Our ninth baby, is now over three months old. He is growing well. Born at only 5lb 14oz (tying our oldest, as our smallest baby) he is growing well and is an absolute joy. His first weeks he nursed about every hour and a half to two hours during the day, and a feeding sometimes took up to half an hour when you included burp time and changing a diaper halfway through. That adds up to a lot of time on the couch during the day. As he's gotten older, he nurses less frequently, but it still takes up quite a bit of time.
When I have a nursing baby, I have to slow down the pace of my life considerably. I cannot plan to do near as much in a day, and getting ready to go anywhere takes much longer as I need to plan nursing time into my getting ready time. I have to plan simpler meals, and often choose meals that I can prepare (at least part of them) earlier in the day, so that at mealtime there is not so much time required all in one chunk. My children have to be more patient as they wait for me to finish with the baby to help them with different things. My older children (meaning anyone over 2) need to be more helpful, as my next youngest (who IS 2) often needs help with things while I am on the couch nursing. I have more time to sit and think and ponder than when I do not have a nursing little one. This is truly a blessing. I sit and think about a talk I've read, a scripture I've studied, or just ponder on the needs of my children and how I can help them develop and grow to be their best selves. I sometimes pray silently (when the room is quiet), and listen for answers as I nurse. I also realize that I spend more time having quality conversation with my children when I have a nursing baby. I think the simple fact that I am sitting still, and am not running around getting things done, makes them more likely to sit down by me and just talk about life.
I think that nursing teaches me that doing less actually results in doing more of the things that really matter. I may not be organizing a closet, or heading up a homeschool book club, canning quarts of tomatoes, painting my bedroom, or growing a beautiful vegetable garden, but I am nourishing a sweet little spirit with mother's milk, nourishing my own spirit with scripture and prayer, and strengthening relationships with my children that will last throughout eternity. …not a bad way to spend my time!!
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