So last night, as I was waking up to pee for the 3rd time before midnight, I had some grumbling thoughts about the challenges of physically carrying a developing baby in your uterus. All the changes your body goes through and how big and immobile and uncomfortable you can feel at times... it occurred to me that I may go through all this again at some point while trying to have a second one (tough to even think about that right now!!). The thought crossed my mind that it sure would be nice if Scott could take on the pregnancy responsibilities next time.
So what if men could get pregnant? What if it were a choice for the couple to make? Honey, why don't you do the fetus developing this time around? Imagine how that would go...
Morning sickness.
No beer drinking.
No soccer playing.
No surfing once your belly is too big to paddle.
No sleeping on your stomach. Or your back.
Peeing 75 times/day.
Maternity clothes.
Excess hormones.
I'm not sure men could handle it. You know how most men are when they get sick... very dramatic... can't get off the couch type stuff when they have a cold. There must be a reason why women were the chosen ones to handle the awesome responsibility of growing babies.
But then I also got to thinking... what if Scott really was the one with the growing baby? How would I feel having missed out on the little changes that you notice... the first fluttering movement... the first real kick... the first time you see your belly move with the bigger kicks... the odd odd thought that there is a little person inside of me! I think I would feel left out in some way if rather than experiencing these things I was just hearing about them second hand from Scott. Crazy enough, I think I would actually feel some degree of jealousy of what he would be experiencing.
My guess is that it gets even better for us pregnant women. We'll get a gold medal for the laboring process (we do get a gold medal, don't we?), and then we get the satisfaction of knowing that we grew this little one. We took care of it while it was developing inside us, and we'll take care of it while it develops in the outside world. That's pretty cool.
Anyway, I gotta go. Have to go pee again.
1 comment:
You have a great positive outlook of looking at pregnancy and childbearing. I am having some struggles thinking why can't my husband, who isn't into competitive running or crazy about being athletic/active carry the child so that I can continue my normal schedule and life? I know it is very selfish, but I feel very resentful right now, and I don't want to hear from people telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing. It is a good thought and was helpful to read your part about feeling the little flutters - I am not that far yet (13 wks), but it should be good!
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