Can’t make it to a Virtual Big Latch On event?
A fellow mother posted the following comment to our mom’s group Facebook page recently: “I track breastfeeding in an app pretty religiously. Doug breastfed 366 times for a total of 94 hours and 52 minutes his first month of life. Alice breastfed 297 times for a total of 97 hours and 54 minutes her first month. Parenting is hardcore.”
When I worry about what I’ve been doing with my time, I’m going to dig these statistics out.
Whether you breastfeed, express milk or bottle feed, these numbers represent a lot of work and a lot of time. 24 hours a day. It’s non stop. It’s relentless. And you have to fit these hours spent feeding into your regular schedule. It’s no wonder you can feel stretched in the early days and It’s no surprise that you feel tired (and often hungry).
As I am terrible at tracking the details like this, my friend’s post really got me thinking. Are these statistics similar for all babies in their first month of life? Where can I find statistics like this? Or, will statistics like this become more commonplace as the apps for tracking feeding, diapering and recording baby’s health continue to be used by parents?
I have a feeding app downloaded to my smartphone but honestly, I have used it only inconsistently. My friend’s post made me wish I had used it more so that as well as being easily able to see patterns in my infant’s behaviour, I could be bolstered by seeing just how much work I have been doing. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have anyone cheering me on each time I sit down to feed my child, it’s become very routine. How nice to see the work you’re doing validated in clear numbers.
What are your thoughts on breastfeeding apps? Do you have one you love? Do you give yourself credit for the amount of work you are doing?
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