“The Little Way” of St. Therese for Nursing Moms

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Today is the Feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux.  Even though St. Therese was not a mom and actually lived a life quite different from ours, her “Little Way” is very applicable to our lives as nursing moms. This weekend I am rereading the book, The Way of Trust and Love: A Retreat Guided by St. Therese of Lisieux. by Fr. Jacques Philippe. I would like to share some of his insights with you today.

St. Therese loved Scripture, particularly the Gospels. Her “Little Way” is really just a fresh perspective on the Gospels. Fr. Philippe recommends reading Scripture for at least ten minutes per day. The resource I like the best for this is the print version of Word Among Us magazine.  It contains the Scripture readings for each day and even has the prayers of the Mass and also contains daily meditations. You can keep your monthly issue in your nursing corner with your water and snacks and read one of the daily readings while your baby nurses.

The “Little Way” is also about being humble.  Fr. Philippe says in his book that being humble is recognizing all our good qualities and the good we do as gifts from God and also being content with our limitations. In the first few weeks after my first son was born, my husband was a graduate student and was able to take some time off since it was right at the end of the summer semester. I had grown up as an only child and although I had babysit as a teen, I really was clueless about how to take care of a baby. Therefore, I focused on breastfeeding in the early days and my husband did the diaper changes and burped the baby. Then after two or three weeks, I gradually learned how to do those parts, too, and took over all of the baby care during the day. If you feel weak in some area of caring for your baby or for your family, the important thing is to realize and accept your limitations, try to learn new things and improve, do your best, and remember that God loves you!

The next aspect of “The Little Way” that I want to discuss is really the most important part: trusting God and loving God and also loving your neighbor as yourself. Just as your baby completely trusts you to nurse him when he is hungry or needing comfort and to take care of all his needs, we should trust God the same way. Also, remember that your main vocation is to love! By thinking of God, praying even just a few minutes per day, and by going to Mass on Sundays and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, you are loving God. By nursing your baby and caring for your family, you are loving your neighbor. And don’t forget the other half of the Second Greatest Commandment: by taking care of yourself through eating, drinking, showering, and resting, you are loving yourself.

I know trusting God can be challenging at times! Once I asked my parish priest about what to do when I find myself worrying. He suggested I pray “Jesus, I trust in You” on each bead of the rosary. I find this helps me in times of anxiety. You can also make the prayer a little longer: “Jesus, I trust in You and I love You!” This would really encompass the whole philosophy of “The Little Way.” I make very simple two decade rosary bracelets that would be perfect for praying this prayer. Email catholicbreastfeeding@yahoo.com if you would like one for yourself or a for a friend. They are gifts from the Catholic Nursing Mothers League! They can also be used to as a reminder for which side to nurse on next. When I was a busy nursing mom, I kept a scrunchie on my wrist to help me remember. However, these bracelets are even better, because you can use them to pray, too!

Childlikeness is another aspect of “The Little Way.” If you have a nursing toddler, think of how he views the world. He doesn’t get stuck in the past or future but focuses on discovering and enjoying the present moment. He completely trusts you. He so sweetly finds a dandelion in the yard and gives it to you as a present. He can’t help around the house too much yet so he puts the napkins on the table for dinner and is so happy he can do that to help! When he makes a mistake or when he gets hurt, he quickly forgets and moves on. When he is sad or needs comfort, he climbs into your lap to nurse. This is such a beautiful picture of how we, as moms, can love and trust our Heavenly Father, too!

Gratitude is another part of “The Little Way.” One great and simple way to practice gratitude is to either write down a few things you are grateful for each day in a journal or to just tell God “thank you” for several specific gifts each day. You will probably find that as you do this, you will focus less on your problems and will see so many blessings from God all around you!

Reference: The Way of Trust and Love by Fr. Jacques Philippe

Written by Gina Peterson

What aspect of “The Little Way” do you like the best? What part do you find most challenging? Please comment below!