Getting Dad to Help with Breastfeeding

"MAN'S BREAST FRIEND"

"BEST FOR BABES, A NONPROFIT GIVING BREASTFEEDING A MAKEOVER AND HELPING MOMS BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS TO BREASTFEEDING SUCCESS, HELPS YOU GET YOUR BOOB MAN TO BECOME A BREASTFEEDING FAN

Many an expecting mama wonders: "How will my
partner adjust to the new baby? And how will I get
him used to the idea that he has to share the
cleavage he's been admiring for the past few months?"
Having your partner's support is one of the most important predictors of your breastfeeding success, so in honor of Father's Day, here are our tips for getting your guy to be the best boob-backer he can be:





1. Take him to a breastfeeding class. Yes, we know there's a limit to how many classes he'll go to, but trust us, this one is at the top of the list. Ask midwives and doulas in your area to recommend a good one, or book a class in the privacy of your home (where you can ask ANY question). It will come in handy for looking at the baby's latch and swallows.

2. Make him a knight in shining armor. You're the one with the ta-tas, but he's the one that can slay hospital booby traps with a single blow, making sure the baby rooms with you for best skin-to-skin bonding, watching to ensure the baby doesn't get formula unless it's medically indicated (by a board-certified lactation consultant, or IBCLC) and gently ushering out any nurses whose bedside manner is lacking. That goes for the one who yanks at your boob (a serious no-no!) and for the one that tells you that the baby is starving and you have to supplement, even though the diapers say otherwise. For more on the booby traps, go to www.bestforbabes.org/what-are-the-booby-traps.

3. Forget the quick fix. Men are programmed to want their offspring to survive (so breastfeeding appeals to their instincts), but they also can't stand to see you suffer or to be in your cross hairs. Tell him in advance that the first few weeks of breastfeeding can be challenging and to think coach and cheering squad, not a quick-fix bottle. Give him a list of IBCLCs, local La Leche League groups and websites to research should you run into trouble. Tell him you don't want him to offer to bail you out with that free formula can.

4. Give him the role of ladies' man. Ask him to charm your mother and mother-in-law. Well-meaning but ill-informed relatives may try to dissuade you from breastfeeding, and a few words from him can go a long way to putting a stop to that. Being a united front on breastfeeding is good practice for parenting (think chores and curfews) later on.

5. Have him do some non-booby bonding. Baby bonding is good for Daddy, too, and skin-to-skin contact is yummy on Daddy's chest, especially if mom had a C-section. Baths, diapers and baby-wearing are all skills he can excel at that will give you a break, and he gets extra points for bringing you food, water and helping with the house. Tell him he's your hero and you'll make it up to him soon. Even if you're nowhere near feeling amorous, a sly wink will let him know he's still the man for you…that just has to wait a few weeks! Breastfeeding or not, a new baby is all-consuming, so enroll him in protecting and taking care of his new family. Isn't that what Father's Day is all about?

The Best for Babes Foundation is the only mainstream nonprofit devoted to helping parents beat the booby traps™—the cultural and institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals, whether that's two days, two months or two years! Co-founders Bettina Forbes and Danielle Rigg, who were themselves booby-trapped, are building the "mother of all causes" to ensure that ALL moms are able to make an informed feeding decision without pressure, judgment or guilt, and that ALL breastfeeding moms are cheered on, coached and celebrated to a successful finish! For more on how to beat the booby traps™ or to get involved, go to www.bestforbabes.org."

(http://www.thefamilygroove.com/jun11_MansBreastFriend.htm)


What did you do to get your husband involved?