Pope John Paul II offered the Blessed Virgin Mary as a pre-eminent example for mothers who must bear children in hardship (see article by Tim Drake, this page). In his Sept. 9, 1985, angelus message, he said:

On this feast of the Birth of Our Lady I call upon you to give special recognition to the complete human dignity of the child developing in the womb and to treat the mother-to-be with respect and esteem, with love and sensitivity. Say yes to human life in all its stages. Understandably, you do your utmost to conserve the environment, the plants and animals. Therefore, he even more decisive in saying yes to human life which in the order of things stands far above all created realities of the visible world. Save the unborn man from the threat of born man, who presumes to destroy and kill the child in the mother's womb.

At the same time, the great joy we as believers feel and celebrate today in the Birth of God's Mother places heavy demands upon us all: fundamentally we should be joyful when a child comes into being in a mother's womb and when it enters the world. Even if the birth of a child sometimes causes hardship, sacrifices, restrictions and burdens, the baby should always be accepted and feel safe in the love of its parents. In difficult situations, the responsible and above all the believing person will — with the help of others — usually be able to find a solution befitting a human being.