Pregnancy is a privilege! Even the largest of trust funds, most beautiful & glamorous of lifestyles can't trump the privilege of creating life. I feel grateful everyday I get to carry this little one & to be one of the privileged women to become a Mom.
While I know in my soul that pregnancy is a great honor there are many hindrances along the way that start to chip away at life's greatest privilege. Most people wouldn't consider bi-monthly visits to the doctor's office much of a privilege, especially if there is substantial waiting room time associated with the visit. NO wine, NO soft cheese, NO deli meat, NO sushi, LIMIT fish consumption, LIMIT caffeine, NO diet coke, those limitations on consumption certainly don't make one feel very privileged. What about the day you read a pregnancy website & they tell you to get rid of your facial products that contain salicylic acid, retinol, or essential oils? No home-pampering during pregnancy? No hot tubs, stay out of the heat, keep your hot bath luke warm, don't sunbathe or you will get stretch marks. What about the camping trip when everyone is dousing themselves in bug spray & you get to watch them repel the mosquitos from themselves, meanwhile taking the brunt of the bites! Forget about finding relief from allergies, colds, or the flu, most medications are not approved for use during pregnancy. Swollen feet, swollen hands, puffy eyes, leg cramps, weight gain, & more weight gain. For those of us with 2nd trimester complications: don't exercise, don't lift heavy objects, stay off your feet, pelvic rest (aka no SEX), weekly injections & more & more visits to the doctor. You start to feel like you can't so much as sneeze without having your doctor on-call in case it is a big one! None of this would lead one to believe they are living a privileged life. So while it takes a lot of mental toughness to continue to believe that pregnancy is God's greatest gift it would be nice to have a few token privileges.
Well just when I started to feel like no one recognized how special us preggos really are I pulled into the Best Buy parking lot to find 3 parking spaces front & center & in the shade, labeled "Stork Parking- for expectant mothers". How great is that?! I've started to notice "Stork Parking" signs more & more & sometimes at the most random places. So what we used to be termed "Rock-star Parking" can now actually be called "Stork Parking"! I find myself going to Best Buy to buy a pack of gum & a water, just so I can use the "Stork Parking". I even noticed a "Stork Parking" spot at our local Shakespeare Theater, which I will greatly enjoy this coming Wednesday when we attend an outdoor performance with friends. Whoever thought of Stork Parking is brilliant! Aside from the obvious convenience of not having to make long treks through parking lots with swollen feet & lop-sided weight distribution, it is a privilege to be pregnant so why not enjoy a few token privileges along the way?! Hats off to you Best Buy, Toys'r'us, Boise Shakespeare Festival, & all of you other businesses who appreciate that you don't have to be Paris Hilton to be truly privileged!
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