She: A Poem for Motherhood

She: A Poem for Motherhood

She had a water birth at home in her bedroom,

You had a emergency cesarean section.

She didn’t ‘do it’ better than you, she did ‘it’ too.

She got her epidural and things went smoothly.

You had forceps and an episiotomy.

She didn’t ‘do it’ better than you, she did ‘it’ too.

She went into labour at 39 weeks,

You were induced at 42+6.

She didn’t ‘do it’ better than you, she did ‘it’ too.

She had a quick birth, just a few hours

You had a marathon, 3 long days of surges

She didn’t ‘do it’ better than you, she did ‘it’ too.

Her baby took to breastfeeding and they fed for a year,

You expressed for a bit, then used formula.

She didn’t ‘do it’ better than you, she did ‘it’ too.

Hers was sleeping, 8 weeks in, through the night

Yours was co-sleeping at 2, which you liked.

She didn’t ‘do it’ better than you, she did ‘it’ too.

She reads a poem about her and about you,

You think she’s ‘she’

She thinks you’re ‘she’ too.

.

.

.

Let her do her,

and you do you.

A Poem for Motherhood, by Megan Rossiter