by Heidi Green
December 07, 2011

I don’t need the thermometer to tell me that we’re drawing closer to winter. Every year when the leaves drop off the trees, I find myself reaching for a sweater… a blanket for my lap… my thickest pair of socks.

I’m not just “layering up” myself. There’s Max, of course. “Grab an extra blanket, would you?” I shouted to Michael the other day as we headed out the door. I wanted to have it “just in case”—even though Max was already wearing a sweatshirt and was covered with a blanket.

Four-year-old Sam accepts layered shirts or sweatshirts easily. He’s so proudly focused on the task of dressing himself that he picks up whatever is laid out and puts it on without question. That doesn’t mean he’ll keep it on, though—by lunchtime, Sam has usually pulled off something. “It’s making me cold, just looking at you!” I tell him—which makes him thrill all the more at removing his second layer.

Katie seems to view the layered clothing of cold-weather days as an opportunity. When she’s not curtailed by school uniform restrictions, she takes time to select a mix of fabrics and colors she finds pleasing. If I tell her to “put a sweater on,” she doesn’t mind. Ben, on the other hand, would spend most of the winter barefoot and wearing a T-shirt.

But the most challenging cold weather issue isn’t keeping the kids and myself warmly clad. Even the surge in laundry created by the extra layers (times six people) is manageable.

It’s breastfeeding.

I’ve breastfed babies through winters before. Max himself was a winter baby, requiring 8–12 feedings every 24 hours during those first months.

But the turn to cold weather has me shivering every time he needs to nurse. As experienced as I am at keeping my shirt down while breastfeeding, it seems there’s always a bit of skin exposed to the cold winter air. A wiggly, distraction-prone baby and a drafty old house add to the challenge!

I suspect that, just as it’s time to winterize the house and dig out the snow shovels, it’s time for me to winterize my breastfeeding, too. First, I need to identify the best (warmest) seat as my “go to” spot. It should have arms, so I can nestle into an upholstered corner for protection.

Secondly, I need to keep a blanket handy.

I could consider nursingwear—but having already made it through one winter of breastfeeding Max without special clothing, it’s an investment I’m unlikely to make.

Fortunately, nursing involves a lot of skin-to-skin snuggling. The perfect warm-up on a chilly day.

Parenting four children between the ages of 38 weeks and 8 years keeps Heidi Green busy! Add in husband Michael, paid work and volunteer work, and life becomes a juggling act. Check in with us every week to find out how she manages (or not), and what she learns in the process.