When I was pregnant with my first child three years ago, I fantasized about hosting a ?Meet the Baby? celebration?a mashup of that ornate scene in Coming to America where Prince Akeem meets Princess Imani and the ceremony in The Lion King where Rafiki hoists Simba in the air. Family and friends would mill about the venue, decorated with hibiscus flowers and gold candles, indulging in goblets of rum punch and plates of Caribbean hors d?oeuvres while awaiting our entrance. And what an entrance it would be! A chorus of dancers and drummers would burst into the hall, and my husband and I would follow behind, rocking some dazzling outfits while lifting our beautiful baby in the air to welcome her to the fold.
It didn?t pan out the first time around, but as I approach the impending birth of my second child, I?ve been daydreaming about it again. You see, I?m a woman who has seen some highs and lows on this motherhood journey. Making it out of a pregnancy with a healthy baby and a healthy me is cause for celebration, which is why I fiercely defend other moms and moms-to-be?particularly black women?who choose to celebrate as well. All too often, even if you?re as fabulous and fierce as Beyoncé or Serena Williams, others want you to behave the way they think mothers should behave. It?s time we talk about where these judgments come from and why we need to blow up the boxes these stereotypes put us in. Whether it?s on Facebook or on the playground, I?ve been surprised by both the we...