This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of 1 Natural Way, a TRICARE breast pump provider. All opinions are entirely my own.
From protecting the country, to protecting your baby, this is the life of a mom in the military. We are tasked with a lot of responsibility when we take that oath. Learning how to protect our country, do the job we were enlisted to do, and stay physically and mentally fit. These are all tasks of every service member. But, as women, and as mothers, we take it to the next level. So, how to we handle being a new mom in the military? As a now mom of 3, and member of the Armed Forces for 17 years, I’ll share my survival tips for pregnant moms in the military.
Announce Early
While you may not want to tell your Aunt Becky and all of social media as soon as you find out you’re pregnant , it is essential that you share this information with your chain of command as soon as you can. We want to ensure that your pregnancy stays healthy, and that you aren’t put into uncomfortable or strenuous conditions. As soon as you get the good news from the doctor, let your chain of command know. This also gives them time to find a safer (if need be) job for you to handle during the next few months of your pregnancy.
Check Your Leave
Take the time to sit with your shop chief, or your medical squadron, to find out how long your leave will be once the baby comes. This will be helpful to do as soon as possible so you can start planning for help from family members, hire a doula (if need be), and get everything settled before things get hectic, and your belly get larger. Depending on your military branch, you may be awarded up to 18 weeks of leave!
Make a Break Schedule
As your pregnancy advances, you’ll need more and more breaks during your duty day. Starting to schedule your breaks as soon as you can, will help your body get acclimated to it’s new routine. Plus, this schedule of breaks can be implemented once you resume your duty days, if you decide to breastfeed or pump at work. Your supervisors will already be used to you taking time to rest, so that will transition those breaks into the perfect time to nurse or pump.
If pumping is part of your routine once you have your baby, 1 Natural Way provides the highest quality breast pumps, from Medela and Spectra, to TRICARE members. The 1 Natural Way website takes you through the 4 steps to attain your TRICARE breast pump, so you can check off your pregnancy to-do list ASAP. 1 Natural Way may also send you extra breastfeeding supplies covered (at no cost to you) under your TRICARE plan. They ship those items to you every month, while you’re breastfeeding or nursing. How cool is that? Be sure to visit their website for more information.
We hope this post helps you prepare for that bundle of joy that’s on it’s way, while surviving those last few months of learning how to lace up your combat boots with a big belly. Ha! You got this, Mama.
