The Toddler Addendum to the Open Door Policy

Ever since I’ve had some awareness about me, I’ve been a relatively modest person. I didn’t walk around in the locker room in my cheerleading sports bra any longer than just to change clothes. I didn’t live in the “naked hall” in the Tri Delta house. I didn’t change in front of my female roommates post college. I’ve given birth in front of Ben, and I still shut the door to the bathroom.

However, nothing breaks the modesty rules like having a child. For me it began at the eight week OB appointment. You know the one I mean – the appointment with the apparatus. I saw that thing and figured that my body was no longer my own. How right I was.

It makes sense really. First, your child lives in your body. Then if you breastfeed, they practically live on it. Then they live attached to it – by your leg, your arm, your waist, your brain, your heart. The adage, one hand, one heart is actually way more applicable to the mother child relationship than the husband wife one.

So now, the girl who was never really all that comfortable with being naked has become a mother who doesn’t think twice about it. I can’t recall the last time I went to the restroom alone or didn’t have company in the shower, and honestly, it’s ok. We’ll have plenty of time to address the complexity of body image. The longer we can put that off, the better. For now, let’s throw modesty out the window. I just hope no one’s peeking into that window.

My newfound laissez faire attitude regarding modesty doesn’t extend to the internet, so I don’t have an appropriate picture of either of us that relates well to this post. I’ll just post a funny naked picture of someone else’s baby instead.