Breast milk is the ideal form of nutrition for your baby. Human milk was designed for human babies. Although artificial formulas for feeding babies have been around a while, scientists have not been able to duplicate all the components of breast milk. Breast milk contains at least 100 ingredients that are not found in formula. Not only does it have the ideal combination of fats, protein, and other nutrients, it also contains antibodies and hormones that help your baby fight off infections. In fact, according to information on the FDA website, "About 80 percent of the cells in breast milk are macrophages, cells that kill bacteria, fungi and viruses." Breast milk is also designed to be easier on your baby's digestive system. Babies that are exclusively breastfed tend to have less problems with constipation and diarrhea than formula fed babies. Breastfeeding may also protect your baby from ear infections, allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, and SIDS. Also breastfeeding makes a lot of economic sense as it is completely free.
Things dads can do to help make breastfeeding successful
Encourage mom to breastfeed on demand. The first few weeks of breastfeeding a new baby can be tiring. A lot of new moms quit right before things start to get easier. A good milk supply is established by breastfeeding frequently (around every two to three hours and some breastfed babies need to nurse more often than this). When your baby acts hungry mom should go ahead and offer the breast. Some signs that your baby wants to nurse are crying, squirming around, rooting for the breast, smacking lips, or aggressively sucking on fingers.
Hold off on offering baby a bottle. Dad wants to help feed the baby and mom wants a break from the baby. So it makes perfect sense for mom to pump off some breast milk and let dad offer a bottle for night time feedings, right? In the short term offering a bottle may give mom a break and give dad some time to bond with the baby but offering a bottle too early can create some breastfeeding obstacles such as nipple confusion and decreased milk supply. It is best to wait until your baby is at least four weeks old before introducing the bottle if possible.
Help her feel comfortable with breastfeeding around others. Support her decision to breastfeed. When friends or family are visiting you can help by making her feel more comfortable breastfeeding. Follow her lead. If she feels comfortable nursing the baby around other people, support her and make her feel comfortable. If she is nervous about breastfeeding with others around, you can help by getting her a throw blanket or moving the conversation to another room so she can breastfeed without the distractions.
Reassure her. When babies are little, they cry a lot. A lot of new parents worry about whether or not mom is producing enough milk and whether or not all the crying is because the baby is hungry. It is normal for newborns to lose a little weight in the beginning. As long as your baby regains his birth weight by the time he is two to three weeks old, he is doing fine. After that he should be gaining about 5-6 oz per week. You can keep an eye on how much milk your baby is getting by counting diapers. Your baby should be nursing about 8-10 times a day and producing about 6-10 wet diapers a day. If your baby is gaining weight, nursing frequently, and has plenty of wet diapers, then breastfeeding is likely going well. Crying a lot doesn't mean that your baby is not getting enough milk.
Take your wife's side on breastfeeding: Your wife may get beat up by family and friends when it comes to breastfeeding. Take her side. Don't suggest formula or agree with family members that think formula would make more sense. If you are concerned about your baby gaining weight talk to your wife privately or go with her to your pediatrician to discuss it rather than discussing it with naysayers.
Take turns caring for your baby. Getting up at night, nursing frequently, and not getting time to rest can make a new mom tired. Give your partner a break by watching the baby in between feedings. Let her take a nap, watch tv for a while or go out with a friend for a couple hours without the baby.
What about breastfeeding and sex?
Some moms go through a period of losing interest in sex after having a new baby. It is hard to make time for lovemaking when the baby barely gives you a break. You can help make intimate times more comfortable by making time for sex after baby has nursed and is napping. A crying baby is very distracting and makes it harder to relax and enjoy sex.
The hormones involved in breastfeeding can cause vaginal dryness. Sometimes dads can mistake vaginal dryness for sexual tension or think that their partner is not in the mood. You might want to consider using a lubricant if vaginal dryness is a problem.
Can you touch your wife's breasts during sex or are they off limits? There is no reason you can't continue having sex as you always have but keep in mind that she will probably experience a "let down" from any breast stimulation during sex. Some women will have let downs during orgasm as well. For some couples this is no big deal or even a sexual turn on but other couples find this annoying and don't like it. If you or she is not comfortable with breast-play during sex, you can avoid breast stimulation. Some things she can do to try to reduce sexual let downs are to nurse baby before sexual activity or wear a snug fitting (but sexy) bra with nursing pads in place.
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