BrextingBrexting. Also known as texting or using your mobile phone while breastfeeding. It’s the latest no-no being flagged up by ‘experts’ and yet another thing we’re supposed to feel guilty about. As if there isn’t enough already.

Apparently brexting can interrupt mother-baby bonding and cause mums to miss signs and cues that their baby is trying to make contact leading to an overly-clingy child with attachment issues.

As a mum who works from home with an exclusively breastfed baby being able to write and respond to emails while nursing is vital for me, and my phone is always on the arm of the chair. In fact, my email signature is ‘sent from my Samsung Galaxy, probably while breastfeeding’.

So here’s why you should never feel guilty about brexting:

1. Brexting is no different from watching TV, reading a book or having a power nap while nursing, and nobody criticises any of those.

2. Sitting there doing nothing but making eye contact with your baby while they feed is weird – who wants to be eyeballed while eating? Most disconcerting.

3. I don’t know about you, but the minute either of my babies have latched on their eyes glaze over and roll to the back of their heads, and within minutes they’ve usually closed their eyes in milk drunk bliss. Which means they’re not even paying attention to what you’re doing anyway.

4. There’s so much more to mother-baby bonding than making eye contact while feeding. Like when they explore your skin with their little hands or tuck a fist in your chest.

5. I can’t think of another reason, but there must be one…

I just don’t buy it that my baby is going to be scarred for life or mentally impaired by a bit of brexting which ultimately helps put food on our table and a roof over our heads.

And nor should you.

Linking up with…

Advice From The Heart
The Little Life of Ickle Pickle