Say what? Fathers play a role in breastfeeding? Isn’t it between the baby and mother only?

Certainly not, loving Dad!

The truth is, fathers also benefit by breastfeeding. Savings from not having to buy formula and not spending for more trips to the doctor for things like ear infections are things the whole family enjoys since it can mean more budget for food or other nice-to-haves. A child’s good health also gives a father peace of mind, not just the mother. It should also make Dads everywhere happy that cancer risks are reduced for their children and wives. So, definitely, fathers also have much to contribute to breastfeeding in terms of support.

A lot of mothers fail to breastfeed exclusively because they lacked the emotional crutch to keep going. That is where Daddies come in. Fathers can help in many ways:

Attend breastfeeding seminars with your wife.

Not only would you appreciate how compromising it can be for your wife, but you would also get to appreciate the magic behind the science of breastfeeding. It really is amazing that your wife’s milk production will adjust to your baby’s needs and how the milk components change when there is a threat of infection in the air. You will also learn to provide your wife with enough pillows, or cheer her when she’s down. My husband actually started coaching other Moms on the right breastfeeding positions on our second seminar.

Support her decision to room-in.

Don’t let your groggy wife have to remind you to inform the doctors of your decision to room-in. Contact the nurses and doctors yourself. In the meantime, learn from them too while you’re at it. Learning to swaddle, change, and clean the baby while your wife is still recovering herself will give her more energy to breastfeed.

Perform other care giving tasks.

This is especially crucial in the first few weeks after delivery because the Mom is still weak and her hormone levels are crashing. She could be exhausted and prone to tears. While you cannot breastfeed, you can burp the baby after. You can also bounce, change, sun and also provide the skin to skin contact a newborn needs to thrive some more. Your wife then can catch more winks and you need not wait to bond with your newborn.

Generate more help and support.

Is the wife complaining of engorgement? Look up the possible reasons and solutions. Make sure she doesn’t miss her post-natal checkups. Get your mother and her mother, or neighbors and friends, to cook something wonderful and healthy. Get other close friends to babysit the babe to give you and the wife some time to sleep, or some alone time to just connect.

Dress her up in breastfeeding style.

Chances are, your wife will want to do the shopping herself. But you can give her gift certificates or just bring her to a shop where she can get nursing bras, nursing covers and other breastfeeding wear. And yes, she may also get more infant layette instead. But the thing is, she is saving you money from formula, remember? Plus, the right nursing wear will empower her to breastfeed in public and start leaving the house sooner.

Feed your baby with expressed breast milk.

The time will come, around two months after giving birth, that your wife will be able to produce enough supply that she can also start storing milk. Plus, she may need to go back to work already. Any chance you get, feed the baby the expressed breast milk and enjoy that same intimacy of having a baby look up happily at you while feeding.

Acknowledge her efforts.

Nothing makes a breastfeeding mother happier than to hear people say that her baby looks healthy. And you, as her partner, should be the first person she’ll hear it from. Also, thank her for her efforts and acknowledge how she must be tired from nursing all night. Ask her how you can help her be more comfortable and once in a while, give her a little token of appreciation: a card, a slice of cake, a good book, or some back rub.

Mothers need all the support they can get and husbands/partners can actually do a lot to facilitate breastfeeding success. Fathers just need to be equally empowered that they have what it takes to help. Fathers also need to be more involved in their newborn’s care for them to also reap the rewards that comes with all those nurturing. And breastfeeding, even though it has a lot to do with milk, also has more to do with love and commitment, something that a family should invest in as a team.