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'Tis the Season
The Nursing Mother's Guide to Surviving the Holidays By Teri Brown
Learning to breastfeed may have been more challenging than you thought it would be for you and Baby! But you finally have it. Baby is gaining, and you have learned to relax. It looks like smooth sailing ahead! But wait, the holidays are rushing upon you. Parties, get-togethers, schedule changes and rich holiday foods are on the horizon. How can you and Baby survive the holidays without throwing your breastfeeding savvy into turmoil?
Norah Piehl of Wellesley, Mass., noticed that her baby seemed to demand more breastfeeding than usual. "I think he nursed more often than usual due to the excess stimulation of being around so many people during the holidays," says Piehl. That worked out, because leaving Baby behind wasn't an option. "My baby was so little at the time that I just took him everywhere I went," she says.
Dr. Michelle G. Brenner, IBCLC, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia, believes that a phone call to the hostess might be in order. "Speak with the host or hostess in advance and let them know that you are nursing your infant," says Dr. Brenner. "With advance notice, it should be acceptable to bring the infant along."
Most hosts or hostesses have no problem with this as long as you make clear to them that you will leave if the baby makes too much of a fuss. Be courteous and remember that other adults might be taking a well-deserved break from their children.
Dr. Brenner says there are other things to consider before taking your infant to a party. "This time of year is wrought with illness," she says. "You might be more comfortable finding a sitter and not exposing your infant to other guests who might be under the weather and asking to hold your baby. Keep your stay at the party brief, and return renewed to enjoy your infant."
