My dear friend and doula, Alexa, (who has 7 years of breastfeeding experience) recently wrote a list of Top 10 Accessories for a Nursing Mama. I hope they encourage some of you nursing mamas (or soon-to-be), and make you smile!
1. A nursing tank top- love them more than nursing bras.
2-4. Good Nursing Bras- 2 comfy ones (Bravado, Blue Canoe) and 2 that make you feel pretty (I never...um...explored those.)
5. Nipple salve (i.e. AngelBaby)
6. A water bottle you love and that's big because you're going to be thirsty as hell & you'll finally realize what all the hype is about the "Big Gulps" people buy from the gas station
7. A nursing-friendly baby carrier
8. A "nursing necklace" or other distract-my-child-from-twiddling-my-other-nipple-tool
9. A standing weekly appointment with a chiropractor or massage therapist to work out the kinks that come from bending in all kinds of weird ways in order to be able to just nurse the baby as he simultaneously (pick one of the following):
a) is asleep in your bed & you wouldn't dare move him
b) is NOT asleep but IS in your bed and you want a position where YOU can sleep
c) is getting his diaper changed by papa & won't stop screaming so breast comes in from above
d) is riding in a rear facing carseat on a road trip and you are not going to pull the car over one. more. time. just smile and wave to the passersby.
e) he's an EC baby & will only pee in the middle of the night while nursing...good luck with that- nothing says "EC works" likes a little potty full of pee spilled in the bed at 2am (am I the only one? I love EC btw.)
f) nursing while YOU potty...you know you've done it.
10. A sign on your forehead that says,
"1) yes, I'm feeding my baby. 2) I know, you're sorry you looked, you thought he was "sleeping." 3) no, I'm not worried about him biting me...I think "natural selection" is smarter than that 4) no, I don't know when he will stop. get use to it...you'll be seeing a lot more of it."
Notice I didn't put in any nursing cover-ups because, well, I'll keep my mouth shut now.
-Alexa
I've been breastfeeding for two years straight now, and I think that all breastfeeding mamas need encouragement from time to time. It's not without it's challenges! Sometimes all we can do is laugh about it...
In other news, get yours fridges ready, I will be hosting a "What's in Your Fridge Linky Party" on Friday! (Sorry for the delay, my camera broke. And well, I don't think it's fair for me to ask YOU to reveal your deepest secrets without me showing what's hiding in my vegetable drawer...)
Have a Delicious Weekend.
3 hours ago
12 comments:
These are great! Thanks for sharing them with this momma-to-be!
~Chelsea
One of my fave accessories was the VCR (yes, my first kid was born in 2000, the dark ages before DVRs). I always had an episode of the soap opera handy so while he nursed, I could give my brain a break with dumb TV!
I'm getting some nursing tanks, immediately. Thanks for sharing this list. I just started my nursing journey and wrote about the battle it has been for us today, actually.
Bahahahaha!! I'll admit it, totally done letter "F" on number 9! Thought I was the only weird one out there... but she was screaming and I was leaking........ what could I do?
Hooray! Loved this!
As much as I want to join your refrigerator party- I'm not in town!!! :( So sorry I'll be missing it. Love the nursing tips- I need more of them!!! :) I guess I'll be starting that in October some time.
Ahhhh... I'll be there so very, very soon! ;)
These a great Caroline! I think I could have used a chiropractor while I nursed. Oh the things you do just to get your little one happy. So worth it in the end:)
Good nursing pads that are durable are always a must. The necklace idea is one I never thought of especially when they get to the age when they are oh so distracted & seem to not be interested. Smart gal you are:)
Definitely will pass this info along to my mama-to-be friend! Our husb's are in chiropractic school together so I'm sure she'll LOVE that suggestion :)
Loved this post as a new Momma of a whole 2 weeks and 5 days! I actually don't have or haven't tried most of these...I had a nursing tank and it broke, but I think I'm sending my hubs to get more. We just had our first house visitors, and not having a tank was annoying! Prior to that, I just walked around topless...Kalia feeds so often, it just seemed pointless to wear anything! haha!
I haven't done a - f on 9 yet, but number 10 is most definitely something I need already!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Alexa,
I just stumbled upon your blog, and as an experienced nursing mother and I was wondering what you have against nursing covers? (I noticed your comment at the end of your blog). I have recently started an estore www.molokomama.com that caters to nursing moms. I sell nursing bracelets, breast pads, and nursing cover. I think it is a very personal choice and would encourage a nursing cover up if it meant a new mom would breast feed or not. I love to see moms breastfeeding without covers but i totally understand the modesty and uncomfortableness of trying to nurse a baby in public.
Dyana-
This list was written by a friend of mine, named Alexa. My name is Caroline, and this is my blog.
While I cannot speak for Alexa, I think the point is that it's unfortunate that women feel the need to cover up while feeding their baby. Not that this is the woman's fault, but just how society treats breastfeeding in general. Naturally, if it makes a woman more comfortable, and it enables her to breastfeed than I think it's good that she uses a nursing cover as opposed to not breastfeeding at all!
I have a lot of friends that use covers. However, with my son, he got very very hot, sweaty, and fussy using a cover, and would cry and refuse to eat. So, I felt that a cover impeded my breastfeeding.
I wish you the best of luck with your business, and I'm glad that you are encouraging women to breastfeed! I am hopeful that one day, women will not feel any shame or the need to hide when they feed their babies. = )
~Caroline
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