Super Mommy: Why Motherhood is like being a Superhero

Becoming a mother is kind of like being bitten by a radioactive spider. It hurts, and you're not always sure what is happening. Your body is changing in uncomfortable ways and you're not sure you'll ever be the same again. Those new tricks your body does are sometimes fascinating and other times just plain gross. Your stomach even starts to swell like the site of a spider bite, only significantly larger. The transformation into motherhood comes with discomfort and pain. But then, there is a small creature who looks up at you and to him or her, you are the most powerful being in the world. You are Super Mommy!

Of course, that doesn't come with knowing everything you need to know. After all, Professor Xavier needed a whole academy to teach the X-Men. There is a wealth of knowledge available to new mothers, but every child (mutant or not) is different. Your child may want to be held at precisely a thirty degree angle when drinking a bottle at exactly room temperature of a specific formula… while another just sucks down any food source provided without complaint. Don't be afraid if your little Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk when you don't get it just right the first time. Being Super Mommy doesn't mean knowing exactly the right thing at the right time; it's caring enough to figure out what the right thing might be.

Even if you don’t always know how to use them, being Super Mommy does give you special powers. Aside from the amazing fact that you  just created a life form, your body continues to support your child's immune system and nutritional needs. While nursing, a baby absorbs the antibodies of the mother for several months. Healing the sick is a pretty important power to have in the superhero world. Other superpowers include creating food, functioning on little or no sleep, an instinctual awareness of a crying baby, and releasing a scent that your child recognizes as yours and finds reassuring (even if you think you're stinky). Your Super Mommy singing voice may sound hoarse to your ears, but your little one was listening to those vibrations since the moment he had ears. They'll enjoy it better than the Black Canary's song, though it may take a bit more time to put them to sleep.

After that spider bite and Professor X training, you've finally figured out your super powers, right? Great! Now for your secret identity. It's that person you are when your child is with a  babysitter or at daycare. Forgotten all about her? Don't worry: she's still there. Being Super Mommy can be very overwhelming and consuming. It is an amazing experience that will define the rest of your life. However, the non-Mommy you is there somewhere, too, and it's important to find that secret identity. She's that woman who went on dates with Daddy, a man who had a real name before the diaper changes and midnight store runs for teething medicine. Batman was able to be Bruce Wayne sometimes. After all, you're only a bat signal (or a cell phone call) away!

Through everything that comes, you are Super Mommy. You can wipe up drool, clean goo-encrusted fingers, read the same book every night, fly to his side, and give the best hugs and kisses ever. You are special to your child in a way that no one else will ever be. So, fight those supervillain viruses and avert the crisis of teething with all your Super Mommy powers! You are, after all, the best hero your child could have because you have the best super power of them all: love.