Emily Glover

In the nearly six months since I welcomed my first child, I haven’t slept more than five consecutive hours. So excuse my audible groan upon hearing of Meghann Foye’s call for “meternity leave.”

Sending words into the world is a privilege — as well as a heavy responsibility.

My goal isn’t just to raise a son who can avoid the trappings of eating disorders. It’s to help him actively embrace who he is, on all levels.

In my work as an entertainment writer, some of the easiest stories are the post-baby body reveals. You know the type: “Within three days of delivery, Celebrity Person shed any trace her womb housing a growing baby for the past 10 months! Look at those abs!”

Pregnancy has the potential to be one of the happiest times in a woman’s life.

Most days, I find good reasons to be optimistic about the way diverse figures are celebrated in the media.

“It will be long,” they told me. “It will likely be days after your due date,” they advised. “Everything will begin slowly with breaks between contractions,” they said. They lied.