The Breastfeeding Sports Mom
Well, there I was 8 days post C-section slowly pushing a stroller across the park. Kai might have only been a week old, but my oldest had a ballgame! I remember strategically sitting next to the other team’s dugout, because that is where the most shade was. It might have been mid-September, but in AZ that is merely our third summer. Not only was Kai a week old, but he had been cluster feeding for seemingly the entire day. I was exhausted, but this is motherhood. I am not saying any of this to get a trophy or kudos, I’m saying this, because there are a lot of mamas who can also relate to this. With our first kid, the newborn phase is this time to settle, relax, and live in the moments. When it is our 3rd, we often are just doing life with our other kids WITH our newborn.
I am now almost a year postpartum still breastfeeding and still going to ballgames. This fall it is football instead of baseball, but that does not change a whole lot of the situation. The big thing that has changed for me is nursing an 11 mo. in the bleachers and personally healed is a wee-bit easier than an 1-wk old and still wearing a belly band!
So let’s discuss some of the things, which I have found to be helpful and/or critical to being a Breastfeeding Sports Mom!
Weather Protection!
This one is not very exciting, but it is so important. Living in Arizona, rarely is cold our concern, but rather the heat. When we are breastfeeding, our bodies are in a natural state of reduced estrogen. If you have ever heard your grandmother complain about a “heat flash”, this is a very similar hormonal reaction. It is very common for breastfeeding mothers to be hotter than normal. Not only is there a natural hormonal cause, but we are holding our babies close to our bodies.
This brings up another super important point, which is that we do not want our babies to overheat. Especially newborns have a harder time than matured humans to regulate their body temperature, which causes them to react more heavily to heat. In addition to heat prevention, it is also important to protect their beautiful, fresh skin. Typically, mothers do not want to utilize sunscreen until babies are older (6+ mo.).
Therefore, I highly recommend to invest in a canopy. These canopies are perfect, because they can be used in many different places. That might be a baseball field in the outfield, soccer field on the sidelines, and even on bleachers. Keeping out of the sun is very helpful.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
As a breastfeeding mother, I was so sick and tired of this advice. So I am not going to push on your fluid intake too hard. Aside from, yes, you need to have water. I am known for packing everyone in my family snacks and water and then realize I forgot about myself. So do as I say, not as I do. Pack water and snacks for you too, mama!
Equally important though, offer your baby fluids more often than you typically would. This is particularly true for a high-heat environment. We often are looking for hunger cues to signify that we should nurse our babies, but when it is very hot outside, hydration is also priority. If you are used to an every 2-3 hour feed schedule, maybe considering offering the breast every hour.
If you are bottle feeding, the same suggestion. Prepare to offer more breastmilk than you might typically otherwise and pack accordingly.
In addition to your breastmilk, if your baby is taking solids consider snacks that are high in fluid content, such as watermelon, berries, or even puree pouches. As well as, you can offer water if they are at an appropriate age. However, prioritize breastmilk and water-dense snacks before water.
Plan Strategically.
If nursing in public is giving you anxiety for whatever reason, plan your trip accordingly. I love to “fill my baby up” before arriving to a destination. Here is how that might look.
About an hour before you plan to leave, nurse your baby.
Then right before you plan to leave (~20 minutes), nurse your baby again. He/She might be full and not eat much, but recognize it is an attempt.
Load everyone up and head to the destination. Assuming the destination is somewhere near, get everyone there and unloaded. About 20-30 minutes before game time, go back to your car and get in one more good nursing session. The front seats in cars are usually great for nursing, they have arm rests, recline, and are often roomy.
Of course, depending upon how long the game is, this might not get your baby through the entire game. However, you will be able to minimize the amount of nursing in public.
If you are not a nursing mother, but rather an exclusive pumper, I HIGHLY recommend utilizing the time in your vehicle. Remember that pump schedules are guidelines, which were meant to be broken sometimes. If you were nursing your baby, your baby would eat whenever they wanted, so you can pump whenever you want too (within reason of course!)
For this scenario, let’s assume that you follow a 6AM, 9AM, 12PM, 3PM, etc. pump schedule. You have to be at the ball field at 11AM for a 12PM game. If you want to stick to your schedule, go for it, but let’s make this easier:
Because I am sure in the chaos of the morning, you really do not want to be pump at 9AM when all the kids are trying to get ready. So push your pump session to 8AM.
Prepare your Cereschill with your 8AM milk and any other milk you think you might need. Keep in mind you will have at least one session while out.
Now at 10:30AM, you will be in the car headed to the field. Take that time to pump. This will replace your 12PM pump. Pour this milk into your Cereschill.
Game time is 12PM, by 2:30PM you should be back in your vehicle. Now pump on the way home, which will replace your 3PM pump.
You did not “skip” a pump session, your baby has their milk, and you did not even have to take your pump out of the car.
Get comfy!
Lastly, whether you are nursing or bottle feeding, make sure to have some seating that supports you.
Think ahead and think about what the seating options are. The options below are priortized according to my preference:
A Fold-Up Chair: It really does not need to be anything fancy, but these support your back and the armrest really help. These are the best for baseball games rather than the bleachers provided.
Stadium Chair: Sometimes you do not have an option, but to sit in the bleachers. Of course, for a football game it is hard to see unless in the bleachers. So these are the next best option. They provide back support, a little arm rest, and they are easily carried as a backpack.
Back of the bleachers: Well, not my favorite option, but it is definitely better than nothing. If you sit at the very top of the bleachers, typically there is fencing. So sit at the top of the bleachers, so you can rest your back.
You can do this!
More important than any of this though, remember that you can do this. Like everything in motherhood, it will feel clunky. You will forget something…(ask me about that time that we forgot nipples for our infant’s bottles…), something might be uncomfortable, but with practice you will figure it out. The fresh air is good for you and your baby and being a present mother for all your children keeps the mom-guilt scaries away.
If you have a sports event or something else coming up, which you are particularly concerned about. I would love to help empower you through another hurdle in your feeding journey.
With love,
Antoinette C., CLC