On Babies and Motherhood

[peppermintspice]

Warning: For those of you who know my baby-hostile history, the following content may surprise you. Try not to go all essplody from my about-face.My good friend Kenyata became pregnant in April, and it was surprising to both of us how excited I was for her. It is her first child, and as she's anchored in "natural" traditions, she has decided to

Comments

Re: Oh, I dunno.

[peppermintspice]

I figured you'd be one of the "my uterus doesn't define me" commenters. Of course YOU are more than your uterus, true - so is each woman. That's not my point. It's fine to not have or not want kids, and indeed some women simply can't. But the capacity to give birth is the top defining characteristic of being a woman in general. Cold as this may sound - and of course it's my own opinion here - no woman will ever experience the complete fullness of what it means to be a woman until she has been with child. Besides, it's not *just* a biological act - while my post was rooted in the biological process, I am talking just as much about the emotional, mental, and spiritual nurturing characteristic to motherhood.

I am in total agreement about your kid being your top priority (well, after God and your husband hehe) if you have one, and I think that I am also still too selfish. But the hidden implication in my post is that I'm fully admitting to myself and others that one day I may want to have a kid. That's a complete reversal of over 10 years of baby hate - which is pretty momentous :D

I know it is a big change for you.

[sehrnett]

If you're happy with it, I am happy with it.;)

That said, I am emotionally, mentally and spiritually nurturing to all the people in my life, adults and kids. My mom had my kid brother when I was 15. In many ways, I got "out" my need to have a kid with him.

I don't cease to be a woman if I chose not to, or cannot, or become to old to, breed. (Hmmm. That seems like too many commas but you get what I mean.)

And if you say it is about being "with child", does that mean that if I got pregnant and aborted it, that I would be more of a woman because I had done what a biological imperative dictates? Just curious.