Moms know well that there are many precious moments in their infants’ lives. But few can compare to the emotional closeness of breastfeeding. So many of those invaluable rituals pass almost unnoticed as we’re immersed in a sea of worries. As we think about how we can solve yet another issue.

Especially for moms that raise toddlers and infants simultaneously, like myself. It becomes crucial to create a soothing atmosphere in every room of the house. You will want to be present in those priceless moments and not worry about a sink full of dishes or tripping over toys on the floor. And that is where simple decluttering tips come in handy!

Inside-out makeover

Even if you’re in love with your trinkets and knickknacks; when you have a toddler running around the house while you’re trying to breastfeed your bundle of joy, it’s not easy to enjoy the feeding time with a peace of mind.

If it does’t bring you joy, considering purging it. Put away the smallest and least-used items in your home. Decorative, grabable items can be put in a storage unit, in a drawer, or up on a high shelf. Keep your rooms clean and focused around several larger pieces of furniture with warm accessories; such as pillows, carpets and curtains.

The same goes for your nursery – I’ve used many colorful boxes and sliding drawers to store clothes, extra blankets and toys, so that they are out of reach without my help. With that, every room is clutter-free. Plenty of clean, open space allows you to breastfeed in comfort and focus on your baby without panicking about that pile of books that needs organizing.

A breath of fresh air

Nothing inspires a sense of serenity quite like clean, fresh air. However, living with kids often causes burnt meals, smelly diapers, and as cute as baby farts might sound, they can be surprisingly hard on the nose! It took my husband a while before he got used to various baby smells. We had to learn how to change those diapers like a professional pit-stop team – in less than five seconds.

Living in cities alone exposes you to an above-normal level of air pollutants and unhealthy microelements. No matter how hard you try to keep your home clean and tidy, dust, pollen and hair find their way into every room.

With the help of low-maintenance plants and high-quality air purifiers, even the smelliest, stuffiest rooms turn into a breastfeeding oasis for you and your baby. Removing toxins and pollutants, will not only help your baby breathe better, stay calm and soothe them to sleep with ease, but it will also help them stay healthy and lower the risk of allergies or asthma in the future.

Stress-free maintenance

Our first baby shower resulted in so many doubles that I cannot even begin to name them all. Pacifiers, plush toys, breastfeeding pillows, crib blankets, you name it. Some of them, of course, were bound to come in handy sooner or later. But, most of them just took up space. This was definitely the case with a breast pump I had a special relationship with. I couldn’t wait for the time to get rid of it too.

With a second baby on the way, we had to get rid of all the extras and make room for the things we would actually need. So, a spring cleaning in the middle of winter ensued, and our home suddenly felt lighter, brighter and less chaotic. We decided to literally take baby steps to avoid collecting clutter in the future.

As soon as I receive a double gift or buy an extra item by mistake, I donate it, sell it or pass it on, in no less than a day or two. This helps me keep our home clutter-free, simple to clean, kids and breastfeeding-friendly. Instead of one major spring cleaning session that can take up a whole day or even a week, we created a manageable routine that keeps stress at bay and doesn’t interrupt or hinder my precious breastfeeding sessions.
Focus on finding the best long-term solution that will simplify cleaning and organizing your home, and every breastfeeding session will become a private, stress-free moment of bliss you will remember for the rest of your life.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Zara Lewis

The post A Breastfeeding-Friendly Home: How To Declutter Your Life appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Being a mom of two little humans, overcoming the burden of postpartum depression, and sharing my journey with many moms along the way, I’ve discovered a few ways you can surmount that unease and anxiety that naturally follows when you even think of leaving your baby.

Work out a schedule

Much like with all responsibilities in life, we neglect some that are not perceived as priorities. The same goes for those that are not among our parenting duties. Of course, your baby will always be a priority! But, a healthy baby spending time with your partner is no reason to worry, hover or panic. If only someone had told me that when we had our first baby girl, and I felt guilty for leaving her with her dad for a single afternoon!  

Instead, create a mutual schedule that includes so-called “baby-free” activities that will prepare you in advance, so that those negative emotions cannot overwhelm you. A routine will also help you cope with anxiety through exercise, pampering, or other relaxing activities that your body craves after days spent caring for everyone other than yourself.

You can start will a smaller amount of time, then slowly increase it as you ease yourself into the schedule. As you move along, share your feelings with your partner and don’t be afraid to ask for support.

Share the baby duties

Your partner may feel left out or pushed aside when it comes to your baby time. You might not even realize this, if you’re too anxious and thus focused on your little one. How about starting slow and inviting your partner to take part in those daily chores, such as bathing, changing or feeding?

Nowadays, some dads are able to take paternity leave to spend more time at home and be with you and the baby. This makes for a perfect opportunity to bond and strengthen the emotional connection among you as a family. One of my most precious memories is that of our son’s first giggle during a bubble bath!

Make lists

As silly as it may sound, lists are excellent, yet marvelously simple ways you can better manage your time. Use them to chart out your expectations, your needs both as a woman and a mom. This goes for your partner’s needs as a parent as well. Of course, don’t forget to note down everything you feel your baby needs.

As you go over those lists together, you can be confident that your partner’s time with the baby isn’t a reason for anxiety. That’s why I always feel at ease knowing that our little bundles of joy will have a bottle, a couple of warm pram blankets and diapers for every walk or alone time with dad. Preparing ahead and sharing these concerns will gradually help you let go of that unpleasant feeling. And, you’ll enjoy motherhood even more.

Adjust your expectations

Parenting roles have numerous differences. But, perhaps you and your partner’s parenting styles have different variations, which might contribute to your anxiety. First, it’s essential that you accept healthy differences and not try to impose your parenting style. Then, you can move on to talking it out with your partner, because learning about one another can improve your attitude and help you feel better.

Allow for a learning curve and imperfections. Because, no matter how hard your partner tries, they will likely fail to live up to all of your expectations. There is no room for perfection in a learning process. You can both share your opinions and wishes in order to give each other what you need, while also gaining a deeper understanding of your behaviors.

Design your me-time

In addition to that much-needed schedule, that will help you adapt to sharing baby time and devoting time to your own needs and other duties, you should always make room for stress-relieving techniques and methods that will help you cope.

My personal favorite was to do yoga twice a week. It restored my self-confidence and gave me peace of mind. Many moms enjoy a brisk walk in the park, reading a good book, or a girls’ afternoon out for shopping or chatting. The purpose of this non-parenting time is to relieve you of your pent up negativity, fears and worries.

Give yourself time to adjust to your role as a mom. Don’t be scared to explore all the stress-relieving activities you can introduce in your life. Asking for professional advice and guidance is also a valid option! Every mom should have the opportunity to live anxiety-free and joyfully share the earliest, most precious days of her infant’s life with her partner.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Zara Lewis

The post How to Overcome Anxiety over Delegating Parenting Duties appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Although our little bundles of joy do make us happy, many new moms find themselves dealing with postpartum depression in addition to many demanding responsibilities motherhood entails. I was no exception.

While there is no single strategy that solves this problem overnight, a few healthy habits can make a huge difference in helping you cope with postnatal depression. 

Babywearing is in fact one of them!. 

Such a simple behavior has an endless list of benefits that can help you overcome this severe issue by nurturing your mind back to health and promoting your baby’s and your own well-being.

1. It builds an emotional connection

During the first several weeks as a mom dealing with postpartum depression, you might experience difficulties connecting with your newborn.

In cases of traumatic conceptions, difficult pregnancies or complicated births, a mom can be even more affected by the lack of emotional closeness with her baby. This is where babywearing is surprisingly helpful. It allows you to feel your baby’s heartbeat, sense their every wiggle and the physical closeness that it provides will slowly create a natural emotional bond, which you will be able to nurture and cherish even further.

2. It gives you time to rest and recuperate

As your baby gets used to the new environment, you will most likely not be able to get a full hour of uninterrupted sleep for weeks. Preparing a meal without jumping to every sound your baby makes can leave you completely drained.

Dealing with postpartum depression only adds to this feeling of overwhelming exhaustion.

It makes it almost impossible to enjoy your role as a mom. Babies that are worn in slings and carriers actually become less fussy and they have a lower tendency to cry when they wake up.

Your constant touch and warmth will soothe the baby giving you plenty of time to rest in a comfortable armchair or even make a tasty meal to replenish your strength and energy.

3. It allows comfortable breastfeeding

Sometimes even the most experienced moms have trouble getting their newborns to latch on. Depression can only amplify the feelings of anxiousness and frustration.

For instance, I had trouble finding the right position to breastfeed my restless baby girl and my lack of energy only made it worse. When I started wearing my baby in a comfortable safe pouch, every breastfeeding session turned into an intimate bonding experience.

If you are new to babywearing like I was, make sure to check out other moms’ experiences. Reading their reviews on forums and social media will help you make a decision. Also, making sure to research everything about baby carriers online can be extremely helpful. 

Relevant factors such as material, durability, adaptability and size, will help you find the most suitable carrier for you and your baby.

4. It allows you more “Me-Time”

Depression in any form numbs your motivation to care for yourself. Postnatal depression is no exception. 

Spending all of that time caring for your baby is a perfectly natural desire but if you completely disregard your needs, that will easily affect your mental well-being in the long-run.

Moms that opt for wearing their babies on a regular basis, on the other hand, have much more time and freedom to tend to their own needs.

With my hands free and my baby sound asleep cooing on my chest, I quickly become more confident and relaxed. This has given me more time to practice self-care. Whether it is putting on some makeup, doing my hair, having a long-awaited phone call with my best friend or just reading my favorite book, devoting time to myself has done wonders for my emotional health.

It has encouraged a positive state of mind.

5. It nurtures your baby

Babywearing has been like a partner in my role as a mom.

It supports your baby’s physical development. All the way from hip and back strengthening  to healthy sleeping patterns. It helps you get more attuned to your baby’s body language and cues so you can react more quickly and efficiently when your child is hungry or needs changing. Since it also soothes the baby and ensures a secure, healthy attachment, wearing your baby will provide you with a peace of mind that would otherwise seem impossible. 

Motherhood is challenging enough as it is. Having a mom overburdened with symptoms of postnatal depression can be very risky for both her and her baby.

In addition to seeking help from a medical professional, every mom can try to do her best by implementing simple, healthy habits that will help her cope with depression. I can safely say from a personal experience that babywearing is one of the best choices you can make to ease yourself into your new role and enjoy motherhood from day one.

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We would love to hear from you. How has babywearing helped your motherhood journey?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Zara Lewis

The post 5 Essential Ways Babywearing Helps you Deal with Postpartum Depression appeared first on Breastfeeding World.