Breastfeeding Journey: From a Dad’s Perspective
Feeding does not just impact one parent and baby, your partner can also have a role in your journey! Our friend, Shawn Chua, shared his experience and advice for staying involved!
How long did your partner nurse?
Wow, 20 months!
What are your top 5 tips for supporting your partner while they are nursing?
- Go with their decision and not oppose it.
- Do your homework and learn as much as you can before baby arrives!
- Take over other tasks from her when she is feeding so that she can rest and go about doing what she needs to.
- Be patient, breastfeeding is not always easy.
- Be “there” even when you can’t feed the baby. Your presence means a lot to them. Imagine having to wake up all alone in the middle of the night and your partner is sleeping soundly.
What would you tell a first time parent who was looking to be involved in the feeding journey?
Feeding is never easy. There may be different issues each individual will face. Some examples include low supply, block ducts, inverted nipples and sore/leaky nipples which could hinder your partner if they choose to nurse.
My wife had supply issues initially and knowing that nursing was very beneficial to our child, she was very persistent to do it. She worked hard to build her supply by waking up every two-three hours every day to pump so that it would simulate the supply. Eventually, her supply increased and now we have a freezer filled with breast milk. Take it easy and seek expert opinion if you need to.
To learn more about Shawn and his family, follow them on Instagram @scarlett.ansley!