis gravidarum, but outpatient treatment options for mild to moderate morning sickness are limited, primarily focusing on symptomatic therapy.
Furthermore, lifestyle support during morning sickness is far from sufficient. For daily difficulties such as being unable to eat, unable to move, or unable to continue working, there is no systematic support mechanism from medical institutions, local governments, or workplaces, continuing a situation where support is hardest to reach during the most painful period. Support for pregnant women suffering from morning sickness right at this moment cannot wait. The Tsuwaraku Project was launched to fill this void.
■ Why an obstetrician-gynecologist stepped out of the consultation room
Representative Yu Yomogida has been engaged in perinatal medical care for over 15 years and has been involved in the pregnancies and childbirths of more than 10,000 pregnant women. What he felt during this time was the 'suffering outside the consultation room' that medicine alone could not save. 'It's not understood at work, and at home they say, "Isn't it just your imagination?" I felt that this suffering is a social issue, not a medical one.' (Santodo Co., Ltd. Representative Director and Obstetrician-Gynecologist Yu Yomogida) Receiving the voices of many pregnant women through medical information dissemination on SNS also became the origin of the project.
Representative's Comment
'I believe the phrase "a path everyone goes through" directed at pregnant women suffering from morning sickness is a manifestation of society's indifference. I want to create a society where morning sickness is not "something to endure," but "something to receive support for." I want to gradually expand a society where pregnant women can feel "I am not alone."' Santodo Co., Ltd. Representative Director and Obstetrician-Gynecologist Yu Yomogida
Santodo Co., Ltd. CEO Yu Yomogida
■ What is the Tsuwaraku Project?