7 Productive Things To Do While Breastfeeding

Stuck under a cluster feeding baby or breast pump today? Multitasking is the way to go! Here are seven things you can do right from your living room to squeeze more time and productivity from your day.

Order Groceries

Services like Amazon Fresh allow you to shop online, then have groceries delivered right to your door. There’s also Instacart, an independent grocery service that shops multiple stores on your behalf for a small fee. Both serve areas with larger cities, but even grocers like Safeway, Kroger, and Publix offer delivery services depending on your location.

Program Your Vacuum

I LOVE my Roomba, and if you had one, you would, too. I know, I know – it’s pricey and seems a little indulgent. But here’s the thing: several companies have recently come out with more reasonably priced models. And they’re robots. That vacuum. Without you having to do anything. Seriously. Be sure to check out your options! Treat yourself to your very own Rosie the Robot and let it do its thing while you do yours. Accept your need for this very important household appliance before you have a crawler finding crumbs (a.k.a. snacks) on every surface of the house. Trust me on this one.

Automate Your Life

Let’s face it, you have a new baby. Which means whatever you can take off your plate, you should, and without hesitation. If you haven’t already, automate every single thing you can! Schedule every bill to autopay. Set a certain amount of your monthly paycheck to go directly into savings. Set alarms for important daily to-do items, so when things get hard with baby in tow, or mommy brain kicks in, you’ll have handy reminders buzzing in your pocket. Write emails on your phone, and if it’s the middle of the night, schedule a delayed send. You know all those important things you need to do, like applying for your FMLA benefits and your little one’s birth certificate? You can do them all while trapped on the couch with your suckling sweetie.

Schedule Those Appointments 

Make a list, then check it twice before sitting down to nurse that baby for the 5th time in three hours. You know you’ll be in that rocker for a while, so what are you waiting for? Schedule those appointments! You know, the ones you’ve been putting off since baby was born, or maybe even before then: the dentist, your mammogram, that casual conversation with that work connection that could lead to more flexible hours. The days are long but the years are short. This applies to how quickly you’ll watch your baby grow AND how little time you have to get things done. So go!

Listen to a Podcast 

This is a great hands-free option that still allows you to gaze into baby’s eyes (before he starts dozing, that is.) Podcasts are easy to download on iTunes and there are so, so many great ones to choose from, like Liz Gilbert’s delightful Magic Lessons for creative types or the classic This American Life.

Feed Yourself 

Chances are, you have forgotten to eat today. Heat up something portable and easy to eat, then grab a milkmakers lactation cookie for the perfect post-meal treat. Be sure to do all this before you sit down!

Kick Up Your Feet and Relax

Yes, relax. Really! You need a moment, and maybe – just maybe! – this is it. Instead of worrying about what may or may not be getting done, make sure to take at least one nursing session a day to veg. Don’t you dare pick up a parenting book or a deep, life-lesson inducing tearjerker like War and Peace. This is your time to read US Weekly because a small human or breast pump is literally sucking the life out of you. The least you should get out of the deal is 5 minutes to read about the latest celebrity marriage.

Good luck to all the multitasking mamas out there!