At the beginning of this year 2017, the extension of the paternity leave (Great news!), And many new dads were very happy because they would be able to spend a lot of time witnessing the first weeks of the baby up close, they could also serve as support or "support" to their partners. Postpartum is a very delicate time in the female reproductive cycle: the more hands there are to provide support in different activities of daily life, the less stress will be on the new mother.
I imagine that a priori, the approach of each father is different, yes: we witness some statements in the media in the sense of “how good, I will be able to give him the bottle!”. And although I am not anti-bottle, if I am a defender of benefits and benefits of breastfeeding (if only because of the mom-baby bond); in fact, breastfeeding is a physiological act typical of mammals (and we are, even if we live in the XNUMXst century). That's why I was surprised, and I felt the need to debate on the subject, because ... Do we know that breastfeeding is the only thing that women can do but men cannot?
I mean: if you are a dad, imagine the number of tasks you can get involved in, including facilitating successful breastfeeding, Do I detail them to you? I'm going to give just a few examples: go shopping, put washing machines, hold the baby in her arms so that mom can relax for a few minutes or take a shower, answer phone calls, take the elderly to school, take them to the park, go to tutorials at school, making food, vacuuming, changing the baby, holding him again for the pleasure of doing it, observing how the mother breastfeeds, preparing the bag to go out for a walk with the baby ... Surely you can think of more, why do you need to give him a bottle if there is so much to do?
Dad: your role in breastfeeding is decisive.
You will tell me: "well, but each family decides whether the food will be mother's milk or from a bottle", Yes, of course, but that the decision includes the baby's need. And even knowing that there are times when it is not possible, I see myself in the 'obligation' to insist that various national and international organizations point out that breastfeeding should be exclusive from 0 to 6 months of life; and that it should last up to 2 years together with complementary feeding.
First, you release mom who is going to stay home (for at least her maternity leave period) of having to carry out various activities, which, even if only related to care, are going to tire her a lot. Even if we forget about certain household chores, there are others that are necessary (clothing, nutrition of parents and other children, hygiene ...).
The mother has been 40 weeks pregnant and has given birthThis does not make her sick, but now she has to take care of a precious creature, with whom she has established a very healthy bond. By definition, primate and altricial mammals, we are designed to keep in constant contact with the primary caregiver (This does not depend on ideologies), and it is very, very healthy. But can you imagine what it can be like to care for the baby, feed him, keep him close to his own body, ... without support and without anyone to help with other things?
Surely now you understand it much better. But if I tell you that you can also learn about postures, lactation crisis or other difficulties, and that with it Not only will you grow as a parent, but you could be of valuable help ...
The wonderful opportunity to be emotional support.
As if that were not enough, you and your partner have a great opportunity to manage certain emotions and improve your relationship. Many women feel sad after birth (it doesn't have to be postpartum depression, but sadness), they need to be heard, and that the emotional 'mountain' in which they are, does not devour them. You are here too, you will miss days of paternity leave, but we assure you that the experience is worth living intensely.
The breasts and the decision to breastfeed.
Needless to say, the primary function of boobs is to feed newborns (although porn and underwear advertisements are bent on leading us to believe other things). So hey, I imagine you won't be too old-fashioned or eager to 'mark territory' man, but in any case, too You must respect the decision to breastfeed, understanding that that part of your partner's body is theirs.
I have not wanted to expand this post much further, indicating in detail all the tasks you can do to improve the mood of the new mother, but also so that your home is normalized as soon as possible, and everyone has their needs taken care of. If you are lucky to have family close by, the activities will be more distributed, if not, pitch in and show that you understand how that of co-responsibility works. And don't worry, at some point you will also establish a bond with your daughter or son, you have a lot of time ahead of you; in fact, you're already doing it when you pick him up and smile at him.