Slow & steady

Nursing your baby really does take up a lot of time, but it’s worth it. Don’t rush it, as slowing down to the speed of breastfeeding is the best thing you can do.

You’re burning around 500 calories a day simply by breastfeeding. That equals about an hour of sweating in the Zumba class!

We live in pretty hectic times, where society tends to measure our worth in terms of our productivity – the tangible results we can show for our time and efforts. Even as parents, we judge ourselves according to this unyielding yardstick.

As a result, motherhood can feel a bit unproductive. Even after an exhausting day, you may wonder what exactly it is that you have accomplished. Yes, you’re constantly busy – feeding, cleaning, playing with baby or trying to get him to settle – but you have nothing to “show” for it. In fact, when your partner returns from work, you may greet them in your pyjamas, with the breakfast dishes still in the sink and dinner nothing but a good intention simmering on the back burner of your mind.

BLAME IT ON BREASTFEEDING?

Pregnant couples are shocked to hear how time-consuming breastfeeding is. Breastmilk digests within 90 minutes, which means that the average newborn nurses 10 to 12 times in 24 hours.

At first, breastfeeding is literally a fulltime job; Baby will spend a total of eight hours per day at the breast in those first few weeks.

This reality check could make you feel somewhat nervous about nursing. Just remember that parenting a newborn is draining and labour intensive, whether you breastfeed or not. In the medium and long term, breast is not only best, but it actually saves time, money and effort. Forewarned is forearmed. If you know what to expect, you are more likely to go with the flow and enjoy – instead of just survive – those first weeks.

JUST DOING ‘NOTHING’

If you are a task-oriented type A person, you may find breastfeeding especially challenging. It is difficult to enjoy feeding times while you are mentally reviewing your to-do list – and itching to tick off a few tasks. Sometimes, simply adjusting your expectations and changing your perspective will go a long way towards treasuring the breastfeeding relationship. Remember that this is not forever, it’s just for now.

THINK LONG-TERM INVESTMENT

For a variety of reasons, not everyone can breastfeed, or breastfeed for a long time. But if you are in a position to breastfeed, it could be a lifelong gift of health and wellbeing for both you and your baby. It could help your child reach his full potential: physically, emotionally and mentally.

Think about it this way: most parents will spare no expense or effort when it comes to their children’s health and education.

If you see nursing times (and pumping sessions, if you go back to work) as an investment in baby’s future, you are more likely to value it as worthwhile. When your child is older, you will gladly spend hours playing educational games and helping him with homework. In those first few weeks, though, breastfeeding provides all the intellectual stimulation and brain food he needs. Breastmilk ingredients such as lactose, taurine, DHA and cholesterol have all been linked to brain development.

MINDFUL BREASTFEEDING

Mindfulness stems from the wisdom traditions of the East but has since been stripped of any religious or philosophical associations. It is a meditative practice that involves intentionally taking time to “be” instead of “do”.

You purposefully pay attention to the present moment, experiencing it fully, without dwelling on the past or getting lost in fantasies or fears of the future. Breastfeeding provides a unique opportunity to practise mindfulness several times a day for significant periods.

You can use your baby’s feeding cues to remind you to consciously slow down, breathe deeply, and savour each precious moment with him.

Prolactin, one of the main breastfeeding hormones, is relaxing and offers moderate protection against postnatal depression. As mindfulness further reduces stress and the likelihood of depression, practising it during feeds should make early motherhood calmer and more enjoyable. The benefits will spill over into your entire mothering experience and even other spheres of your life, reducing tension and increasing your feelings of happiness and contentment.

Scientific studies have proven the wideranging effectiveness of mindfulnessbased stress reduction (MBSR) for managing stress, decreasing anxiety and depression, faster post-surgical recovery, and reducing acute and chronic pain. For more information, check out the MBSR programme developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

“I’m mindful when I breastfeed. That’s a no brainer,” wrote Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education at the University of California’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, on the webste of the Buddhist non-profit organisation Lion’s Roar. ”There’s not a lot you can do while breastfeeding. You’re just sort of sitting there. So I tune into her breathing or my own breathing, trying to have no agenda, to just be. I attend to the little slurps and my own blissful feelings. I try to reel my mind back when it goes astray, but often, since she’s so damn present (and occasionally pinches me if I space out), mindful ‘breath-feeding’ has become second nature.” However you choose to do it, make an effort to enjoy these first weeks of non-stop nursing. The benefits are endless and, as with everything when it comes to Baby, this phase will pass in no time. ●