By Alyce Collins

 

AFTER using yoga to beat postpartum depression, this mother has now mastered holding difficult yoga positions at the same time as breastfeeding her two-year-old daughter who walks up to her mum and latches on at any point.

 

Mother-of-three Carlee Benear (31) from Texas, USA, has managed to mix her impressive yoga skills with motherhood as she manages to hold countless yoga positions while nursing her youngest daughter, even while being upside down.

Carlee found yoga to help her during her postpartum depression at first, and now she’s done it every day for four years.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

 

Carlee first became interested in yoga after suffering with postpartum depression after her first child, so following her second child she turned to yoga to take a step back and connect with herself.

 

Carlee continued practicing yoga daily and did it throughout her entire third pregnancy, finding that it gave her greater connection to her unborn daughter, and it aided her through the morning sickness.

Carlee doing a difficult yoga pose with her leg stretched up in the air while nursing her youngest daughter.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

 

Two years after her daughter’s birth, Carlee continues to breastfeed her daughter who frequently latches onto her mother’s breast while she is holding a yoga position.

 

“I got into yoga after the birth of my second child because my first battle with postpartum depression was terrible,” said Carlee.

Carlee does yoga every day to calm and sooth her, and remind her to take a moment to step back from rushed daily life.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

 

“I wanted to connect more with myself as the transition into motherhood can make you feel like you lose yourself, or that you’re turning into a new person with new responsibilities.

 

“One of the benefits of doing yoga is the ability to slow down and enjoy life again in such a fast-paced world. We raise our kids with this pace and it’s more damaging than it is helpful to them for the real world.

Carlee found that doing yoga every day during her pregnancy gave her a stronger bond with her daughter.
Carlee Benear / mediadrumworld.com

 

“Yoga showed me patience with myself and patience with my family as well as for everyone I interacted with. The practice also helps you see things differently.

 

“We are often so fast to react, we forget that this is not a race and we can sit and think before we take action.

Doing yoga and breastfeeding simultaneously helps Carlee to be present.
Carlee Benear / mediadrumworld.com

 

“Yoga was the only way I survived my pregnancy. Even when I didn’t feel like getting on my mat, it always made me feel better and ready to handle the day with a fresh face.

 

“It also helped me build confidence in my body and my ability to birth a life, while also helping me stay in tune with my needs for recovery.

Carlee’s daughter often just walks up to her and latches onto her mum.
Carlee Benear / mediadrumworld.com

 

“Pregnancy is such a precious time and you’re never more in tune with your body, so what better time to explore how big the heart is, or how open the body is becoming? Yoga during pregnancy gave me a connection with my daughter that I’d never experienced before.”

 

Carlee’s first child was born in 2011, her second in 2013, followed by her third child who was born in 2016. Carlee never expected to still be breastfeeding her youngest by the time she was two years old, but she is more than happy to have reached this milestone.

Carlee didn’t imagine she would be breastfeeding her daughter still by the age of two, but is very happy to have accomplished it.
Carlee Benear / mediadrumworld.com

 

Doing yoga and nursing simultaneously has helped Carlee show how strong mothers are and it’s helped her to enjoy breastfeeding while being in the moment.

 

“Holding poses and breathing while nursing helps me connect with my body and be more present,” Carlee said.

Carlee practises ‘baby-wearing’ as she wears her daughter in a sling so she can nurse while Carlee does yoga.
Carlee Benear / mediadrumworld.com

 

“Anything can be challenging if you let your mind get in the way. I think that’s one of the things breastfeeding yoga has helped me move past and it’s helped me to believe in myself again.

 

“Staying in poses is big in yoga as it helps you be in your body and connect with your body during the ups and downs of breastfeeding.

Carlee’s daughter now likes to try out yoga herself.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

 

“I am always aware of my daughter around me and I adjust my flow to her because she loves to sneak snacks at any time, so I need to be ready for her to pounce.

 

“There is good in this because it is yet another reminder to be present.

Carlee breastfeeding her youngest.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

 

“Now, yoga helps me be the mother I always dreamed of being because I can enjoy every moment to the best of my abilities.”

 

Carlee admits that people have often commented on her Instagram posts of her yoga breastfeeding with good and bad responses, but that doesn’t matter to her because it’s become such an important part of motherhood for her.

Carlee believes that doing yoga every day helped her during labour and with morning sickness.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

 

“It really helps show the power of a mother and her ability to do great things for herself and her family at the same time,” added Carlee.

 

“Multitasking is great, but I don’t think it should be used for everything all the time. We do still enjoy sitting down and nursing while gazing into each other’s eyes too.

 

“As far as what others say, there are good things and bad things that can be said about everything. What matters is what you think and how you feel because you live your own life, no one else can do that for you.

Carlee showing off her impressive yoga skill.
Carlee Benear / @realteelphoto / mediadrumworld.com

“I will carry on nursing for as long as we both enjoy this bonding experience for.

 

“My daughter is even trying to master doing yoga and eating now, it’s quite entertaining. We stop, drop and yoga through the tough times in our house. When we do yoga, its a few moments to stop, breathe and believe.

 

“I do yoga whenever I struggle as a mother, which is daily. It’s not always picture perfect, recorded or easy, but it is necessary for me to survive and thrive.”

 

To see more of Carlee’s incredible yoga positions, you can visit her Instagram @carleebyoga.