Mummy?

Today I was thinking and I remembered reading a thread on a forum I frequent about when you become a Mum. There was a lot of discussion about it. Some said that you are a mother from the moment of conception others said not until the baby is born.

I don't know where I stand. *If* you consider motherhood starts from the moment of conception, what happens when you have a miscarriage? Do you get un-mumed, or do you stay as a mum. I'd like to consider myself a mother from the moment of conception and possibly if I was still pregnant I would be referring to myself as Mumma Woggie and not Mrs. Woggie.

I guess "physically" you are not a mother until you give birth to a baby, but I've carried a little live one inside me (albeit unsuccessfully and only for a very short time) but still enough.

So from dictionary.com

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - /ˈmʌðər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[muhth-er] –noun

1.	a female parent.

2.	(often initial capital letter) one's female parent.

3.	a mother-in-law, stepmother, or adoptive mother.

4.	a term of address for a female parent or a woman having or regarded as having the status, function, or authority of a female parent.

5.	a term of familiar address for an old or elderly woman.

6.	mother superior.

7.	a woman exercising control, influence, or authority like that of a mother: to be a mother to someone.

8.	the qualities characteristic of a mother, as maternal affection: It is the mother in her showing itself.

9.	something or someone that gives rise to or exercises protecting care over something else; origin or source.

10.	(in disc recording) a mold from which stampers are made.

–adjective

11.	being a mother: a mother bird.

12.	of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a mother: mother love.

13.	derived from or as if from one's mother; native: his mother culture.

14.	bearing a relation like that of a mother, as in being the origin, source, or protector: the mother company and its affiliates; the mother computer and its network of terminals.

–verb (used with object)

15.	to be the mother of; give origin or rise to.

16.	to acknowledge oneself the author of; assume as one's own.

17.	to care for or protect like a mother; act maternally toward.

–verb (used without object)

18.	to perform the tasks or duties of a female parent; act maternally: a woman with a need to mother.

—Idiom

19.	mother of all, the greatest or most notable example of: the mother of all mystery novels.

I guess in some form of the word I can be classified as a mother, paying particular attention to

9.something or someone that gives rise to or exercises protecting care over something else; origin or source.

and

17.to care for or protect like a mother; act maternally toward.

I most certinaly did exercise protecting care over Baby Woggie, I was more careful of what went into my body than I have ever been at any other time of my life. Coffee went, chocolate went, anything that wasn't grown out of the ground and freshly prepared by me, for me went out the window. So according to that I could be classed as a mother.

I also acted maternally toward Baby Woggie I sang to him or her, I talked to him or her and said goodnight to him or her, told him or how much I was in love with them.

I don't feel like a mother though, I failed in keeping my baby healthy and alive, and I have nothing that looks and me and gives me love. So I guess I'm not really a mother, not yet anyway.

I'd be interested in hearing other opinions on this.