feeding baby?

Question

I plan to breast feed our baby, but my boyfriend states that if I do there will be no way he can asist in feeding the baby. Is there a way to involve him eventhough I want to breast feed.

Answer 1

Fathers of babies that are breast fed can do a number of tasks to help with baby. They can comfort them as they fall asleep. They can change the baby's diapers. Breast-feeding can be a learning experience for both the mother and father.

Answer 2

He can help in other small ways; bringing you a drink and/or snack, learning to soothe the baby when an immediate feeding isn't possible, burping the baby (especially after those middle-of-the-night feeds) and changing diapers, giving the bath-- there are so many other things babies need besides feedings, that he can be the one to take care of if he is worried about bonding. Oh! When baby starts solids after about 6 months, dad can have the honors of introducing them! That was always a fun one for my husband.

You can pump & have him bottle-feed your breastmilk if you are wanting to introduce bottles. If you'd rather not use bottles at all and breastfeed 100% from the source, that's all right! He will still find many ways to build a relationship with his child if he really wants it, and it sounds like he does! This is a common concern for many new dads, BTW. Do you (or he) have any friends that are breastfeeding, or did in the past? He may just need to talk to someone who has BTDT. Attending a breastfeeding support group (like La Leche League) when they have a "Dads invited" meeting could be helpful as well.

I breastfed all of my children, (all but one) for about 2 to 2.5 years each (my first I only nursed for a year). Hubby found lots of ways to be involved and bond with them, and we've never had to wonder if he was somehow "missing out" on something by not getting to feed them (much).

I want to add, I've heard a lot of men over the years say that they'll miss out on giving those bottles, and that they *plan* to help out with the night feedings, etc... but reality proves that *most* men don't end up following through on this in the long-term. Mothers inevitably end up doing the majority of feedings and night-wakings in the end. Why give up breastfeeding, the healthiest thing for the baby *and* mother, for the *possibility* that dad will still be so helpful six months down the road...? Besides, there will always be the option of giving bottled breastmilk, or having to switch to formula later in some cases, which will give him the opportunity of feeding his child.

At least if you start out breastfeeding, you've given it a good shot and won't regret it, plus you can change your mind later. If you start out bottlefeeding, then changing your mind and trying to re-lactate will be a very difficult (although NOT impossible!) challenge.

Answer 3

Do not pump and give milk in a bottle unless you have to. For one thing it is a time consuming thing to do. For another there are numerous benefits to milk directly from the source including: better control over how much the baby eats (bottles drip, you have to work to get milk from a breast), control over the fat to water ratio, comfort, baby passes bacteria and viruses to mom during feeding so that mom makes immunities immediately, etc, etc.

As stated by Azoom he can bring you the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, etc.

He can bond with the baby by cuddling skin to skin with the baby. Eye contact is key to bonding generally moms and babies look at each other while feeding. And infants can see about 12-16" away exactly the distance to mom's face. With bottles babies are likely to be turned away from the face. So if daddy wants to bond he should hold the baby and gaze inter his/her eyes.

Then there is bathing and all the other things that go into taking care of a baby.

I do not understand men that are jealous of the time mom spends breastfeeding, but your boyfriend is clearly having a problem with it. Now is the time to address it, yes you can exclusively breastfeed without his support but it will be much easier with support. Maybe if you share with him all the benefits of breastfeeding, maybe he thinks formula is just as good and only sees breastfeeding as selfish. This can be an attitude he picked up in childhood from his family. You should work through this with him and find a way to make him comfortable with the decision.

Answer 4

Of course he can help. He can cuddle and help hold the baby while you're breastfeeding. He can burp the baby once you have fed him. You can also pump milk and put them in the special freezer packs and allow him to feed the baby via a bottle. I know you want to do all the work but allowing him to feed the baby by bottle will not only encourage their bonding but it will give you a chance to relax. Don't be afraid that if he uses the bottle once in a while he will not want to take the breast. Do whatever you can to promote your boyfriend to take part in the baby's care including bath-time and diaper changes. Good Luck and make beautiful memories together-as a family!

Answer 5

At 1 month old, you should be pumping and giving the baby breast milk bottles (otherwise they may refuse to eat from the bottle or from anyone else, and you dont want that). Your husband should give the baby the first bottle for sure, and a good % of them after that (bearing in mind that you will still be doing a good number of breast feedings in a day as well).

Answer 6

If he held the baby for as many hours of the day as you'll be breastfeeding he would have a mental breakdown and run away...OK, maybe im being harsh here....there is SO much to do with a new baby...if he strived to change every diaper, or took baby for a short walk every day (30 min.) or bathed baby every day, or soothed and rocked baby after he ate....seriously, Dad will see there is LOTS for him to do and breastfeeding makes parenting SO much easier! Its not even worth discussing!

Answer 7

you can pump the breastmilk, that way he can still feed the baby. alternatively you can feed with formula and breastmilk that way you are taking it in turns and your baby will get the benefits of being breastfed aswell

Answer 8

He can bring the child to you... then stay with you while feeding... then burp afterward. He can even change the diapers.

There is PLENTY of things for him to help...

Answer 9

pump... and bottle feed with breastmilk.