Remember when marriage was a blissful and simple? When it was just the two of you spending the whole weekend together vegging out, going to the movies, or getting dressed up to go dancing …
Then along came those little babies that you hoped, dreamed, and prayed for. Your family feels complete, but your marriage has likely experienced a pretty dramatic shift. Now instead of Netflix and chill, it’s bath time and story time before wrestling the kids to bed. By the end, you’re exhausted and ready to tap out for the night.
You love your life, but now you’re finding that you and your husband have to put in MUCH more effort to keep the romance and intimacy alive.
We recently welcomed baby No. 2 into our family and to say life has been hectic would be an understatement. Not only am I juggling the household and a toddler, but now a new baby who I have committed to exclusively breastfeed. Date night was certainly nonexistent for that first month.
Between the bonding experience and how fast and easy it is to feed the baby, I truly love breastfeeding. But just how I felt with my first baby, I knew I would need to pump at some point. Of course, I also lost our first breast pump somewhere along the way.
When I found out Tricare now covered breast pumps, I was thrilled, and even better was my discovery of The Breastfeeding Shop, a Tricare approved and preferred breast pump supplier. In a matter of minutes spent online, I was able to order my free pump. By the time we got home from the hospital with the new baby, my pump was there waiting along with some much needed accessories!
Just by pumping ONCE a day, I was able to build up a nice little stockpile. Although I prefer not to pump, having pumped milk available has been so important for my relationship with my husband.
How My Breast Pump Has Helped My Marriage
Date Nights
Date nights are a big priority in my relationship. Pumping gives us back the ability to find romance after a toddler and a new baby. Intimacy and quality time are so important in a relationship, and it’s easy to lose that if you don’t have much time alone. Just one pumping session is enough to allow us to go to dinner and a movie while the kids stay with their grandparents.
A date night also serves as a chance for me to get out of my spit up covered clothes and feel sexy again. By committing to these date nights, we are able to reconnect as a couple. We don’t have to discuss feeding schedules or nap times. We can be US again.
Extra Help
When I’m feeling overwhelmed or tired and feel like all I do is nurse, my husband can step in. There is only so much he can do to help when these feelings arise. He doesn’t have the means to feed the baby himself. But the breast pump can change all of that. It takes some of the load off me and makes it so that my husband and I can work as a TEAM. It also provides a chance for father and daughter to bond when he gives her a bottle.
Freedom
When my husband is able to give the baby a bottle, I am able to go out on my own whether it’s a simple trip to the grocery store or going out with my friends to get our nails done. Doing these things makes me a happier, more relaxed version of myself. These feelings of confidence translate into my marriage and make us stronger. I don’t have to be just “mom,” instead I can find myself again — the “me” that fell deeply, madly in love with my husband. The pump allows me to give more to him emotionally just like I did before kids.
Thank You The Breastfeeding Shop
It may seem small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things but having a breast pump has truly made a difference in my marriage. And being able to rely on our insurance and The Breastfeeding Shop has made life just a little bit easier. With a simple click of a button, we were able to order our pump and have it delivered. And as I continue to breastfeed and pump over the next 10 months, The Breastfeeding Shop will offer me a stress-free way to restock on supplies.
This will allow me to focus on the more important things in life, like our new baby, our toddler’s adjustment to the new family dynamic, and finding intimacy and romance with my husband once again.
