How Breastfeeding Compares To Exercise
I want to understand my wife better.
A constant argument with my wife is about who’s more tired. Don’t beat me just yet, (read) hear me out.
Sometimes our son wakes up in the middle of the night, and he takes a bit longer than usual to fall asleep again. Usually, I have to get up and walk with him in my arms until he sleeps. This can take from thirty minutes to two hours in total. Not like two hours straight non-stop, but still, my back hurts.
Another way that he sleeps is in my wife’s breast, with both lying in bed. He’s two and a half and still breastfeeds! And yes, we co-sleep too — but that’s another story.
My wife says it consumes all her energy; she gets exhausted. And I’d like to understand her better, if possible. I absolutely believe her; it’s more curiosity on my part. She also says that she never sleeps properly when he’s on her breast (although I hear her snoring). Then it’s always the discussion about who should stay with him during the night — myself walking back and forth or her breastfeeding him.
For instance, does one hour of breastfeeding equals one hour of running at ten km per hour of speed? My wife said that one hour of breastfeeding feels like one hour of walking at an intense pace. But she’s not quite sure. I can imagine it must be hard to explain to men. It’s like the labor pain, I suppose. We can’t possibly know.
The other day I told two other moms that my wife breastfeeds our two and half-year-old son, and both were shocked! They felt so much pity for her, for how tiring she must be.
I truly believe in my wife’s effort and appreciate it. Again, don’t get me wrong; all I want is to understand better the energy cost in practical terms.
I’m looking forward to your comments.
