The Sound of Nursing

When it is quiet enough in our home to listen while I feed Aya, I realize what a beautiful sound nursing is. I love to hear her swallow deeply in the beginning, listening to the sound of abundant milk flowing. Then, later in the feed, it is the gentler swallowing, the quieter drips of milk that sound satisfying, like the lasts bites of a decadent dessert you don't want to eat too quickly. Aya's body seems to almost dance to the music. When the music of the milk is loudest, her eyes are wide open, her hands often reach out for my face, a string on my hoody or my breast. Then, as the "music" calms and slows, so too her face relaxes, and her shoulders rest. As the "music" fades, her arms fall to her side, her hands open and she is lulled to sleep by the slow dance. It couldn't be anymore peaceful, for her, or me.