A Year in the Life of a Breastfeeding Mother

500+ hours

That is the (grossly underestimated) time a mother sacrifices to nurse her wee babe for a year.  That’s overlooking the 8+ number of feedings a mother commits to during the early days and weeks.  That’s glossing over the varying lengths of those feedings and the hours of demand, often in the middle of the night when the mother is passed out, trying to grab whatever shut-eye she can.  That’s obtusely ignoring all the moments of indecision a mother spends wondering–did she eat enough?  will she wake again because she’s hungry?  should I feed her now and forego a feeding in an hour?  And on and on…

But the mother presses on and continues and it is so beautiful she can’t imagine ever doing anything else.  She can’t imagine stopping one second early because the thought of providing for her little one is so heartwarming and good.  It completes her and defines her and the physicians say that’s the way she should aim to do it.  So she does.  And thanks be to God, it goes well.

For 500+ hours.  For 365 days.  For an entire year.

And this is the product:

So she’d do it all again in a heartbeat.  All 500+ hours.

But boy is she glad to be done!  You mean mom doesn’t have to be chained to the nursing rocker all day anymore?!  Can I get an amen?!