Christmas time can be quite stressful for new mothers. During such times, you have to be very careful to ensure that neither yours nor your baby’s health is affected. In case you have to breastfeed your baby, the party season can bring you some anxiety.
What to Do?
It is very important to be prepared in advance. You have the option to store your breast milk and freeze it so that it can be used as a backup for your baby.
Do’s: You can ask family members to assist you with feeds.
Don’t: Forget not to label the frozen breast milk clearly.
Don’t Miss the Eggnog!
A major moral dilemma is whether it is Ok or not, to drink while breastfeeding. You might receive conflicting advice on the matter, but you are the one who knows yourself and the baby best.
Some healthcare professionals might recommend you against consuming alcohol until your baby is three months old as they have an immature liver. However, others say you can enjoy your drink without affecting the feeding. You can consume alcohol in a small quantity (a 125ml glass) with any meal. Drinking after consuming food is advisable only if there is ample time between feeds.
The ‘pump and dump’ technique is preferred where mothers do not use the milk after drinking. Also, after two or three hours of consuming wine or beer, your blood alcohol level will reduce.
If you want to avoid worrying about this, pumping & storing milk in advance is a safe technique that will ensure your baby’s safety. You can introduce bottle feeds in advance, to ensure the baby can happily drink from the bottle.
A Priceless Food Tips for Breastfeeding Over Christmas
As per most experts, after your baby has taken birth, it is fine to consume all kinds of food that you had been avoiding during pregnancy. The majority of babies are not negatively affected by daily food. But you could consider excluding certain food items for a while, if the baby shows any colicky reaction within six hours of breastfeeding.
What to Eat & What to Avoid?
There are certain food items that can alter breast milk taste. So ensure to assess the reaction of your baby about what he/she likes or dislikes.
If you are cautious about alcohol intake and you are likely to consume more than one or two chocolate liqueurs, be watchful of the alcohol content. You also have to be cautious about caffeine while enjoying your Christmas treats. Remember that it is a stimulant that could pass on to the baby, making it less sleepy.
Nuts, including peanut butter, are safe and healthy edibles that can act as an energy-boosting snack.
So don’t worry much about drinking or your diet and soak in all the holiday spirits! Just make sure to keep some bottled milk handy in case your baby needs a feed to make sure that you enjoy the celebrations without any stress or anxiousness.