Ubume

The Ubume is a yokai from Japanese myth. They’re believed to be the ghosts of women who have died in childbirth. They sometimes appear as ghostly women soaked in blood from the waist down. In some versions, the Ubume wanders around saying “be born” over and over. Many stories of the Ubume say they cannot rest until they find a guardian for their child. They may continue to watch over their child, and do not become violent unless their child is harmed. In some versions, they sit on bridges and ask people passing by to hold their child for a moment. When the person holds the child, the Ubume disappears, and the child gets heavier until it can’t be held. The baby is then revealed to be a stone Jizo statue.

Citations:

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.