‘Every night before bed, we would hold hands and pray’: Lin Chi-ling, 47, tears up recalling painful journey to conceive son

Lin Chi-ling held strong and her efforts bore her a son.

In a press conference held in Taiwan yesterday (Oct 12), the 47-year-old Taiwanese model-actress revealed the pain she had gone through in order to conceive a child.

While it was not mentioned explicitly, it was suggested that Chi-ling and her Japanese actor husband Akira went through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

“Every night before bed, we would hold hands and pray. I would tell him (Akira) about the problems I encountered today,” Chi-ling said. “I was powerless and depressed.”

Chi-ling had frozen her eggs when she was 39 and married the 41-year-old Akira in 2019.

She reduced her workload and was seen making frequent trips to a hospital as she prepared to welcome her first child.

But the journey to that point was long and arduous and she choked back tears in the conference, telling the media: “I’ve gone through a lot of difficult moments and tried more than 10 times to conceive.”

Event host Mickey Huang asked her about these difficulties she faced and questioned if she had to take a lot of medicine and injections, to which Chi-ling concurred, further suggesting her use of IVF.

She finally announced on New Year’s Eve last year that she had given birth to a son.

However she still had some hardships to face in the form of emotional distress post-delivery.

Said Chi-ling: “On top of my body still recovering, my mood also plummeted — I think this is what people refer to as postpartum depression.”

She then thanked her husband for the support and companionship he provided.

Teary-eyed, Chi-ling also had words of encouragement for women and mothers out there: “I have never given up and also believe that miracles will happen one day.

“To all female friends — many perhaps single and unmarried — you may be at a loss because you are older and think that there is no way to conceive but you have always wanted to try… I think that I’ve tried very hard — over 10 times — so don’t give up.

“Have faith and take good care of your body — it’s important to take care of yourself while it’s still early.”

She also recounted that her son, nicknamed Little Precious, began calling her “Mama” at about eight or nine months old.

“I was just asking my husband if every child learned this lesson before being born into this world — that is, when a mother is feeling tired and thinking, ‘what should I do now?’, they’ll come up with a big smile and say, ‘Mama!’

“The moment mothers hear that, in their heart they will be willing to give any effort to help their child. For me, I remember being very touched and emotional.”

Mickey then asked, tongue-in-cheek, if Akira felt disappointed that their child didn’t say “Papa”.

Said Chi-ling: “This morning when I was leaving home, I felt like my son was trying to pronounce ‘Papa’… Maybe children learn to say ‘Mama’ first so their lives will have a more stable form of care and support.”

When asked if she was willing to have a second child, Chi-ling responded: “I can’t do it. My body is telling me that I have done all I can to obtain this miraculous life. I am already grateful.”