Energy Spent Breastfeeding Put in Perspective in Viral Post

Motherhood comes with a lot of unseen labor, from carrying the mental load to just finding out how to feed your child. While breastfeeding or pumping itself might look like sitting still, it’s an incredibly energy-draining process that often goes unnoticed by those who don’t experience it firsthand.

To help illustrate that hidden exhaustion, one viral series of posts is making some eye-opening comparisons. Created by @joinauggie, an app that connects parents, the four-part post recently drew attention to just how physically demanding breastfeeding is by comparing the calories burned each day to other high-energy activities. The post begins: “Dear new dads, breastfeeding burns 300–500 extra calories a day. That’s the same as…” followed by a surprising list of equivalents, including:

• Playing a full-court basketball game
• Taking a 40-pound trash bin down the stairs 30 times
• Walking an entire 18-hole golf course
• A full afternoon of yard work
• Hiking uphill for an hour with a backpack
• Pushing a lawn mower across a standard front and back yard
• Carrying moving boxes up and down stairs for 90 minutes
• Biking 7–10 miles to work
• Pushing a double stroller uphill for 45 minutes
• Carrying a 30-pound toddler around the zoo for two hours

The post ends with the mic-drop: “So yeah, we are tired because we are working hard.”

The comments section lit up with validation from fellow parents. One person wrote, “Nothing but respect. Every mom out there deserves a standing ovation for the strength, sacrifice and love they pour in daily. True superheroes in real life.” Another added, “Not just the dads that need to understand this, but their mothers too.” Many parents also shared that it helped them reframe their own exhaustion, with one noting, “My partner is the one who reminds me this. Thank goodness because I can be so harsh on myself.”

Of course, breastfeeding is just one part of the nonstop marathon of parenthood. From the energy it takes to grow a baby, to chasing after a toddler, to keeping up with everything else at home, it’s no wonder parents feel completely spent. Need a boost for the next round? Check out these natural energy boosters for pregnancy and beyond.