things to do while breastfeeding

Well my little guy is 2 months old and I’m still breastfeeding which is a bit different to the last few babies and I’m enjoying it. I think that taking things a bit easier on the home front has played a part. So what to do while breastfeeding or bottle feeding your little baby………and obviously it’s a given that you are looking lovingly at your baby but when you spend this much time on the couch you need a bit of entertainment too so here goes.

1. Pinterest

I’ve managed to pin a lot of things to my pinterest boards with the app on my phone over the last few weeks. I love that one of my friends has just joined pinterest and said to me ‘is that on twitter?’. If you’re not yet on pinterest then sign up and start pinning. I find searching for things I love like family dinners, white kitchens, knitting, sewing, quilts or putting in search terms like ‘girls dress patterns’ or ‘easy finger food’ will help you find a whole lot of new ideas. Rename your boards to make them something personal and remember you can always add new boards, change the names of your boards later on and just have fun. When you are starting out find your favourite websites, magazines and blogs on pinterest and follow them. A few of my favourite people to follow are A Beach Cottage, Six Sisters Stuffbee loriHalf Baked Harvest, SF girl by bay, Decor 8Nova, Hostess with the Mostess, blossom and bright, emily henderson, wee birdy, babyspace and red pepper quilts and that’s just off the top of my head. I honestly buy less magazines thanks to pinterest as I can find so much on there.

2. Read a book

I’ve got a few on the go at the moment as it depends on my mood but reading is something I can struggle to find time for. My favourite book at the moment is Large Family Logistics which I managed to track down on amazon for a great price. Just having the book on my kitchen counter has made me organised….no really it has. I’ve read a bit and more motivated to get housework done.

I prop some pillows under the arm feeding the baby and prop the book to the other side of me on a pillow and read away. Sometimes I’ll grab a pile of cookbooks or knitting books and make a list of things I want to make. Whether I get around to it is another thing. Also great to read to the other little members of your family and supervise reading of the readers for the big kids at school. It’s always a great joy when we’ve moved on from readers to their own choice of books and novels that are more interesting.

3. watch your favourite shows and movies

Now might be the time to get stuck into my Big Love DVD collection. I also love to pre-record all of my favourite tv shows and watch them late at night when everyone is in bed. It’s a great escape from Frozen and Toy Story which we’ve watched to death.

4. craft

I’ve been working away on a cardigan for my big girl and love to do some knitting while feeding. Prop baby on some pillows or your breastfeeding cushion with another pillow underneath and then circular needles out in front of you and off you go. It does hurt my arms a bit more and obviously keep the needles away from baby but if you love to craft then it’s a great time to be productive while on the couch.

5. eat and drink

I pretty much grab something to eat and something to drink before I plonk myself down on the couch. I also can sit at the dining room table and have something to eat or drink but it’s not too comfy after a while.

6. call someone

I sit down with my phone and love to text or call someone and get through a few things on my to do list.

7. online shopping

I’ve nabbed some great buys on eBay lately, bought baptism outfits, ordered things all from the comfort of the couch. Hot tip if you’re like me and gaining weight while breastfeeding or struggling to find something nice to wear or just struggling to get to the shops you’ll find some fabulous things on eBay and I’ve paid no more than $10 or $20 for some great skirts and simple dresses. I can’t bear to pay full price when I’m not my regular size so discovered buying and selling clothes on eBay when I had keira and have been a fan since.

8. play 

in the morning I usually do a feed on the playroom floor with my little ones. We might get stuck into the lego or do some drawing and the kids feel happier if they are next to me. We are obsessed with drawing stick figures in our house and it’s a great way to work on pencil grip for those little people who are spending maybe a bit too much time scrolling through phones and ipads. Afternoons when the weather is nice I like to sit outside and watch the kids play and some of my happiest moments of our school holidays were just being outside in the warm sun and watching the kids play….happily and nicely. My favourite type of play is without fighting, of course:)

9. go to the park, stand up, unpack groceries, make dinner, be at a party…..

Yes since having lawson we’ve been to the park for playdates or a party and I’ve had no problem standing and feeding with a muslin wrap to cover up. It’s amazing what you can do when you have to and probably the best thing about breastfeeding this time around is how easy it’s been to do our usual things with little man on me. Or maybe it’s been out of necessity………………….

Comments

  1. I thought I was looking at my shelf of knitting books for a second as I have all those same ones too. Glad to hear that everything is going well with cute little Lawson too.

  2. By the time I got my third baby I don’t think there was place I didn’t feed lol. Good tips:)

  3. LOVE Big Love! My husband wishes he had 3 wives like Bill’s; the smart & organised first wife, the handy and practical 2nd wife and the young, hot & sexy 3rd wife. You should also watch The Tudors, if you haven’t already, and get on the Henry Cavill bandwagon. Hang on … you might pass out whilst feeding because of his sheer beauty! 😉

  4. Hi Corrie, it’s really lovely how you describe such normal goings on in your life. You have a peace that shines through in your writing. You would be an inspiration to any new Mum of a new bub I’m sure :-) take care of yourself. XO

  5. I love this corrie all practical tips I hope to use I’m due my 3rd in April I didn’t feed the first two but hope to this time !

    I’m going to get the toy tubs ready in advance and he things like painting on the go I’m hoping for good weather in the uk when baby arrives !

    You also inspired me to knit ( a rectangle hat as can only do basic knitting haha )

    Thank you for the fab post xx

  6. Hi Carrie,
    I haven’t been back here for must be over a year because it was a surprise to hear you had another baby. Congratulations! Re the multi-taskng while breastfeeding, I am a big fan of reading, so I loved being able to read to my heart’s content, while also “working” in my mummy role. I loved studying up on the great creative things you can do as a mum, for the times when my hands were free or when the breastfeeding was over. Then I was all set to go. Best times of my life. Truly. No better memories. Childhood goes so fast, and my 18yo is now at uni, but I will never forget those days of what were for me, peace and freedom. If I had an iphone then I would have been able to make all kinds of lists. Hold on, I probably managed that too with a pen and paper balanced in some way I now forget.

  7. I can remember breastfeeding my youngest while I took #1 (6 years) and #2 (3 years) to IKEA to play in the ball room. I also found it really important to stop and enjoy the moment. You are doing something so special and that time together is so important. You are amazing Corrie – congrats in making it to 2 mos. I found it easier with time.

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