Mother Nature Knows Best
Mothers.
Everyone has one, whether you’re a hummingbird or a human. And Nature shows us that there are as many ways to mother as there are mothers.
Nature’s beauty and bounty are my inspiration for Blloomigo. Nature can offer many examples of wonderful mothering, which might be especially inspiring for the new (human) mothers among us. Let me tell you about three animal mothers that I find especially attentive and nurturing.
Mother bear
We’ve all heard the expression “she’s a real mama bear.” That’s because mother bears are highly protective of their cubs, willing to attack at any sign of danger.
There is a very soft side to mother bears. Bears mate in the summer, but the fertilized embryo may not implant until the fall. This is to ensure that the mother bear has enough energy reserves—in the form of fat—to sustain development while she hibernates.
Cubs are often born in pairs in the midwinter. For the first few weeks of their lives, they’re blind and helpless. The mother warms and nurses them 24 hours a day for two to three months, losing nearly one-third of her body weight in the process. Imagine if you hibernated for several months and then woke up to two (or more) demanding cubs!
Like us, mother bears nurture their offspring for a long time. Once the cubs can leave the den, the mother teaches them everything they need to know about the outside world. She teaches them to forage, how to evade predators and climb trees, and how to do everything else a bear needs to do. She may continue to care for and teach her cubs for up to 30 months—watching their every move just like we watch our toddlers to keep them safe.
Mother moose
Moose are also very nurturing mothers. Moose may travel long distances to safe calving grounds once a baby’s arrival is imminent. They do this for protection and, in some cases, to give their babies a solid start with the most nutritious vegetation available. Remember walking even just a few blocks right before your baby arrives? Not fun! Let’s leave traveling long distances to the moose.
Moose mothers will nurse and care for their young for many months. In fact, young male calves (called bulls) will stay with their mothers for about 18 months before they head off on their own, just like teenage boys. Because female moose live together in harems, a female calf may stay with her mother for several years. After that, she may prefer to live in her mother’s home range—much as many of us like to settle down near our own mothers.
Mother orca
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are also long-term nurturers. After a gestation of 13 to 16 months, a baby orca calf is born weighing about 180 kilograms (400 pounds). The calf shadows its mother constantly for at least two years, journeying with her to hunt or to visit her preferred feeding grounds. Even after it is mature, an orca will live with or near her for the rest of the mother’s life.
Orcas can live up to 90 years, but their reproductive years are over by their 30s or 40s. They are one of the world’s only species that has an extended menopause (the other species are pilot whales and humans!). The reason for this, marine biologists from Exeter University in the UK think, is to provide support to their adult calves as those calves raise their own families. Just think: Grandma Orca is around to babysit!
Part of Nature’s club
When you’re tired or you feel alone, think of nature and these wonderful animal mothers. You might feel less alone knowing that you certainly aren’t alone in the great club of motherhood.
In founding Blloomigo, it’s my hope to give you and your baby ways to be together in warm and wonderful moments. Blloomigo’s soft muslin swaddles and baby board books give you reasons to cuddle up.
Wishing you and your baby comfort and inspiration in nature’s beauty and bounty.
Detelina
Mother & Founder, Blloomigo
