Historically mothers were surrounded by a group of womyn to get pampered, recover and help them manage the household (amongst other supports) after they gave birth.
Today’s American society isn’t naturally structured that way, so having a laundress, chef, nanny, cleaning lady, driver, personal shopper and an assistant are real items on my wishlist.
Technology in 2019 has made some of these services available at an affordable price.
Here are the ones I depend on ...
Amazon Fresh
This grocery-delivery service has been super practical. I used to lug my children to the grocery store until my friend gifted me groceries after our third daughter was born.
I tried Instacart, which delivers groceries within 1-2 hours, but this week Amazon announced, they too will deliver within 2 hours of ordering. They also offer the service free with a Prime membership.
Fresh uses insulated bags along with frozen water to keep perishable items cold.
They also use brown paper bags, which is very important to me as a Mother Nature loving consumer.
And their customer service is superior. I called Amazon because the driver failed to ring my bell when he/she delivered my groceries. The rep refunded me my entire order — that was over a hundred dollars in groceries.
While I assured them I was okay with paying for the food, they told me his/her behavior was against their policy and that they appreciated the feedback.
What does Amazon Fresh have to do with breastfeeding a newborn?
Producing high quality breastmilk literally depends on my good heath, proper nutrition and well-managed stress. With the click of a few buttons this app makes it super easy to order groceries for our family of multiple children.
Amazon Prime
We also have a Prime membership, which despite increasing twenty dollars this year ($119 per year), I still think it’s super convenient.
We order clothes, hair products, lotion, toothpaste - basically everything I would have bought at a store conveniently delivered to our front-steps without the daunting task of leaving our home with two kids and a newborn.
Amazon also offers subscription services, which means items like diapers and wipes can be ordered on a monthly basis, creating a win-win situation. Amazon has recurring revenue and a loyal customer, while our family gets a small discount and automatic refills.
Uber Eats
Prior to having our youngest, I never used Uber Eats.
The first 4 days after her birth I was couch-bound. I literally struggled to stand up and go to the bathroom. And although I planned for our girls to go with family, they wanted to be up under their new baby sister and me of course.
So we ordered out.
A LOT.
I especially used them if I was having a bad day and my mind was foggy. My go-to solution was often food from our favorite local restaurant.
Between the delivery charge, service fee, plus the price of food, doing this too often can get quite pricey.
Another con is that Uber Eats is not available at every restaurant. So when I craved Indian food, I had to ask my mom to pick it up.
Lyft
Lyft allowed our family a personal driver at an affordable price.
Our newborn preferred to be cuddled, so strapping her into a car seat while I drove sounds like torture to me.
I also felt she was too small and she would be safer swaddled to me while I was strapped in a seat belt.
Please know I'm not encouraging going in a stranger's car without a car seat. In fact, I heard some drivers would refuse the ride if they saw a family without one. I'm simply being honest about how we got around with our newborn. We drove very short distances during off-peak times, only when needed and I'm thankful that we got to our destination and back safely.
There are other cab-like services out there, I just found Lyft to be faster and more affordable.
Health
I wrote about gaining 20lbs while nursing.
The health app that automatically comes on the iPhone has a pedometer feature, which tracks my steps.
Since I’m super passionate about using the resources I already have, I set a personal goal to double and triple my steps. And I'm happy to admit - I feel so much healthier.
I walked our neighborhood, our local beach and sometimes paced our home in order to reach my goal.
Reminders
I have a journal where I list my daily to-dos.
Sometimes I find it super convenient to simply tell Siri what I need and she reminds me.
Bank App
I’m happy our credit union recently entered the app world, making it easier for me to bank with them.
With their app, I can easily take a photo of my check and deposit into our account.
It would have been more convenient if I had an app for our tenants (like Buildium or Tenant Cloud) so that I didn’t have to add this step, but that is on my future to-do list.
Apphi
Apphi is pretty cool in allowing you to schedule Instagram, Facebook and Twitter posts ahead of time.
The week after her birth I barely looked at my phone, never mind visited my social media accounts. For me, the newborn phase lasts until our baby is one month. And Apphi was a tremendous support during that time.
I seamlessly scheduled my posts during my pregnancy, so that I did not have to look at my social media for weeks after her birth.
There is a free and a paid version. I use the free version which allows you to schedule up to 10 posts at a time.
There are other amazing apps for services (like a personal chef and an in-home massage therapist). I haven’t checked them out, but let me know if you have or what apps you depend on while nursing your newborn.
While families may not have all the support needed after childbirth, I’m super thankful that technology can carry the slack (a little).
Until next time.
Love Thyself,
Need Help Breastfeeding?
Global Health Media Projects and Nurturing Mums are super helpful in teaching you how to breastfeed.
Follow @sacredbirthdoula on Instagram. She reminded me of the true POWER of motherhood.
I truly believe we have the answers to our own problems, so when we write our goals down they later help us self-motivate.
The Boston Breastfeeding Coalition is an amazing collective of local womyn and families.
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Some Questions You May Have About Our Experience...
More Resources For Your Journey ...
This bottle comes with a straw making it easier to drink large quantities. It’s also durable, easy to clean and wrapped with a silicone grip.
Our favorite cash back credit card while we breastfeed. You must pay the ENTIRE balance every month to truly reap the rewards. Use my code and we both get a nice reward.
I prefer to read content from individuals with lived experience. Hence, my dream is for you to start your own blog too!
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