Many fathers feel excluded from parenting their children during the first initial stages of life. This feeling of exclusion and helplessness is exacerbated by mother breastfeeding her baby. So, can a father get more involved when it comes to feeding his baby? The answer is, yes.
The number one thing a dad can do to get involved is to support mom. At times, both parents will feel very tired when caring for the newborn infant, the mother especially. This is why its so important for the dad to support mom. So, exactly how does dad provide support? The most obvious thing to do is chores: preparing meals, cleaning house, laundry etc. He can also directly help take care of the baby by changing its diaper, bathing and burbing. But the most important thing he can do is to provide emotional support. To listen to what his partner is saying and to let her know how pleased he is with her as a mother. A new mother needs support at this time of life more than at any other time.
A dad can also get involved with feeding his child, even though mom is breastfeeding. A mother can express her milk and store it for later use. The baby can then be fed moms milk with a bottle at a later...