My daughter in law sent a link to this to me via Facebook. I remember the days of cross-stitching while nursing. We can make that number 11 . . . IF anyone still cross stitches!
Enjoy!
10 Things You Can Still Accomplish While Nursing Your Baby
For some reason, we moms have it in our head that we must constantly be accomplishing something (as if caring for our young night and day for a few decades is not quite the accomplishment). I used to feel a little tied down while nursing my babies, but I have come to appreciate both the times of beautiful stillness that are born from the quiet nursing moments and also the not-so-still times. Here are just a few (or more than a few) things that can still be accomplished while nursing a baby.
1. Type (or read) a blog post titled “10 Things You Can Still Accomplish While Nursing A Baby”.
2. Instruct your child from the chair where you are sitting to take one of his blocks and squish the not-so-cute spider you just spotted scurrying across the carpet. Never mind, he is not listening. You will have to take matters into your one free hand. Get up off the couch, grab one of the 152 wooden blocks scattered across the living room floor, and kill the spider yourself (You can vacuum it up later, no need to get crazy here). Return to the couch-baby will hardly notice (Just a little turbulence as far as he’s concerned).
3. Tend to the emotional needs of your other children. Apologize to your older child who is now a little upset hat there are spider guts on his blocks. The fact that there are still 151 clean blocks makes no difference to him (Wait a minute, aren’t boys supposed to like spider guts???) At the same time you are trying to comfort your daughter who is now crying inconsolably because “you just killed part of God’s creation!”. You are a little confused and slightly annoyed that she is being so unreasonably emotional. That is, until you remember that she has seen her mother crying quite a bit lately for no apparent reason….
4. Stand at the stove to keep an eye on what you are making for supper. If the phone happens to ring, no problem. Ask your child playing in the next room to bring you the phone. Never mind, she is not listening. Set your spoon down, quickly stabilize baby as you make your way to the living room for the phone hunt. After the third time of sticking your hands between the couch cushions you should be able to find the phone. Answer with a calm “Hello?” and return to the kitchen (watch out for those blocks that are still scattered all over the floor) to stir your stir-fry before it burns. (After the fact, you make mental note that next time you will just let the phone ring. No sense putting your baby or your sanity at risk for a telemarketer.)
5. Read your child a book. Sit on the bathroom floor and read the little potty training book to your toddler as she sits on her potty chair (trying to simplify things by just having one in diapers). At the same time you are encouraging your preschooler, sitting beside you on your other side, who is beginning to read. Patiently (I say “patiently” because he keeps interrupting as you are trying to read another book), answer his questions as he is learning new words, “Mom, what does P-O-O-H spell?” As this is all going on you realize that you still haven’t used the bathroom since you woke up almost 6 hours ago. You know you could stop reading and go really quick but the last two times you tried to do that with the baby the doorbell rang and this time you are not taking any chances. You decide it can wait until nap time. You continue with the reading and answering questions, “Yes, P-O-O-H spells ‘pooh’. Good job!”
6. Sit down at the dinner table to eat supper with your family. Nothing like enjoying the fruit of your labors. You can use your free hand to cut up your toddler’s food while your husband dishes out the plates for the other children (hey, he deserves some credit here). Your baby has been a bit fussy ever since you sat down and suddenly you realize his diaper has leaked completely through the back of his clothes. You stop the baby from nursing in order to clean him up and change his clothes. You return to the table and let him return to nursing while you carefully bring your fork across your baby and up to your mouth, trying not to drop food all over the front of your shirt or on your baby’s clean clothes. Mmmm. Cold stir-fry never tasted so good. As everyone finishes up their meal, you wonder who has made the bigger mess…you or your toddler???
7. Nurse ANOTHER baby! Yes, mothers of multiples and moms with babies born close together can nurse two babies at the same time. This is multi-tasking at its sweetest.
8. Sing to your baby. He loves the sound of your voice. Hold his hand, he loves to touch you. Look into his eyes, he loves to gaze upon the most important woman in his life…Now wait a minute, remember I am talking about your baby. Save that thought though, you might need it later. All this sweet interaction between you and your baby has put him to sleep. Ah, SLEEP! Time for bed!!! It’s been a long day. Goodnight! Wait a minute, your husband is following you into the bedroom (I told you to save that thought). Alright, no big deal. Remember that you will be up at least twice (or 4 or 5 times) in the night to nurse your baby so losing out on 15 more minutes of sleep really won’t make that big of a difference. And after all, he did do the supper dishes for you. Even so, you can’t help but wonder if it is the smell of dried spit-up or the un-brushed hair that your husband finds most attractive (???).
9. Sit and ponder. Yes, what a wonderful time to simply rest for a few minutes and soak up the wonder as your baby soaks up the sweet milk. Think about how because God so loved the world, He humbled himself to leave the glory of Heaven and take on human flesh in the form of a baby. You could think about this for quite a while and yet a lifetime is not long enough to fully ponder the depths of this miracle.
10. Pray. What a wonderful opportunity to talk with our Great God, the giver of all life, who did not stay a baby, but died, came back to life and now lives and reigns enthroned in the Heavens. Thank and praise Him for the incredible little (HUGE!) blessing He has placed in your your arms for such a time as this.
“YET YOU ARE HE WHO TOOK ME FROM THE WOMB; YOU MADE ME TRUST YOU AT MY MOTHER’S BREASTS. ON YOU I WAS CAST FROM MY BIRTH, AND FROM THE WOMB YOU HAVE BEEN MY GOD” ~Psalm 22:9-10
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