In accordance with my belief that a new parent’s job is to focus on the baby at the expense of the house if need be, I have developed some shortcuts to getting the cleaning and cooking basics done while maximizing time with the baby. Here are five tips for being as efficient as possible:
1. Wear your baby. Babywearing keeps your baby safe and happy while giving you two hands free to get some work done. If you can master carrying your baby on your back, you can even accomplish some more rigorous cooking and cleaning jobs. Just the other day …read more

Note to self: If you lean in to inspect a painful white spot on your nipple, and hand-express to see if it is a plugged duct, you might just get a squirt of breastmilk in the eye.

The benefits to the new mother of immediate breastfeeding are innumerable, not the least of which after the weariness of labor and birth is the emotional gratification, the feeling of strength, the composure, and the sense of fulfillment that comes with the handling and suckling of the baby.
– Ashley Montagu, Touching: The Human Significance of the Skin
I totally agree that with the right preparation and support, that first breastfeeding session can be tremendously empowering. This quote reminds me of the flip side, though — how discouraging and emotionally difficult it can be for a new mother who feels uncertain about …read more