The Bible & Breastfeeding
What does the Bible say about breastfeeding?
The topic of breastfeeding can bring up many different emotions for a mother - joy, peace, frustration, connection, thankfulness, and sometimes guilt.
There is no command in Scripture to breastfeed your baby, but it does show us a beautiful picture of motherhood, comfort, and God’s provision. One of the most well-known examples of breastfeeding in the Bible is Hannah and her son Samuel.
“But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.'” 1 Samuel 1:22 ESV
There was a reason that this is mentioned. Hannah’s decision to stay home and breastfeed her son was important to her. It was important that she stayed and cared for her child. The Bible uses the example of motherhood and breastfeeding consistently throughout Scripture.
In Isaiah 49:15, God chose the image of a mother caring for her breastfed baby to show us His compassion and faithfulness towards His people.
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?” Isaiah 49:15 ESV
This doesn’t mean breastfeeding is the only way a mother shows comfort toward her baby. But it does remind us of the power of motherhood.
The ordinary moments of motherhood are divinely significant.
Your worth is not found in breastfeeding. Every mother's feeding journey is different.
Some moms breastfeed for days, weeks, months, or years.
Some exclusively pump,
Combination feed,
Donor milk,
Formula feed,
And a lot of times a mom's breastfeeding journey looks completely different than they expected.
Your identity is not found in your birth story, your milk supply, your parenting, or other people's opinions.
Your identity is found in Christ.
If breastfeeding is a struggle, it doesn’t mean failure. Faith and support can exist together. Asking for help doesn’t mean that you aren’t trusting God. God provides that support through the people that he places around you.
So, what does the Bible say about breastfeeding?
The image of a breastfeeding mother is used to describe the compassion of the Lord. It reminds us that a mother’s comfort is valuable. It does not tell us that breastfeeding is where we should find our identity. Instead, it reminds us that our true identity is only found in God.
So today, whether you are breastfeeding, pumping, supplementing, weaning, or feeding your baby another way, your worth never changes.
And remember the ordinary moments of motherhood are divinely significant.
Lord,
Thank you for the mother on the other side of this screen.
Whether it’s 2 pm, 8 am, or 3 am, God, we want to pray that you wrap your arms around them and give them strength when they are exhausted, and give them grace for when things aren’t going the way they thought it would go.
Help them remember that their worth is found in you and not in how well they breastfeed, or how much milk they make, or meeting every expectation that they have or others have put on them.
Thank you for always being there in the ordinary moments of motherhood.
Amen.
Other verses about breastfeeding & caring for your baby in the Bible:
Genesis 21:8
Genesis 49:25
Isaiah 66:11
Psalm 22:9-10
Psalm 127:3
Proverbs 31:25
1 Thessalonians 2:7
1 Peter 2:2