The View From Here: It’s Mother’s Day and I’m pregnant
Happy Mother’s Day. To me.
I’ll say it because at more than five months pregnant and with Doc giving me the word that all is relatively well for now, it’s time to come out of the closet, so to speak.
I thought I had the word spread around town pretty thoroughly, deliberately dropping the news here and there in the hopes that I wouldn’t have to tell every single person I know, but that plan didn’t work out too well.
So here I’ve been for the past five months, with not much more than baby on the brain and few people outside my relative inner circle even knowing about it. I guess that’s a good thing — that means people aren’t gossiping about me. And I don’t know if they care, but since it’s Mother’s Day and I’m about to be a mother again — nine years after the birth of our son, like it or not — it’s about all I can think about, apologies to all.
Expecting is a whole different world this time around. Gadgets, ultrasounds, and even drawing blood have improved dramatically within the past decade. One big thing I’ve noticed is that it’s one thing to go through this in private. It’s another to be a waddling around in public with a camera and a notebook at a much slower pace than before and expecting people to take me seriously.
And how could they, of course, when it seems like every maternity outfit in the world is either sleeveless (a bad idea unless you’ve got model-like arms) or frilly. It’s as if the maternity-clothes makers think women turn into glowing champions of happiness the minute they conceive and that their clothes should reflect it.
Besides offending the entire office with inappropriate work attire, that’s about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. And while some women shine while they are with child, I guess I’m not one of them.
I’m more apt to take something the wrong way these days than become the wearer of ruffled shirts. After being sick, gaining weight, restricting activities, running to the rest room a lot and worrying about the future, frilly stuff is the least of my concerns.
But so as not to make this column all about me, me, me, which is something most expecting mothers do since it’s such a major life change, here’s few tips for the last minute Mother’s Day shopper on what mothers may want, and they don’t cost a dime:
• Appreciation. There’s nothing better. Modern mothers often work and then still do all of the things they did before they went to work. Add a child and there’s three full-time jobs. Considering how much it would cost to have someone else do these things for the family might make it easier to give it.
• Compliments. Saying something nice matters, especially if it comes from a spouse or a child. What better way to make a mom feel good than to give her a compliment?
• Consideration. How many times has your mother picked up after, fed, clothed and bathed you and otherwise tirelessly provided for you? If you don’t know, you should consider it. If you know, chances are you’re on solid ground with your mother or significant other who is a mother.
• A day to relax. This is something women with new babies would give their right hands for, but something all mothers need. If it’s not possible to go away for a day, a couple of hours would be a great thing.
There’s a few ideas. Since my chances of new and improved (affordable) maternity styles are slim, maybe I can make a push for these things to occur more often. I believe that despite social shifts where fathers are playing a bigger role in kids’ lives, moms still bear the brunt of the responsibility. Saying thanks in different ways one day out of the year is the least we can all do.
(Amy Satterwhite is a reporter for the Standard. She can be reached at 473-2191.)