Giving Birth to My (Book) (Baby)

Four hundred thousand characters that look just like Mom!

I’m very postpartum. I delivered a healthy 130,000 word baby in October, and the initial adrenaline rush was real: A relief, followed by a surge of elation that buoyed me for days. And then, splat.

Photo by Susan Wilkinson on Unsplash

I wasn’t postpartum when I had my son, not much, anyway. I admit that right after he was born, I missed the attention that being pregnant brings you—sometimes that attention can be annoying and intrusive but most of the time it’s very adorable. Now all that adoration was directed to my squalling infant, and I was a little jealous. I was also on the downside of a steep nine-month climb, and I missed feeling so purposeful, so goal-oriented. Knock on wood, I didn’t suffer the extreme symptoms of postpartum depression—very real and very dire—but I did take note of the slump that comes after crossing the finish line.

Writing a book is uncannily similar to pregnancy and birth. Getting a contract is as thrilling as two pink lines on the First Response test strip: Game on! It’s dizzying and dreamy, all wish fulfillment and fantasy. This is going to be the best (baby) (book) the world has ever seen! You’re already planning your (baby shower) (book party). And of course, choosing a name.