** Updated post on 2014 Mar 05 **
MadPsychMum has started a blog train “WHY I BREASTFEED FOR……..”. There will be a total of 24 mums from the Singapore Mom Bloggers community to share with the story behind every breastfeeding mum, so make sure you come back here and click on the button below to read more stories!
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You might be asking why is a Dad involved in the blog-train about breastfeeding?
Everyone knows that a guy’s breasts will not lactate right?
Babies would not know the difference, they see nipple, they will bite!
(Serves us guys right for going topless at home)
Nevertheless, Daddy wish to share his own experience about how a husband can encourage breastfeeding. Nursing is never easy, a lot of determination, a lot of pain (soreness, engorgement), and mostly lack of sleep.
We guys will never understand the discomfort.
We do not understand the pain of waking up every 2 hours to nurse, the pain from engorged breasts, nor the “inconvenience” when Mummy goes back to work and need to pump in the “meeting room or gasp Toilet!”
Nevertheless, Dads can, and should offer 110% encouragement for our spouse to carry on Nursing for as long as possible. Click to read about the 24 Mums who are sharing their breastfeeding journey and experience.
~~~ ~~~ Breastfeeding from a Dad’s perspective ~~~ ~~~
The men know the benefits of breastfeeding, but do we know how to encourage the Mrs to nurse for a longer period?
– breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs
– the money saved on milk power can be used for other enrichment programs
– Mummy’s uterus shrink faster, and she can regain her shapely figure
– Daddy goes “WoW” at Mummy’s engorged mammary ( >_< )
** disclaimer.. the last benefit might only be for guys keke
During antenatal courses, we always hear why Mum’s milk is best. But how many men
understand how tough it is for Mummy to keep to her breastfeeding regimen?
Breastfeeding is all about efforts, discipline, and a strong faith to provide only the best for our infant. Do we realise Mummy’s challenges at work?
– what will Mummy’s colleagues feel about her breastfeeding in office?
– where does she go to express milk, is there any privacy?
– how can she store extra milk?
Mummy Adora has highlighted two other points :
1) unsupportive spouse can be the biggest hurdle for Mums to carry on nursing
2) The smart Daddies would encourage Mummies to nurse longer, so they can sleep “uninterrupted” through the night :p (read her comments below)
Daddies should acknowledge and appreciate our Mrs’ sacrifices.
That precious 30ml of lactose does not come easy, and nursing an infant at two-hourly interval is no joke! How can we motivate our wife to nurse longer?
The man might not be useful in the milk department, but he can mobilise the family to handle household chores, and allow Mummy to take short naps.
– Wash the laundry, scrub the car, dry the mitten (Why baby so many clothes!)
– Cook a simple meal (singular). If the man can whip out a three course meal, the other family members might get some decent home-cook meals
– Use the extra small hands at home, give them some tasks. (Maid carry Army bag)
– Kids can dumb the rubbish, water the plant, or simply bond with the new member
– We are very fortunate, our kids can pamper and Hun Tum massage us.
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Despite her busy schedule, Mummy can always squeeze an extra hour per day for her favourite Korean drama (multitasking).
If there is one thing Daddies can buy for Mummy, get a battery breast pump.
Can you imagine squeezing milk manually at 2 am in the morning?
Mummy’s hand will cramp up at the end of the session :p
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
BMSG (Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group) is partnering Philips to run
“The Greatest Gift”. This is a campaign to promote breastfeeding amongst mothers and mothers-to-be in Singapore. Mummies and Daddies can help to spread awareness, and win prizes too :
– Visit http://www.thegreatestgift.com.sg (T&C applies)
– Summit a photo of Mummy nursing (please get Mummy’s permission first !)
– Dateline is 30Sep
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Kudos to Mummy. Give our Mrs a pat on her back, encourage her to nurse for as long as possible. For the adventurous man, maybe we can pick up Robert De Niro’s strap-on boobs from “Meet the Fockers” !
Nah, you will Never see Daddy Andy in this outfit.
Hi! Thank you for sharing this post. I was just thinking about the same thing recently. It is nice to hear about the benefits of breastfeeding from a father’s point of view.
I am a nursing mum of a 5-month old. I breastfed my elder daughter till she was 16.5 months. You are right to say that it’s no joke and very taxing on the mother.
I’ve attended the course at BMSG, and one of the most important points I took away from it was that an unsupportive husband is the most common reason why mothers give up nursing. Some husbands may think that offering to buy a can of milk to standby is playing it safe, but it affects the mum psycologically – not good for new mothers who are prone to post natal depression!
The best reason for a husband to encourage his wife to breastfeed is this: the longer his wife breastfeeds, the longer he gets to sleep through the night undisturbed! When baby wakes in the night to cry, groggy mum rolls over to feed baby and daddy can sleep through it all!
hi Adora,
thank you for dropping by, and sharing your insights.
I like the added “incentive” you have for men to be more supportive (sleep through wahaha).
** allow me to share on my blog 🙂
Actually, I miss those (bottle) feeding nights when the kids are still so small and cradle on my thigh.
To see them suckling and increase their milk intake from 20 to 30 to 60 to 80ml.
There was a hugh sense of satisfaction.
cheers,
andy
Yes, the more supportive the husband the better for the wife’s well being! And totally agree that the best thing you can do is be encouraging, listen to her whine and buy an electric pump! Thanks for linking up 🙂
Madeline Heng recently posted…Life As a Temporary SAHM
Thanks for starting the series Madeline! I am learning a lot, and it only makes me appreciate my spouse more 🙂