A mother's sacrifice.

Business aside. This post is very personal. An issue that has nagged at me for years now. I am a regular woman, I eat healthy most of the time and always try to find balance in all aspects of my life. Sure, I am not the "go to the gym everyday and burn a million calories" kind of gal but I try to keep active as much as I can. I have a weirdly shaped body, I have scrawny limbs and carry all of my weight around my belly. I always have. And apparently there are quite a few tactless people out there to remind me of this fact. We struggled to conceive the first time. Every month I would hope that THIS was the month that my dream of becoming a mother would be my new reality. It was a heartbreaking journey. Frustration. Failure. Struggle. Emptiness. All I wanted to be was a mother. Everything I had previously done had left me longing for a deeper purpose. Something was always missing. Several strangers who speak without thinking first asked me if I was expecting before we were making the difficult journey to conceive even more heartbreaking. Now 8 months post baby and I have run into more of these people. Complete strangers who don't know...When is baby #2 due...your children will be so close in age...NO, No, they won't BECAUSE I AM NOT PREGNANT! But thanks for inadvertently calling me fat. It got me thinking about the sacrifice women make to have children. My belly will never look the same. The stretch marks may fade but they will never completely disappear. I have felt nauseous every single time my son has nursed since he was born 8 months ago. I just had my gall bladder removed because of gall stone formation that occurred due to high estrogen levels during my pregnancy...Sacrifice. I loved being pregnant. Sure, I was HUGE by the end and people thought for sure I was having twins but it was all worth it. I got to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. It was so amazing to see my belly transform and see the little kicks. I loved the copious amounts of doctors visits because I got to hear his little heart beating away every time I went. I can't wait for the next pregnancy. So, the next time you think someone looks pregnant, think twice about making a comment unless the information is offered to you. No one wants to feel bad about their sacrifice. Motherhood is admirable. There is no end to how far a mother will go for her children. I know I would give my life for my baby. Don't make us feel bad about the sacrifices we make. Here is a photo of my boy, the reason I breathe, my true purpose in life.