If there’s a job in the world more physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing than parenthood in general and motherhood in particular, I have yet to hear of it.
While I would never argue that other jobs aren’t incredibly challenging and complicated, it’s hard to dispute the fact that the job mothers sign on for — carrying a human being, giving birth, and then raising that little baby as they turn into a kid and then an adult over the course of 18 years — is an impossibly heavy burden.
Of course, millions of people do it every single day, and that’s because the rewards of having a child far, far outweigh the difficulties. Every time your child laughs hysterically at nothing, or says, “I love you,” any amount of work and hardship is instantly worth it.
Naturally, though, they still appreciate it in those rare occasions when life cuts them a break, and makes their job just a bit easier.
Take breastfeeding, for example. Though not every mom nurses, those who do need to be able to breastfeed their little one or express milk multiple times for day.
But thanks to this special café, breastfeeding might have just gotten a little easier…
Thumbnail Source: Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately, as we’ve seen time and again, it can be really challenging to find a place to sit down and nurse or pump without offending anyone.
After experiencing that struggle firsthand, one young mom in England is stepping up to the plate to change the conversation about breastfeeding once and for all.
Her name is Charlotte Purdie, and she's the mother of a 1-year-old boy named Bobby.
As a young mom to a newborn, Purdie struggled constantly to find places to sit down and nurse in her first year of motherhood.
Now, seeing a business opportunity and a way to help fellow moms, Purdie is taking matters into her own hands.
The 22-year-old asked her husband to take some time off from work to take care of Bobby, then got to work on her business plan for the Milk Lounge, a specialized cafe in Arnold, Nottingham, specifically designed with the needs of nursing mothers in mind. The business is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.
The Milk Lounge fills a major need in Purdie's community.
After reviewing birth and parenting statistics for the area, Purdie realized that the moms of Nottingham were overdue for a specialized location where they wouldn't have to worry about nursing their babies.
After all, Purdie reasoned, many of them had surely been asked to cover up or take their children elsewhere, as she had been when she was nursing Bobby.
The process of opening the café has not been entirely without incident.
Purdie told the Daily Mail that she started receiving death threats in the middle of the night almost immediately after opening the cafe on April 20, 2016.
Still, no amount of disdain from the community will put a dent in her pride in providing a space for women to breastfeed without fear.
She advertises her café as, foremost, a family-friendly space, where men and women alike are allowed.
The difference from an ordinary café is that she caters to the nursing moms first, with private areas for those who want them, snacks that promote healthy milk, and a lactation consultant on site.
Her café joins a few similar establishments in the U.S., and we hope we see even more of these amazing café moving forward!
If you love Charlotte Purdie's entrepreneurial spirit and compassion for her fellow moms, make sure to SHARE her brilliant idea with all the moms and grandmas in your life!
