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Whatever she chooses, you can play a very important part in the
child’s daily care when it comes to feeding. “Breast is best.”
Every neonatologist, pediatrician and lactation specialist with
whom I have worked with over the years has given the same
advice; mother’s milk is the food of choice. However, it is
okay if mom does not prefer that route.
When I was a young father,
we were not given a choice with our first two children.
Minutes after each child was born, my wife was given an
injection to “dry up her breast milk”. Breastfeeding was
not an option. It was too old fashioned, and science knew
better than nature. (One cannot help but wonder how
humankind survived as a species.) However, by the time we
had our third child, a girl this time, the idea of
breastfeeding was starting to take hold. The idea of
breastfeeding was a completely NEW concept. Why?
Science finally realized each mother produces the best
nutrition needed for her child.
Until recently, dads have been totally left out of the
breastfeeding equation. Why involve him? After all, mom has
the needed equipment. Dad did not have to get up at 2:00 A.M.
to warm up the bottle anymore. (At least that was my
thinking.) Now I realize how much I had been left out and what
a difference I could have made while supporting my wife and
bonding with my children.
You, on the
other hand, are living in the here-and-now, and you can make a
tremendous difference. You may think, “hungry baby, mom,
breast, what can I do?” To begin with, read everything that mom
reads about the subject. Become just as informed as she is.
Understand that you can look at the situation from the sidelines
and can actually be more than just “an armchair coach”. |
