Mommy’s little helper

Dear little girl,

You know how I know you love me? You’re already such a big helper.  Just a few examples of how you help me…
You help me go to the bathroom. Just when I think my bladder is empty you give me a swift kick or punch and help those last few drops out. However, when I’m not on the toilet and you do this I have to change my clothes. This is your way of helping me look like a materialistic fashionista who has to change her clothes multiple times throughout the day. 

You have also helped me become a worldlier person. Now I cannot do some of the things I was able to before, causing me to have to explore how other people might do them… like sleeping on my side while keeping my torso completely vertical - bending over with my butt up in the air and then bending my knees like an exotic dancer - or putting on my shoes.

You’ve helped expand my food horizons as well. I couldn’t think of a time before you when I would have even thought to put redi-whip on my cereal. For this, I will be eternally grateful.

But the most important thing – over all other things you’ve helped me with - you’ve helped me to create a voice for myself. Before you I thought there was a strict way of childbirth and it wasn’t until I became pregnant that I learned how to be my own advocate. I could have stayed with my original prenatal care provider. It would have been a lot easier. I wouldn’t receive the completely inappropriate and uncalled for snide remarks I get on a daily basis about an out of hospital birth. I wouldn’t receive the worried looks or questions about my prenatal care or if it’s “as good” as the next persons. My mother wouldn’t be having nightmares about something going wrong during your birth and not being able to make it to the hospital on time. But WE deserve better than that. And even if that’s not how it goes, I’m OK with that. Because you’ve helped me to realize just what it could be like.

So, if I have to put up with swollen extremities and leaking bodily fluids for a few more months, I guess I’m OK with that.