While the holiday season is busy for everyone, it can be especially chaotic when you are nursing a baby. Family, friends, and a multitude of festivities are bound to interrupt your regular feeding schedule. Here are a few tips on how to breeze through the holidays so you too take part in the fun. And we know a thing or two about making life easier – we created Nurture, a breast massage system that radically improves your breast pumping experience!
Making a list and checking it twice
Stay organized by creating a list of all your expected holiday events and set reminders on your smartphone for your baby’s feeding schedule. It will truly make a difference during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Additionally, we encourage you to prepare a nursing bag in advance with all the items you’ll require to pump or nurse with ease, no matter where you are. Choose to wear clothing that gives easy access to the breast or does not require undressing completely. Nurture is an example of a nursing item essential where the bra component is comfortable enough for all-day wear, and the detachable cups provide gentle compression massage to replicate hands-on pumping when attached.
Nursing complications are a common occurrence that may interrupt precious holiday time. With frequent feedings, your milk supply stays consistent and helps prevent complications such as mastitis, clogged milk ducts and breast engorgement. For nursing mothers trying to save time, using Nurture while pumping has shown a reduction in pump time by 50% and full emptying of the breast, correlating to up to 30% more milk per pumping session, which leaves more room for family and friends.
Pay Attention To You And Your Baby’s Needs
Rachael Kish, Imalac’s Co-Founder and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), says her biggest advice for this time of year is to “Do what works for you and your family.” Especially when it comes to pumping and nursing, it is important to stick to what is most comfortable. Normal holiday stress can inhibit letdown, so extra nursing sessions can be a great way to relax and spend quality time together with your baby.
Staying hydrated is an essential part of expressing milk that is rich in nutrients. It is easy to forget about drinking water during holiday festivities due to consumption of large meals and various snacks, so remember to keep up your water intake to ensure a smooth process while breastfeeding.
Sleep is another vital factor in milk production. Between holiday shopping and family functions, it can be easy to lose a few hours of sleep to rush and get things done in time. Make sure you prioritize you and your baby’s rest.
Enjoy!
Holidays, such as Thanksgiving coming up, are for appreciating precious family moments, focusing on friends, and being grateful for your time together. For breastfeeding mothers, this chaos does not have to completely alter you and your baby’s feeding schedule. The most important part is to have fun and celebrate with the people you care about most.
With a little bit of planning and the help of your family members, the holidays become that much more enjoyable and easy to navigate.
Sign up to receive regular updates on our progress, and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.