There are moments in life that make you stop and thank God for letting you witness His design unfolding right before your eyes.
Recently on the Cycles & Sanctity podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing my daughter-in-law, Brenna, a beautiful mother of three who has now been pregnant or breastfeeding continuously for more than five years. As I listened to her describe her journey, I couldn't help but smile.
Not because breastfeeding has always been easy for her.
It hasn't.
I smiled because I have watched her grow.
I've watched her become the confident mother she is today.
And as both a lactation consultant and the mother of eight breastfed children myself, there is something deeply moving about watching the next generation embrace this beautiful gift.
Breastfeeding Is Normal—Even If Our Culture Makes It Feel Unusual
One of the saddest things I see today is that many women begin breastfeeding without ever having seen it.
Years ago, women learned simply by living life. They watched their mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and neighbors nurse their babies. Breastfeeding wasn't something hidden away. It wasn't unusual. It was simply part of motherhood.
Today, many young women leave the hospital having never actually watched another mother breastfeed.
Then they get home and wonder why it feels so overwhelming.
The truth is that breastfeeding isn't difficult because women were made wrong.
It's difficult because we've lost the culture that once surrounded new mothers with wisdom, encouragement, and practical help.
When breastfeeding becomes hidden, it begins to feel abnormal.
But it isn't.
God designed your body for this.
Confidence Doesn't Come Before Breastfeeding
One thing Brenna said during our conversation really stood out to me.
She admitted that even though she knew she wanted to breastfeed and had tremendous support, those first weeks were still incredibly hard.
Her baby wanted to nurse constantly.
She felt tethered to her little one around the clock.
She experienced the exhaustion every new mother knows so well.
Yet today, she speaks about breastfeeding with complete confidence.
What changed?
Not her body.
Not her baby.
She changed.
More accurately, she grew.
Confidence isn't something you have before your first baby.
Confidence is something breastfeeding gives you.
Every challenge you overcome reminds you that you're stronger than you realized.
Every difficult day teaches you something new.
Every milestone builds trust—not only in your baby—but in yourself.
Every Baby Teaches You Something New
People often ask me whether breastfeeding gets easier with each baby.
The answer is yes...and no.
Yes, because you become more confident.
No, because every baby is wonderfully unique.
One baby latches immediately.
Another takes patience.
One sleeps longer.
Another wants to nurse every hour.
One likes routines.
Another rewrites your plans every single day.
What becomes easier isn't necessarily the baby.
It's the mother.
She learns flexibility.
She learns patience.
She learns not to panic when things don't go exactly as planned.
Most importantly, she learns that she can trust herself.
Breastfeeding Multiple Children Is a Gift
One of my favorite moments during the interview was when Brenna talked about nursing while raising toddlers.
Many mothers hear that and immediately think, "That sounds impossible."
I understand why.
But I see something different.
I see a family learning teamwork.
I see older siblings learning patience.
I see a husband stepping in to care for toddlers while Mom nurses the baby.
I see a marriage growing stronger through communication.
I see a mother discovering she is capable of far more than she once believed.
Breastfeeding more than one child over the years doesn't shrink a mother's world.
It expands her heart.
Every season teaches something new.
Every child stretches her love.
And somehow, by giving herself away, she becomes even more herself.
That is one of God's beautiful mysteries.
Helping Mothers Has Been One of My Greatest Joys
For decades, I have had the privilege of walking alongside hundreds of mothers.
I've sat beside women who were ready to quit.
I've helped babies latch.
I've cried with exhausted moms.
I've celebrated weight gains, first smiles, and those beautiful moments when a mother suddenly realizes,
"I can do this."
There is nothing quite like watching confidence replace fear.
Now, years later, I get to experience that same joy in an entirely new way.
I get to watch my own daughter-in-law become that confident mother for someone else.
I get to see her encourage younger moms.
I get to watch her normalize breastfeeding for the next generation.
As a mother and grandmother, there are few gifts greater than that.
You Were Made for This
If you're in those first weeks of breastfeeding and wondering whether you'll ever feel confident, I want you to hear my heart.
This season will not last forever.
One day, you'll realize you haven't thought about positioning or latch all day.
You'll nurse while talking with friends.
You'll feed your baby without second-guessing yourself.
You'll become the encouragement another young mother desperately needs.
That confidence doesn't happen overnight.
It grows one feeding at a time.
One sacrifice at a time.
One day at a time.
And you don't have to make that journey alone.
If you need encouragement, practical support, or simply another mother to remind you that you're doing better than you think you are, I'd love to walk alongside you.
Breastfeeding was never meant to be a journey you travel alone.
It was always meant to be shared from one generation of mothers to the next.
And it would be my honor to walk with you.