Mothers, fathers, and mothers-in-law in Bangladesh each responded to different types of messaging from community health workers counseling families on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition. Key motivators were improved fetal growth and child intelligence, while improved maternal health was the least motivating outcome, even among mothers. Persuasion on maternal rest required the most intensive effort, which resulted in scientifically inaccurate messaging. Training and monitoring to address flawed counseling narratives are critical.