• Set the lounge room or the main living area up so to you’re going to be there for most of the time, during the day anyway, for several weeks. Prepare comfortable chairs, cushions, even a cubby house for the kids. 
•  Have a basket or a trolley beside your main breastfeeding chair with essential things like washers, nappies,  breastfeeding pads, a bowl of water, bottles of drinking water,  protein snacks and snacks for the kids, even a flask of hot tea. Ask someone to prepare e a good sealed flask of brewed raspberry leaf or herbal tea in the morning. 
• Strewing toys in areas of the living room. Like a little play kitchen set up in one corner, cubby house, some blocks over in another corner, a little reading area right where you’re breastfeeding.  I used to pack toys away and bring them out every few months, so it was like “new” again.   Your other childhood children can go from one area to the next while you’re attending to baby or having a little nap on the couch.
• Make the couch your day bed and your feeding room and even the changing area.  I know toddlers can tend to wander from  one thing to the next, so keep them in that area as much as you can when it’s convenient, can help you.
• If you have  a little one that need a daytime sleep, you can all lay down on the bed together. Even if they don’t go to sleep, have the door shut so that you all stay in the bedroom together. Have some books and quiet toys like wooden blocks and soft toys, rather than plastic toys because they’re harsh on the ears if dropped.  Timber has a soft sound and not startling either so try and keep wooden toys  in the bedroom. S
• Even if your child/ren don’t actually have a nap, let them play quietly while you lay on the bed, maybe laying down breastfeeding. 
• If you have a partner who’s not feeling comfortable with a newborn, maybe they haven’t been brought up around little babies and they feel a bit awkward holding a newborn, try this.  If you’re needing to have a shower or get yourself something to eat or have a rest after you fed baby, ask your partner to be on the bed with baby and read to the other children.  They’re all together on the bed while you could have five minutes to yourself.  Maybe they could sit outside on a blanket as well.

Make sure you do take that time and tell your partner this is what you want to do. “I want to go and have a shower. So I’m going to feed baby and I’m going to put them on the bed with you. Can you read to the other kids while while I’m in the shower?”  Clear communication is key.

One last thing, let go of expectations of the house being clean. If you’ve got a couple of children you no doubt are at this point, and just know that it’s temporary.  However I want to encourage you to teach your kids to clean up a little bit after themselves.

Us mums become overwhelmed and then we end up getting burnt out or resentful because we let the kids put toys and things everywhere but we turn around and clean it up. Solution?  Have them clean up as well.

Even if they can only do part of the job, given their age. Put some fun music on for them. It will teach them to start taking responsibility and also helps you.  Explain to them that you don’t want to stand on the toys, you’ve got the baby in your arms you, you need a safe space for everyone.

Even a 1 year old loves to go and pick things up. 

I trust these tips are helpful, mama.

Let me know how you go and if you’ve got any other tips.

Also let me know what you are needing help with and I can create a blog/video. 

Downloaded the FREE guide “Mamas Guide to Postpartum Wellness”. You’ll see to the right of the video on the blog. 

Many blessings,
Tara