In my Hospital Bag and Kate Middleton's, too.
It's time to pack my hospital bag. I'm including all the usual items, including one big important (and incredibly cheesy) item: a little extra grace for my post-birth bod.
I'm not quite a super (read psycho) fan of Will & Kate, but I am fascinated by them. They seem to be trying to modernize their role and make it a little human, relatable even. This couldn't have been more true for their grand first appearance with George. (Vivi and George have play dates planned so we've dropped the formalities of calling him Prince).
Want to know the first thing I noticed when they made their grand appearance?
Split ends!
Yep, Kate had them. I'm not a hair doctor or anything but it looked similar to my hair - and I have them sooo you see how I diagnosed it. Those split ends sure made me smile. Why, you ask? Because it reminded the world that Kate is a real girl. Her nails were unpainted and if you saw any photos from the side you were kindly reminded that even the skinniest gals still look at least a few months pregnant after birth.
Ironically, no one was scrutinizing these so called flaws. Everyone was talking about how glowing she was. And some may have even thought: I'd kill for those arms a day after my baby was born.
She did look great. But to Kate, I'm sure all mothers can attest, she wasn't feeling at the top of her game. Her arms were probably bigger than normal for her. And she is used to looking completely polished in public. And by public, I don't mean her facebook friends, I mean the entire free world. That glow you saw wasn't the glow of a completely primped and gene-enviable girl.
IT WAS MOTHERHOOD.
It's a beautiful thing. On everyone. Even those of us who don't look like Kate.
Meanwhile, our princess of the US of A is still hiding out in her family compound after two months since giving birth awaiting that fateful day when she is comfortable with her body. I'm looking at you, Kim Kardashian. Part of me understands her reasoning. She had a LOT of haters during her pregnancy, so it's hard to blame her. But, I think she's only perpetuating the idea that we should bounce back immediately or even be expected to look great right after hours and hours of the most intense pain/workout of our life.
You might not have a strong opinion on England's royalty, but I think we can all agree, Kate made a way for future post-birth moms. Or so I hope.
Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I won't be slapping on a little powder and mascara after Vivi's birth. My sister has already been dubbed my royal primper and we've gone over the importance of this role. Like Kate's doctors, she won't be allowed to drink anything but water for days before just to ensure her accuracy and attention to detail. But it does mean I'll be happy letting others photograph me after Vivi is born, even though I'm sure my face will be swollen, my hair will no doubt be crispy and crunchy, the results of dried sweat, and my arms will be bigger than I thought possible. No amount of pulling them away from my body at the perfect angle will change that.
How beautiful to capture those moments when I'm completely smitten with this brand new little person who will invade my life and my heart for eternity?
I may not be ready for everything motherhood has to throw at me but I'm ready to accept my post-birth appearance in all it's glory.
And if for any reason I start to get overly concerned with how I look, I'll kindly ask my husband to check the bag for that extra grace I packed - right next to the grownup diapers and nipple cream.