| Mums and Dads
How Dads Can Help
A woman is more likely to choose to breastfeed if she is sure her partner is positive about it.
Your Support is Important
While breastfeeding is natural it is also a learned skill. It usually takes at least a few weeks for mother and baby to get used to breastfeeding. If these first weeks are difficult it can be tempting for the mother to give up.
Your support is vital to helping your partner continue to breastfeeding. You can help by:
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Bringing your partner a drink or a healthy snack to eat, such as a piece of fruit or a slice of toast. |
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Preparing meals and doing the housework so your partner can concentrate on feeding your baby |
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Encouraging your partner, particularly when she is very tired or finding things difficult |
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Protecting her from others opinions about breastfeeding which may be undermining. (Health Promotion Agency article) |
Getting Involved
If your baby is breastfed you will not be able to feed him initially, but experienced dads know that there are many other ways of caring for, and being close to your baby. Here are some suggestions that may be useful to new dads.
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Change your baby’s nappy |
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Settle him after a feed by winding him |
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Hold and soothe your baby |
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Play with your baby |
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Place your baby on your bare chest for skin to skin contact |
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Give your baby a massage |
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Carry your baby in a sling |
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Talk, read and sing to your baby |
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Take your baby for a walk |
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Bath your baby (Health promotion Agency article) |
While out and about breastfeeding can be done very discreetly without anyone noticing your baby is being fed, but the Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme can give you a little more peace of mind. Businesses which sign up to this scheme are supportive of the needs of breastfeeding Mums.
To find out where they are, visit www.breastfedbabies.org or look out for the sticker in the windows of local businesses.
Breastfeeding Benefits - How many can you point to?
Image courtesy of UNICEF.
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