
This past week The MILC Group asked this question of our Facebook community. We figured that we should go to the source (the moms) for the best answers. We gathered together their responses for this week's blog post. The following are some ways that our MILC Moms dealt with the Thanksgiving Day preparation. These tips could be applied to all of your upcoming Holiday Gatherings.
- Cook as much of the food ahead of time that you can.
- Take cooking shifts with your husband so that you can sit down to breastfeed baby while hubbie takes over.
- Go potluck! Instead of taking on all of the responsibility this year spread the jobs out and do a potluck meal.
- Crock pot some of the Holiday meal. Lots of things can be cooked in a crock pot. Borrow a few extra crock pots if you need to.
- Let someone else host the gathering this year. Give yourself a much needed break!
- If you are doing the cooking then make sure that you take frequent breaks to nurse the baby and to hydrate yourself.
- If you are dairy-free due to baby's food intolerances then plan ahead changing up ingredients and host the party so that you can be in control of the food.
- Lastly....let your family cook for you. You can always host the party then sit back and watch everyone else work.
The Holidays can be a challenging time for a breastfeeding mother. Feeling the need to "get everything done" while also meeting the needs of a baby can be quite stressful. We want to encourage you to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your baby. We often use the oxygen mask analogy. On an airplane you are told to put your own oxygen mask on first so that you can then put an oxygen mask on your child. This is done so that you are able to care for your child in that emergency situation. In life we encourage you to do the same. Your health and well-being are of paramount importance to your children. Make sure that you are hydrating, resting, eating well and getting lots of snuggle time with your babies.
If you have any questions about breastfeeding during the Holidays feel free to stop by and see us at our Breastfeeding Center. We are always happy to help!