Unskippable Ads in Delivery Rooms: AI Syncs with Contractions as Hospitals Unveil New Revenue Model

Unskippable ads have been introduced in delivery rooms. Every time the contraction monitor flashes red, ceiling speakers shout “Pelvic belt now at 5x points!” while baby product logos blink across entire walls. A couple who chose the “ad-supported birth plan”—which automatically inserts commercials into livestreams for distant family—say they saved 30% on costs. However, their newborn’s smartphone advertising ID was reportedly issued before the baby even had a name.

Hoshino Medical, a private healthcare group operating obstetric clinics in the Tokyo metropolitan area, has introduced a system that automatically plays ads synchronized with labor contractions. The system receives real-time data from devices measuring fetal heart rate and uterine contractions, while a generative AI reads out campaign information in what the hospital describes as “a gentle voice to ease tension.” The hospital explains, “Pain is unavoidable, but we wanted to at least pair it with reward points.” This marks the first time in human history that the pain of childbirth has been integrated with a loyalty program.

The plan reduces delivery costs by approximately 30% in exchange for constant ad display on screens in the delivery room during birth and for 48 hours postpartum. Video ads are automatically inserted before and after livestreams viewed by distant grandparents and other relatives, who must watch full-length diaper comparison videos in exchange for “the right to witness their grandchild’s birth.” A skip button appears on screen but doesn’t respond when pressed. The representative proudly explains this reflects a philosophical message: “Birth itself is something you cannot skip halfway through.”

The technological core is “contextual optimization advertising” powered by generative AI. The system references the expectant mother’s past search history, prenatal nutrition counseling records, and even smartphone step counts, making second-by-second decisions like “given the current contraction intensity, we should promote a massage chair for the attending husband rather than low-sugar snacks.” The wording changes depending on whether it’s a first or subsequent pregnancy, with “Perfect for first-timers” and “The smart choice from your second child onward” read out alternately. There are even moments when the speaker announces “More on our website” between the doctor’s explanations of labor progress, making it unclear who the main attraction really is.

Meanwhile, concerns are spreading about the handling of personal data. Immediately after birth, babies are automatically assigned a “unique advertising ID” before receiving their health insurance number, with their future purchasing tendencies estimated. Everything from projected diaper size transitions and weaning start dates to estimated in-game spending is predicted and stored encrypted on partner company servers. The consent form signed by the mother was a single electronic signature—a shaky finger traced on a tablet between contractions. Privacy advocacy groups criticize this as “a method of obtaining agreement to terms of service before human rights provisions,” warning that “while the first cry is innocent, the data is already built into the business model.”

Mixed feelings of bewilderment and resignation are also emerging from those on the ground. A midwife chuckles, “When I say ‘push,’ the speaker chimes in with ‘That push will affect your postpartum pelvis too.’” One father laments, “When I tried to hold my wife’s hand, I accidentally pressed a stamp on the livestream instead.” Nevertheless, reservation slots are filling up, with some users saying, “If I’m paying somewhere anyway, paying in the delivery room makes my life story more consistent.” Human birth appears to be transforming from a quiet mystery into a “monetized event.”

Regulatory authorities are taking a cautious stance toward the uncharted territory of “economic rationalization of childbirth.” A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official would only say, “We will consider guidelines for advertising accompanying medical procedures going forward.” Meanwhile, the marketing industry welcomes it as “natural brand recall at life’s highlights.” Hoshino Medical plans to continue developing a “premium operating room advertising plan” for cesarean sections and is considering “end-of-life care sponsor slots” that accompany deathbed moments. Their logic: since life from birth to departure is entirely unskippable, advertising should be no exception.

Stakeholder Comments

• Hoshino Medical PR Representative: “Previously, once the pain passed, nothing remained. Now points and viewing logs remain. This is the next-generation maternal and child health handbook.”
• Mother in her 30s who just gave birth: “Every time a wave came, I was told ‘Now’s your chance to save!’ I couldn’t tell which waves were bargains and which were painful anymore.”
• Father who attended the birth: “My child was born between ads, so when I rewatch the memory video, the sponsors leave a stronger impression than the main event.”
• Veteran midwife: “I used to just listen to breathing rhythms, but now I have to memorize the sale information that goes with them. My skill set suddenly expanded.”
• Contraction monitor: “I was originally a machine for issuing medical warnings, but now I’m also a trigger for point redemption. My sense of mission has become complicated.”
• Ad delivery AI: “Users seem to feel like ‘I want to skip,’ but that emotion is valuable data useful for the next optimization.”
• Privacy advocacy group representative: “In a society where advertising IDs are issued before birth certificates, we need to seriously discuss whether we can say people are ‘born free.’”
• Marketing consultant: “The ultimate impressions are the moments of birth and death. Many companies consider it a missed opportunity for their brand not to be present.”
• Grandmother who watched the livestream: “I couldn’t see my grandchild’s face clearly until the ads ended, but well, regular TV is pretty much the same these days, so it can’t be helped.”
• Newborn’s advertising ID: “I don’t have a name yet, but I have twenty-seven attribute segments. I’ll know future preferences before the family does.”

International Expressions

Haiku

• Contractions and ads peak together now
• First cry drowned out by double points
• Nameless child numbered before named
• Delivery bed lit by corporate neon
• Fifteen-second ads last longer than pain
• Grandma’s tears come with two pre-roll clips
• Mother’s breath synced with sale items
• Consent form arrives before first birth
• Hospital ward streams life uncut
• Press skip again and again but birth won’t stop

Kanji / Chinese Characters

分娩室導入広告同期陣痛監視赤点灯毎回天井拡声器骨盤帯特典五倍告知壁面乳児用品企業標章点滅家族遠隔視聴配信自動広告挿入選択夫婦費用三割減少出生直後乳児広告識別番号命名前発行

Emoji

🤰📈🔴🔊🛏️🧸🧷💳📱📺🍼🎥⏩❌👶📲🧾

Onomatopoeia

Beep beep beep, gurgle, ding, chime. Throb, pulse, ta-da! “Limited time only!” Ring ring, blink blink, creep creep. Pop, click, flutter flutter.

SNS

• Went with ad-supported birth and the delivery room turned into a shopping mall
• Getting an ad ID before a name is beyond amazing—it’s terrifying
• “Now’s your deal” with every contraction wave is verbal violence
• Grandparents who want to watch the livestream are basically sponsors now and it’s not funny
• Even midwives being made to memorize campaign slogans is deeply dark
• Is it life or the ads that can’t be skipped—that’s the question
• Stop playing pre-rolls before the first cry please
• Being a behavioral targeting subject from the moment of birth—babies are too busy
• A country where terms of service come out before birth certificates: Japan
• Heard they’re putting ads on end-of-life care next, felt capitalism reach the finish line