Motherhood is Not Glamorous

Hello, Dearest…

While watching a TV special on the impending royal birth, I was amused when a bookie spoke about the odds of Duchess Kate having a vaginal delivery versus a caesarean section.

“She’s too posh to push,” claimed the man. Too posh to push? That was a new one for me. I don’t know if this man is a father but he clearly has the wrong idea about parenthood. Coming from someone who has had a c-section, let me tell you, there is nothing posh about it. In fact, I have yet to experience anything glamorous about being a mom.

The hours are long … really long as evidenced by the dark circles under my eyes. Even when you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight {if you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight}, nothing pre-pregnancy seems to fit right. My stomach looks like it’s been used as a scratching post for a wild tiger, not to mention my not-so-very-posh c-section scar. And daily showers are a luxury of the past – even with the constant barrage of spit-up, drool and messy diapers I come in contact with.

But I didn’t sign on to become a mom to up my glamour rating {and I highly doubt Duchess Kate thought her severe morning sickness was oh-so-posh}. Being a mom is about opening up your heart and your life to another person. It’s about loving a little one so much that the thought of them not being in your life steals the air from your lungs.

When I look at my daughter’s face {even in the wee morning hours through tired eyes}, I know there is nothing I’d rather do and be than her mother. Her laugh is music to my heart. Her tiny baby toes bring joy to my soul. Being a mother has expanded me – both literally and figuratively – and changed me for the better.

And so, I mother on – amidst spit-up stains and shirts that don’t fit quite right. Glamour? Not a high priority. But it would be nice to take a shower.

“The days are long, but the years are short.”
Gretchen Rubin