6 ways to help homeschooling work while pregnant and nursing

Four years ago, when we decided to pull our kids out of public school to home school, life got a little busy (that’s sarcasm for very busy).  I had to learn how to be flexible and adapt my schedule.  I had to learn how to get used to having 4 little bodies around my house all day long, along with all the noises they bring as well.  Needless to say, my once quiet and clean home was no longer that.  This prepared me very well for homeschooling while pregnant and nursing.  Here are 6 things you can do to help homeschooling while pregnant and nursing go more smoothly:

1. Be flexible with your schedule.  Luckily I had already been learning this lesson just by homeschooling while not pregnant.  But as nausea kicked in, my belly got bigger, and after giving birth, I needed to rest more, so being flexible was crucial for success.  Sometimes that meant taking a morning off or a whole day.  Or, as the baby began to fluctuate in her nap schedule, sometimes our homeschool time got moved around.
   
   
2. Be flexible with your goals for what the kids learn.  There’s that flexible word again.  I know, I know...it’s hard to be a controlling mom like me and to let things go but sometimes it’s necessary.  Pregnancy is only 9 months and very frequent nursing sessions don’t last forever.  Shortening lessons or just having the kids read whatever nonfiction book suits their fancy is fine.  They’re still getting something and it’s not forever.
   
   
3. Be flexible with where you homeschool.  Noticing a theme?  I used to really like our homeschool lessons to be at the dining room table.  Well, you know what?  When I felt sick or tired, I didn’t want to be sitting upright.  Same went for nursing.  So I chose to homeschool from the comfort of my couch.  I had the kids bring their books to me.  It worked beautifully.
   
   
4. Take breaks from official learning.  Call it spring break or mental health break or baby break.  Whatever you want to call it is fine.  Real learning can happen just by living, playing, and being together.
   
   
5. Can anyone say science project?  Make the pregnancy and baby part of your curriculum!  No joke, that’s exactly what I did.  I had the kids research every week of pregnancy: what was happening to the baby, what was happening to me, and how big the baby was.  We then made a scrapbook of the information they found plus added pictures of comparable fruit to the size of the baby, pictures of me and my belly, and ultrasound pictures.  And you know what we ended up with?  The coolest baby book we could ever have hoped for that we gifted to the baby when she was born.
   
   
6. Let the older children hold the baby while reading.  This is an awesome opportunity for sibling bonding time.  My 4th was in kindergarten and just learning to read and he would proudly hold his little sister and read his beginner books to her.  It was so precious.
   
   

Although while in the midst of pregnancy and breastfeeding, it can feel like an eternity, it really isn’t.  The time will fly by and your older homeschooled kids will adjust and adapt.  And so will you.  Happy homeschooling!