I haven’t slept through the night in a year and a half. My baby wakes up usually four to six times per night, sometimes up to ten. She needs a lot of help through the night. Before that, I was pregnant and couldn’t sleep without multiple wakeups for the last few months.

Sometimes, my baby will stay up for hours in the middle of the night. I’ll rock her, sing to her, nurse her, read to her, and even take her outside. But she has teeth cutting through her gums, and she’s in pain.

The other day I was feeling really sorry for myself about how hard this motherhood thing is. How much work, exhaustion, and even pain it requires.

I had a thought that made me feel a little bit better. All this work? It’s for her. She benefits. Being with her in the night calms her down. Engaging with her during the day helps her learn and grow. We’re building a relationship, her and I, and all of this sacrifice is for her good.