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Creating a nursing sanctuary

Like many mothers who have reached their third trimester, you have probably stocked yourself to the gills with diapers, wipes, baby clothes, nursing bras, breast pads, and loose button down shirts in preparation for the months ahead of you. It is more than likely that you have already gotten the nursery filled to the gills with adorable baby items, however have you stopped to think about yourself in all of this? If you are planning on breast feeding your child, you may want to think about creating a nursing sanctuary. Or as I like to think of it as; a custom designed breast feeding haven within your own home. While it isn’t completely necessary to redecorate a room in your home for you to breast feed your infant, spending a little extra time in creating a nursing area that suits your style and needs; can help to make the experience that much more enjoyable not only for your infant, but for you as well.

When stopping to think of what you may want to do with your nursing haven, try to keep in mind it should reflect your personality. Take the time to wonder “does a loud, friendly, and boisterous environment appeal to you?” If so you may want to set up shop in a small corner of your family room, simply pull up an extra chair and a couple near by friends or family members to keep you company.. However if you are like me, you may enjoy a more subdued environment to nurse in. Some mothers like myself, take solace in having peace, quiet, and a little privacy. If this is more your style, you may consider choosing a private nook of your home; such as a study, empty guest room, or even a corner of your child’s nursery which can offer an ideal escape. You can simply close the door, dim the lights, take a few deep and calming breaths while you sit back and relax.

Some mothers may even wish to multitask during their nursing times, this is of course not reserved to those who want to check email or send faxes while they breast feed their child. However if this is what you wish to do, you may want to set aside a corner of your office for your nursing. If your chair has wheels, you may enable yourself to roll across the floor to your computer; without having to interrupt your child’s meal. However no matter where or how you decide to set up this sanctuary for yourself, there are a few must have items that will help to make your breast feeding more comfortable, enjoyable, as well as efficient for your infant. Remember that you may want to find a space in your home that will best suit your needs, as well as your child’s. You may wish to take a little extra time as well as money on some lighting and decor for your new nursing sanctuary. Things such as a cd player are always wonderful things to have on hand while you are nursing.

Some tips to help you set up your nursing area:

* A comfortable chair of your own: Whether it is a gliding chair, over stuffed recliner, or even a desk chair that has wheels; a nursing chair should be comfortable for yourself and your child. After all you will be spending a lot of time sitting in this chair, while you are feeding your child. You should locate a chair that has good shoulder, back, and arm support for yourself. You may want to take a few chairs for a test drive in store, sit in the chair for a few minutes and if you have it available; place a boppy pillow across your lap to help give you an idea of if it will work or not.

* Quality foot support: You may wish to purchase a footstool, low coffee table, or even situate a stack of pillows or books to help elevate your feet while you nurse. This will help you avoid a backache; as raising your feet and legs to bring your breast to your infant, will prevent you from leaning forward to bring it to your child.

* You will want pillows, pillows and more pillows!: You should have several pillows within easy access in your nursing sanctuary. These are wonderful especially since your back, neck, arms, as well as your feet will need as much support as they can possibly get. This of course means that you should not hesitate to surround yourself with these plush goodies. If you lay one across your lap for your child to rest upon, your child will be comfortable, secure, and closer to your breast. However I would suggest that you purchase a boppy nursing pillow for this, as like many post nursing mothers; I couldn’t imagine nursing without these mother’s helpers!
Not only are they helpful, but it is easy to find a pluthora of covers for them; which will aid you in keeping your motief within your room going strong.

* A few blankets: You will want to have a couple blankets on hand, and within easy access. These will not only help you to stay warm and cozy on those chilly days, however will also allow your child to keep warm and cozy while they nurse. Blankets also help to provide a little extra privacy, if you have other eyes in the room; by simply tossing one over your shoulder and allowing it to drape over your child’s form (make sure your child’s face isn’t covered completely, you do not want to make their breathing more strenuous)

* Table top for one: You should keep a small end table within arms reach of your nursing chair, it should be large enough to hold a coaster for a drink for mom. (If you are going to have a hot drink, remember that you should avoid scalding yourself or your infant by sipping your hot teas at a lukewarm temperature. You may also wish to keep a healthy snack on hand for yourself as well, something like nuts, crackers, dried fruits, or peanut butter will help you replenish the energy your body burns while you are nursing

* Something to keep you entertained: Some children can be relitively slow eaters, or have voracious appetites. For this reason you may want to provide yourself with something to do, while your child nurses. You should fill shelves of a nearby bookcase, cupboard, or drawer with some of your favorite magazines, books, crossword puzzles, or even a near by laptop to occypy your mind while your child eats. You may also want to keep a cordless phone within reach as well, just in case you want to catch up with friends or family; or have those pesky telemarketers calling at bad times.

* Music to dine to: You may want to turn on some tunes while your child eats, for this reason you should have a cd player or an ipod docking station near by. You may however want to turn on something to soothe your child during this time, music that you listened to during pregnancy may work as well. However experts suggest allowing your child to listen to music such as baby bach.

Creating a nursing sanctuary

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