When you have a belly the size of a beach ball and you can’t see your toes any longer, people tend to pamper you. They offer you something to eat or drink every 15 minutes, they pick things up off the ground for you, and they will even let you cut in line at the grocery store. Being pregnant was awesome! The world revolved around me, er, my belly, for 9 months. Every day I woke up feeling like a walking miracle factory.

I had a very easy pregnancy. The only drawback was occasional heartburn which was totally manageable. I could sleep in until 10 and take a nap whenever I wanted and nobody would accuse me of being lazy. In fact, everyone said I needed my rest and encouraged me to rest. Annnnd I was encouraged to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. (Eat your heart out, Oprah).

Then the baby came. My taunt round belly deflated to a flabby balloon and there was no time for sleeping whatsoever. Nobody gave me unsolicited smiles or perks of any kind. Plus, I had to share my baby with the world. Double whammy. She was no longer mine alone.

It’s easy to feel like chopped liver as a new mummy. Nobody is fawning over you anymore, but really they never were. While I had my baby bump, all the attention wasn’t really for me, it was for the life growing inside. Now, I’ll gladly step aside to let my daughter have the spotlight because I know that for the next handful of years I’ll still be numero uno in her eyes. That’s enough to make me feel like filet mignon!