I woke up today, to find the following picture in my inbox:
This is nurse Li Baoxia, breastfeeding an infant undergoing surgery. And for a million reasons, my heart sings just looking at this image.
The one month old baby boy was having surgery in a Chinese hospital earlier this week, but since the surgery required only a local anaesthetic, he was awake during the operation.
As the little boy cried and wriggled, nurse Li Baoxia decided to offer him her breast. As a lactating mother herself, she wet-nursed the infant, who then settled in her arms - allowing the operation to continue successfully.
The medical team present described the experience as "incredibly moving"* and the boy's father's gratitude was captured so beautifully below:
"Thank you! You didn't only treat my child, you also nursed him! As a father, you have my endless gratitude. You are an angel nurse!"*
This is the second time in just a couple of months that milk sharing has hit headlines. Back in August, the post that I shared of Jessica Anne Colletti, nursing both her own son and her friend's son, went viral overnight - showing that this is a conversation that needs to be had.
Because we live in a world where breastfeeding still makes front-page news. In some instances, such as Jessica's story and Tanya's story before her, breastfeeding divides audiences...informed versus uninformed...yet in this case, I am hopeful that audiences will be a little more united.
Because really, this is a case of one human being, stepping up and soothing an infant in the most efficient and natural way that she could find in the moment.
In reality, this is a story of mother nature and modern medicine working together in harmony.
Above all else, this is - quite simply - a story of motherhood.
Like what you read? Related posts:
- I Breastfeed My Friend's Son...What's The Big Deal?
- The Two Breastfeeding Photos That Have Left The World Speechless
- 4 Words Every Breastfeeding Mother Needs To Hear
