When does motherhood start?

So my sister and I had a conversation yesterday which made me think of a conversation I had with another friend about a year ago. At the time we were discussing when does a mother become a mother? My friend (who shall remain nameless) believes that you are not actually a mother until the day your child is born. To be honest I really didn't have an opinion on the subject as I was not a mother so I felt I could not possibly understand the full extent of a mother's love. However, things have changed.

If you ask me my answer is simple, I became a mother on April 10, 2011. This was the day that my life changed as I know it. I no longer worried about just Steve and myself my world suddenly revolved around a tiny lil human that I have yet to meet. My actions suddenly did not just effect me they effected my child. My friend's argument was that as a mother you had protect your child and help them grow up. She believed these were things you can not do for a child a in the womb. Well I have a whole perspective on said topic. I live everyday protecting and helping my 13 1/2 week old baby grow. He/She already means more to me then my own life. To me that is what being a mother really means.

I still do not claim to know the full extent of a mother's love, but I can only image what an amazing journey Steve and I are embarking on as parents.