So You're Having a Baby

While having a baby has always been considered a joyful occasion (not counting abortions), these days a declaration of pregnancy is akin to announcing you've discovered a cure for cancer. Suddenly nothing else matters. In fact, except for all the animals, the whole "baby bump" thing has become a viable replacement for the now defunct Ringling Brothers Circus.

It was not always so. Way back in the 1800s most women gave birth at home with nary a balloon in sight, and certainly no confetti. Sometimes the bundle of joy arrived while Mom was working out in the fields, and after she got herself together she just kept on picking. Even as recently as 1987, when I gave birth to my son, one wore maternity clothes instead of skin-tight Spanx, and exposing your naked, basketball-sized tummy to every Tom, Dick and Harry was strictly verboten.

Baby showers have always been around, but mostly they were attended by a small group of women who sipped on wine and munched on snacks while watching the mom-to-be open all the presents. Those days are over. Recently a young pregnant friend of mine coordinated a catered baby shower with open bar attended by 80 people, men included. Wow, think of all the gifts she got! Then, just a few months later it's time for the Gender Reveal party, which naturally requires more gifts and maybe even a video posted on Facebook. I wonder who's got time for all this?

Ironically, when push comes to shove (literally) the only one actually having the baby is the mom, and that's when she could use a little help from her friends. Alas, few of them are around to share those contractions, not to mention the 2 AM feedings, the endless dirty diapers, the constant ear infections, the inevitable strep throats, the chicken pox, all the inoculations and those horrid early dentist visits.