NURSING
MOTHERS, INC.
Factsheet 12
Any holiday can be filled with the rewards of family and ritual. But holidays also demand more of our time and energy. If you are expecting or have a new baby, planning ahead will help prevent feeling overworked or too tired to enjoy the event. Advanced preparation will help you conserve the energy you need to take care of yourself and your baby.
Planning Ahead
Much of your work can be done well in advance of the special event:
· Buy all your cards and presents early. Address and wrap them now. Not only will this save you time, but it will simplify your last minute shopping.
· Take advantage of store gift wrapping.
· Catalog shopping can save you time and frustration. Consider ordering gifts from catalogs or the internet and having them delivered to the receiver's house.
· Prepare side dishes and desserts that can be frozen ahead of time.
· Arrange for people to help you coordinate house cleaning, food preparation, and decorating before and during the holiday. Don't be shy asking friends and family for specific favors.
· Swap child care with a friend to give yourself time to shop or work at home alone.
· Simplify your holiday plans. Consider one gift for a family rather than individual gifts. Some families draw names for gift giving. Plan to do more visiting than entertaining.
· Plan to use decorative disposable plates, cups, napkins and utensils to cut down on cleanup.
· Buy baked goods or organize a cookie exchange with friends. Each of you bakes a large quantity of one kind of cookie and then trade. Mothers meetings in some Nursing Mothers groups may already have such an exchange. Ask your counselor if this is the case.
Expectations and Strategies
Holidays can pose a challenge for nursing. As enjoyable as they can be, holidays are also stressful, tiring events when everybody's expectations are high. It can help to consider possible difficulties and think about how you will handle them. Your most important concern is to take care of yourself and your baby. Remember to eat well, drink to thirst, and get plenty of rest.
· Any break in routine can be stressful for your infant. Many infants respond to this with an increased desire to nurse. Plan on nursing your baby more frequently during this time. Frequent nursing will help you maintain your milk supply and will help comfort your baby. If you can, nurse lying down, so you can get a little rest as well.
· Arrange to have a quiet place where you and the baby can go nurse, even when you are away from home. Lots of people can quickly over-stimulate a small infant. While older babies will find the bustle quite exciting, it may distract them from nursing.
· Watch your baby for signs of frustration and stress. Small infants may quickly tire from being passed around too much. Older babies may be prone to "stranger anxiety." You may find your baby getting upset even when accustomed relatives hold her. Be sensitive to your infant's level of comfort with unfamiliar settings and people. Consider allowing only immediate family members to hold your newborn.
· Wear clothing that will simplify nursing. In cooler weather, loose, comfortable tops or sweaters paired with slacks or skirts can allow you to nurse discreetly. Take an attractive shawl with you to drape over your shoulders and the baby as you nurse. Choose darker colors or dark prints to help conceal signs of leaking. In warmer weather, try loose tops or T-shirts over shorts or skirts. Prints in lighter colors will still conceal leaking, while keeping you from overheating.
· If you are going to be separated from your baby, plan to hand express or pump your milk when your baby would normally nurse. This will help maintain your supply, and will minimize leaking, discomfort, and the possibility of plugged ducts.
· You may find yourself around people who are less supportive of your decision to nurse. Many mothers find holidays are times when they receive more criticism and unwanted advice. You needn't let this undermine your determination to breastfeed your baby. If it is appropriate, offer explanations and information to the person. You can always say this is the way your doctor has recommended feeding the baby. And if worse comes to worst, accept the person's words with a smile and a gracious “thank you.” Listening to advice does not obligate you to take it!
Above all, relax your expectations
and the demands you place on yourself through the holidays. Talk with
your Nursing Mothers counselor about your concerns and ways to cope. With
some advance planning, you will have more time to enjoy the celebrations,
friend and family, and most of all, your baby.
Original: Carol Williamson, Marilyn Green, Terriann Shell
Revised: 9/94, Lisa Davis; 1/03 Megan Allen
Copyright on the Internet 1999, NMInc.
Nursing Mothers, Inc. is a
non-profit organization. We never charge for our
services, we would gladly accept your tax-deductible donations.
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