A writer reflects on the challenges of balancing motherhood and writing, comparing the process of birthing a book to birthing a child—painful, thankless, yet ultimately rewarding. At a party with novelists, the conversation turned to the struggles of parenting, particularly when a writer couldn’t attend due to a sick child and a cancelled babysitter. The host remarked on how difficult it can be to maintain friendships with parents, and the writer sheepishly admitted to having two young children. She humorously vented about friends obsessing over parenting details, like tracking babies’ poops, which led to laughter among the group.
