Amen to you both.
A mother cat will brave the flames to try to rescue her kittens.
It is primal instinct. Even if the child is not yours a normal person has a basic urge to try to protect the young.
When the child is yours the urge becomes a compulsion. You MUST try to protect.
That's your job.
And heaven help anyone who gets in your way. The stories about mom's who lift cars off their kids? They aren't stories.