Woman, Mother.

I have always said that some of us are vicious in our defense of these words precisely because they have been EARNED.

We earned the title of WOMAN (not uterus owner, not vagina-owner, not AFABs) by moving through childhood and maidenhood as females in female bodies having female experiences and rites of passage.

We earn the title of MOTHER (not birthing person, not gestational parent) through the battle and holy ritual of birth.

We claim the act of BREASTFEEDING (not chestfeeding) by bringing the needful mouth of our babies to our breasts, time after time, hour after hour, often for literal years (or, alternatively, pumping of course). It is the most potent example of a labor of love.