Breastfeeding – a shared responsibility for parents
By discussing your thoughts and considerations about breastfeeding with nurses and doctors, you can get the guidance and practical knowledge you need.
This way, you as a father can become actively involved in establishing breastfeeding and help share the responsibility with your partner.
Expressing milk is the path to breastfeeding
Supporting your partner in expressing milk makes a big difference.
When you assist your partner in starting to express milk within the first 6 hours after birth, it can help kickstart milk production more quickly.
To best support production, it’s important to continue expressing milk regularly around 8 times a day.
You can help by keeping a daily record of times and amounts, so you can maintain an overview and ensure adequate milk production for your child.
Did you know that…
- premature children benefit especially from breast milk because it’s easier to digest, protects the intestines, boosts the immune system and lowers the risk of infections.
- for a premature birth, breastfeeding starts with skin-to-skin contact and milk production is stimulated through expressing.
- it’s beneficial for you to take part in breastfeeding guidance so you can get practical information about expressing milk and supporting breastfeeding, so that both parents can share the responsibility.
- It’s natural for dads to feel a big responsibility for making sure the breastfeeding is successful.
Your child’s readiness for breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can start as soon as your child is stable in terms of heart and lung function.
In the beginning, you’ll need to pay close attention to your baby’s subtle signals to show they’re ready to breastfeed.
These signals will become more apparent as your baby matures.
The baby’s oral skills and sucking strength will improve, and they will also stay awake longer at the breast.
In particular, breastfeeding positions that support the head and neck can support your child.
When you place the baby’s body close to your partner, you can support the baby’s head by gently holding it and placing it carefully close to your chest.
When breastfeeding doesn’t work out
While many couples choose to breastfeed their baby, it’s not always right for everyone.
A baby can certainly live healthily and happily on infant formula.
It might be helpful to remind your partner of this if she is very keen to breastfeed but it’s just not working.
If you can’t make breastfeeding work, but still want to, you can get advice and help from a neonatal nurse or health visitor from your local authority.
The texts for ‘Dads of premature babies’
were created collaboratively by first-time dads of premature babies, doctors, nurses from neonatal units, public health nurses, and the Child, Maternal and Family Health Care research group in The SUPPORTED study project, which aims to foster a more father-inclusive culture in a family-centred context within the healthcare system.
