A few months ago I came across this ridiculous article written by a very self-righteous mom. In all of her judgmental glory, the author scorned moms who watched TV and read books while breastfeeding their babies. She claimed that the act of breastfeeding was a mom’s time to bond with her child and should never be used to catch up on things like Facebook or Oprah. GIVE ME A BREAK, LADY!!!! I don’t often comment negatively on other people’s blogs, but this one made my blood BOIL!
As many of my friends know, I spent countless hours watching episodes of Sex and the City in the middle of the night while I breastfed my son. 30 minutes of pure, mindless entertainment saved my sanity during those long middle-of-the-night feedings. By the time the show was over, I had breastfed my son, changed his diaper, and burped the little puker. Sure, I could have fed side lying in bed, but Sex in the City was my guilty pleasure and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Clearly, the author of this infuriating article was a self-imposed martyr (too bad for her kids!) or completely lying. Either way, her article did nothing to support breastfeeding moms. Instead its purpose was to initiate ‘mother guilt’, which I definitely don’t need a complete stranger to do for me or for the women that I love.
Hence the breastfeeding basket….
Since you will be breastfeeding for 30-40 minutes at a time, 8 or more times in a 24 period, don’t you want items near you that will help you pass the time and make you self-sufficient? I hated yelling down the hallway to my hubby to bring me a snack while I was nursing. I wanted everything I would need during those breastfeeding sessions to be within arm’s length.
Stuck on creative ideas? Here is a list to get you started.
Top 10 Things I Put in my Breastfeeding Basket
- Diapers – babies poop while breastfeeding, so it is good to be prepared.
- Wipes – self explanatory
- Burp cloth – my kids spit up all of the time, so this somewhat guarded my clothes from being covered in it all day.
- Klean Kanteen – so thirsty while nursing!
- Snacks – you burn 500 calories a day while breastfeeding….you will be starving!
- TV remote – DVR all of your favorite shows and enjoy. This is your time to relax as well.
- I Pad, cell phone, etc. – catch up on phone calls, texts, and anything else to keep you connected to your pre-baby life.
- Camera – sleeping babies are so adorable!
- Magazines – I never had time to read People, Lucky, and In Style before I had kids. Now I knew what all of the celebrities were doing and the fabulous outfits I would buy when I lost some of my pregnancy weight.
- Receiving blanket – many babies will fall asleep after breastfeeding. When this happened, I would just cover my babe up and let him sleep on my chest for a while, soaking in the sweet scent of his little body and enjoy our ‘bonding’ moment.
Ladies, you don’t have to lose yourself once you become a mom! Bonding with your baby happens continuously throughout the day. So, take a little time to yourself when you have the chance and NEVER feel guilty if you take a little personal time while breastfeeding your little one!
Also, check out one of my breastfeeding student’s blogs, Hank and Lucy, for wonderful ideas and photos of her breastfeeding basket. She has much more style than I do!
Our readers would love to know what items will you put (or have you put) in your breastfeeding basket? Please share in the comments!