So many parts about pregnancy will get people all warm and fuzzy inside — like hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time or feeling the flutter of the first kicks. But then there's the other stuff — the feet swelling, the constant peeing, and (of course) the endless days of morning sickness — that women could really do without. Sara Wanselm knows a thing or two about what that's like. The Stockholm, Sweden, mom of two is pregnant with her third child and has been battling a nasty case of morning sickness for a while. Recently, while Wanselm sat hunched over a toilet, her husband snapped a quick photo of her mid-puke — something that (not-so-surprisingly) enraged her at the time. After he explained his reasons for taking it, both the image and the story are going viral.
Wanselm first shared the story in an Instagram post last week, which is earning thousands of likes from moms across the internet.
In the photo, she sits in jeans, a sweater, and a messy bun, with her head hung over the toilet. Behind her is her daughter, who — while donning a pink tutu — appears to gently rub her mother's back.
As far as puking photos go, this one is rather Instagram-worthy (if there even is such a thing). But still, it's a PUKING photo — not exactly the kind of thing you'd want your husband capturing for posterity.
Wanselm admitted that when she looked up from the toilet bowl and saw her husband snapping a photo, she "asked him not so kindly to f--- off."
Apparently, he did, but that wasn't the end of the story.
"When I walked out of the bathroom an hour later, I asked him why he felt the need to capture that exact moment, since it definitely wouldn't be one I wanted to remember," she wrote.
His answer surprised her (to say the least).
According to Wanselm, her husband smiled and gave her a long — and honestly, quite emotional — explanation that she'll never forget:
"Well, you've been sick all day every day for the past 4 weeks, you keep asking me and yourself if it's even worth it, having to feel this bad, so I wanted to remind you of why you're doing this, because even though this part sucks, it will bring you something so extraordinary in the end — it will bring you someone who loves you unconditionally even on your worst day, it will bring you a person that doesn't care about the fact that you haven't showered in 4 days and you're puking endlessly, she will still want to be right next to you, she will hold your hair up, pet you on your back and keep telling you that you're doing great, that my dear is the purest kind of love I've ever seen."
Um, wow -- honestly, that was an explanation we didn't see coming.
And apparently, neither did Wanselm.
In less than 30 seconds, her husband gave her some much-needed perspective on what really matters right now, and what she's doing this for.
The post has been liked thousands of times since last week, and it brought in countless comments from moms who've been there.
"I just started crying like a baby," wrote one person.
"He's so right, but I really hope that you get better soon and will be able to enjoy this wonder," added someone else.
"At least you have your own personal hair holder-backer," one woman joked. "I had horrible morning sickness, as well. Lost 14 lbs. in my 1st trimester. I also frequently passed out, and would vomit immediately after."
"This made me cry," yet another person wrote. "I struggled so much with the past 2 months from severe morning sickness and I kept saying how I wish I had never gotten pregnant again. This is also my 3rd and it has been my hardest pregnancy. Now that I'm finally feeling better, I hate those thoughts that I allowed to take over for weeks at a time."
There were also some pretty poignant comments left by women who gave Wanselm yet another perspective.
"This is the sweetest picture ever and he is so right," one person wrote. "I would give anything because I haven't been able to get pregnant and ur baby girl is there for you. This brought tears to my eyes because I can't have what you have."
In the comments, Wanselm added that what she's been dealing with hasn't been a typical case of morning sickness.
She suffers from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness that can cause severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and electrolyte disturbance, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Some severe cases even require hospitalization, as was the case with celebs such as Amy Schumer and Kate Middleton, though it does not appear as though Wanselm's has reached that level.
In the end, Wanselm thanked her husband for "always making me look at the big picture when I'm only focusing on the small things in front of me."
To be fair, Wanselm has every right to be in her emotions right now. Any woman in her first trimester will tell you that morning sickness sucks and, depending on how severely you have it, it can leave you feeling physically and emotionally drained.
But that said, sometimes an objective point of view is needed to pull a mom back down to earth when her hormones are surging, she's feeling overwhelmed, and she's quickly losing sight of why it is she's doing this in the first place. Last week, Wanselm's husband definitely stepped up to the plate.
