Motherhood and Waiting, an original series

Inspired by Belle Boggs’ The Art of Waiting—a freshly construed and wonderfully insightful memoir about fertility, medicine, and the sometimes circuitous path we take to get to motherhood—Motherwell has produced an essay series on the theme of Motherhood and Waiting. With four original pieces plus an excerpt from Boggs’ book itself, this collection explores the profound way in which becoming a parent, and being a parent, is often characterized not by action—but by waiting.

*


Motherhood and Waiting, a Motherwell original series, featuring:

From boys to men, by Lisa Romeo

fromboystomen

All the years of doing and hoping, praying and sculpting—you wait to see if it worked.

*

The Lilac Groveby Leslie Kendall Dye

waitingtodecideifonechildisenough

I waited to feel that my first child was not enough. I waited for a hunger that can be satisfied in only one way.

*

IVF RSVPsby Amy Klein

rsvpivfwaitingandmotherhood

Sorry, can’t make it to the sorority reunion. My thermometer says I’m ovulating!

*

Anticipatory preparationby Zsofia McMullin

motherhoodandwaitinganticipatorypreparation

I wait for sleep, for the fever to break, the tooth to fall out, the rash to go away.

*

Takeover, by Belle Boggs

ivftakeoverwaitingandmoterhood

More than my body and my schedule, IVF took over my mind.

Keep up with Motherwell on FacebookTwitterInstagram and via our newsletter