A Team

Mama,

It can be such a busy time right now.

You are in the thick of it, with all the things to do, and never enough time.

The washing, the changing nappies, the rocking, the routine, the lack of routine, the playing, the cooking, the cleaning, the “you time” which may or may not come.

And on top of all of that, there’s the feeding them.

You are always feeding them,

Whether that be by breast, by bottle, or by a combination of both.

And I know at times it can feel like just another thing on the to-do list.

Just another thing weighing down the load you carry.

Just another thing that there’s never enough time for.

You stop everything else you may have started, to feed them.

You start nothing else you need to, to feed them.

You feed them night and day, day after day, night after night.

Because you are their lifeline.

You are helping them grow.

They are the most important thing on any list you may not have made a dent in since this morning, yesterday, or last week.

But perhaps they are your lifeline too.

Perhaps the act of stopping to feed them during the day is their way of giving you life.

Perhaps all that time spent feeding them on the couch, in the bed, within the arms of the rocking chair, is actually their way of slowing you down.

Of centering you.

Of giving you permission to see the moments of connection, dependence and love before everything else.

And I know you would rather not have your sleep stopped at night,

But perhaps the act of stopping to feed them in darkness is their way of preparing you for life after this chapter.

Preparing you by showing a resilience you never knew you had.

A resilience that won’t stop after they no longer wake you with their cries, but as you wake yourself with a worry for them that never leaves.

So Mama feeding your baby around the clock right now, I see you.

You are there for them always, and it’s incredible.

But they are there for you too, in ways that you may not have considered yet.

You are there for each other.

And what an incredible team you are!