10/25/2025
Even in nature, mothers aren’t meant to do it alone.
In a study led by Dr. Robert Froemke at NYU, researchers found that even mouse mothers seek help after giving birth.
When caring for their newborns, they often invite other females into the nest — to help feed, to share warmth, to keep the little ones safe.
And when those helpers leave, the mothers go out to find them and bring them back.
It’s instinct. It’s survival. It’s community.
The mice who didn’t have this support struggled more — reminding us that nurturing the nurturer isn’t optional, it’s essential.
This same pattern exists across species, from elephants to humans. Anthropologists call it "allomothering" or the shared care that allows both parent and child to thrive.
In many traditional societies, this isn’t just normal, it’s expected. Aunts, fathers, grandparents, neighbors — everyone plays a role in holding the mother and the baby.
But in much of today’s world, mothers are often left to figure it out alone. And it’s taking a toll.
What if we began to return to what we already know — that care is most powerful when it’s shared?
That mothers need circles of support, not just checklists of tasks?
Because when a mother is cared for, her child is cared for.
When a doula, a friend, or a family member steps in, the whole system of love grows stronger.
Let’s build that village again. One family, one doula, one community at a time.
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