Unintentional Holiday Weaning

What is unintentional holiday weaning?  This is when nursing moms are busy and distracted with cooking, decorating, and entertaining during the holidays and tend to put off their nursing babies’ requests to nurse or they nurse their babies for shorter periods of time than usual.  Sometimes this happens, too, when other family members want to hold the baby to give mom a break.  Even during this pandemic, many families are avoiding large gatherings but even one guest can cause extra stress!  All these sorts of situations have the potential to reduce mom’s milk supply, to contribute to nursing strikes, and to cause premature weaning (1).  

What can nursing moms do to avoid unintentional holiday weaning?  Change your perspective.  See time to nurse your baby or toddler as a way to slip away for a few minutes for some much needed peace and rest.  Break up the cooking over several days, buy already prepared foods if you are able, or simplify your dinner menu to only everyone’s favorite dishes.  Consider wearing your baby to promote bonding and to help keep baby content (1).

Remember that the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are only two days out of the year.  Your breastfeeding relationship with your baby will last months or years, so take care of yourself and your nursing baby!

(1) Holidays with Baby: Staying Connected

(Disclaimer: Although LLL has some content that goes against Catholic Church teaching, a lot of their breastfeeding information is well researched and well written.)