Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2013!
This week, we will be celebrating by sharing real-life breastfeeding victories that you, our readers, shared with us! We were so thrilled to see all of the wonderful photos and heartwarming stories, and we cannot wait for you to read them all. Each day this week, we will be celebrating a different “category” all in the theme of “Breastfeeding Victories.” Any of you that have breastfed know that it is never a smooth-sailing ship, so each and every story is worth a celebration!
Today, we celebrate victory stories for daddies and partners! Our photo contest winner will be leading off our post…..
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER: Shary’s fiance
My fiance doesn’t put up a big fuss when it comes to how we raise our child together. We tend to agree on how things should go, so when I stated I planned on breastfeeding Anders just like I did my daughter he replied “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” After our son was born, his parents put on a show for me acting as though my decision to breastfeeding was awesome. I really did not think anything of it and assumed they were sincere. At a week old Anders went on his first Easter Egg Hunt and I wore clothes to accommodate both the summer heat and my need to feed my child while out and about. Later that evening, my fiance told me that his father told him to tell me to “stop whipping out her damn breast.” I was heartbroken because I assumed that they understood and accepted my decision. It hurt to have them talk about something I believed wholeheartedly in negatively behind my back. My fiance told me he was quick to respond: “No. That is how she feeds my son.” He was convinced it was over, but I was still upset. At our next gathering I brought some expressed milk for a bottle because I had planned to take a break and go get my haircut. We briefly discussed my battles with breastfeeding and pumping – nothing I couldn’t handle. But his mother seemed skeptical of me being able to pump enough for when I returned to work in the fall and asked if I wanted formula coupons for when she babysat. I began to decline, but my fiance butted in with “My baby only drinks the finest of breast milks,” complete with a wink for me. He has been a reoccurring pillar of support against the haters in my life often staring down strangers for me and making jokes so I don’t have to respond to naysayers. He is an excellent support system and an even better father!
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Ashley’s husband
Daddy feeding Lyndon his breast milk for the first time from a bottle. He’s 4 months old.
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Jennifer’s husband
There’s absolutely no way I could have breastfed my 21 month old triplets this long without the help and support of my husband, David. He’s a wonderful “Dada” and my biggest support in this massive endeavor!
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Leah’s husband
Brian is the best daddy that any little one could ask for, and he is certainly the most supportive partner! He has always been a great advocate for breastfeeding our son, even during tough times (thrush, ridicule from others, etc.). It makes my heart so happy when I hear him telling new or expecting fathers how important breastfeeding is, and listening to him spout off so many great things about extended breastfeeding and its benefits. How lucky we are to have such an advocate!
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Mandi’s husband
My husband took his role in breastfeeding very seriously. We took a class on breastfeeding while I was pregnant that addressed the husband’s role and several of the “daddy books” he read had chapters on them too. He was a very supportive, hands-on-dad beginning with my natural birth when he caught our daughter, announced her sex, and cut her cord, so I should have known this would extend to everything we have done together as parents.
From that first day, he never left feeding the baby up to me. He would bring her to me when she was hungry, help me position her, bring me drinks and snacks while I nursed, and would help entertain me during those first few weeks when it seemed that all I was doing with feeding the baby, hands occupied, unable to do anything. He helped around the house so that I could get rest from feeding all night. But the biggest sacrifice of all was not feeding our daughter himself. From the very beginning, he really wanted to help feed her, but he knew that it was important that the two of us develop a solid nursing relationship before we pumped and used bottles. I know that he wanted a part of that special relationship, but he let it be as nature intended.
As my daughter grew, he continued to support nursing. He comforted me when I went back to work and had trouble pumping. He was also emotionally supportive of my decision to nurse our daughter past a year (when many people saw it as no longer socially acceptable). Our daughter recently lost interest in breastfeeding at 19 months, and he’s helped me cope with my sadness at that too.
He’s been helpful and loving and so supportive at every step along the way, always looking at breastfeeding as the normal, natural way to feed our baby. He even took this picture (even though he though it was weird I wanted a picture of nursing)!
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Trisha’s husband
Despite the naysayers, including the hospital lactation consultant, I was able to breastfeed my twins exclusively for their first year of life. They continued to nurse until 20 months prior to weaning. My husband was supportive every step of the way! The encouragement and love he showed me through his words and actions was amazing.
Luke was up through the night swapping babies with me, helping position babies as we learned to tandem nurse, and more. I couldn’t have done it without him!
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Amanda’s husband
I have two children ages 8 and 11 months and my husband has been supportive for both of them. With my oldest I thought I was prepared and knew exactly what to expect, I mean after all, my degree is in early childhood development, I had worked with children as young as 6 weeks for years, and I had read every boom available. We had taken a class where we watched a video about how to breast feed where the baby latched and mom and baby worked so well, so naturally I thought “I can do this, that’s nothing”. Well, sweet daughter was born after an induction(would never do again) and lathed on like a champ after birth so of course I thought I was super mom. Well she didn’t nurse that well again. She wouldn’t latch, my milk wasn’t coming in at all, barely any colostrum, and the hospital pressuring me with getting her for after she showed signs of jaundice and weight loss(yeah the normal-again pressure). My poor husband who really was at a loss of what to do with his crying, upset wife and new screaming baby did the best thing he could, he hugged me and held her. He then pressured the hospital to get lactation up to the room to help and once they arrived asked every question he could possibly think of. We were able to leave the hospital with our daughter, thankfully, but my milk still wasn’t in. At home I continued to have problems and was having to use one of those neck contraptions to formula feed her while my milk came in. Every time I wanted to give up my husband would console me and remind me how bad I wanted to breast feed. Which was exactly what I needed. He got up at all feelings to help me hook up the neck thing while I was needing it and happily held her while I slept. With his encouragement and support we successfully breasted for almost a year.
With my second a son, everything worked exactly how it should have, though I had forgotten about the sore nipples, but my husband did not and he made sure to stop at Walgreens on the way home to get me lanolin. He was so sweet and thoughtful. He has never complained about being late to something because the baby was hungry or made a comment about how much easier I would be to just bottle feed. He has always been supportive and my son is still nursing and going strong. (The picture is my two healthy breastfed babies.)
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Lauren’s husband
My husband, from the first BFP, has been at my side through everything. He has supported every decision I’ve made, even the crazy ones. He trusts my maternal instinct! I’m breastfeeding baby #3, and I credit my success on the love and trust he gives me. Through screaming fits at 3am, baby tears and mama tears, clogged ducts…he’s never suggested a bottle. Even when it means no date nights without a babe in tow, or a decrease in intimacy because of hormones, he’s looked at my nursing relationships with the kids and has been proud. He has four ladies to support, and we all know that he will forever be there for us. Nothing helps a breastfeeding mother more than knowing that in the whole world, the most important person is on board without a bit of hesitation. Best dad, and best husband, ever. I love you, Jeff!
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Tiffany’s husband
Nolan was born December 17, 2007. He was our first. Like most first time moms, I was a bit perplexed on how to get this tiny babe to latch onto my pregnancy enlarged breasts. My gorgeous husband was the one who came to our rescue. He recalled all the YouTube videos I forced him to sit through, the books I encouraged him to read and took action. He positioned Nolan perfectly, adjusted our pillows, held the water bottle to my lips and encouraged me the whole way. He is the one who got us started in a remarkable breastfeeding relationship for the next year of our life.
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Anna’s husband
I gave birth to triplets on October 7th, 2012 at 32 weeks, 3 days. I had wanted to breast feed even before I knew I had triplets and my husband was very supportive. When I found out I had triplets I was still determined and I read books about breast feeding multiples. There were a lot of people who didn’t think I could do it but my husband always did. In the hospital he would get up with me at night while I pumped and he was careful to wash all my pump pieces. I pumped for the first 4 days with no milk. My husband knew how much it meant to me and we would get advice from the lactation consultants. He would put warm cloths on my breasts and help hand express to try and get some milk to come. Our babies are 9 months now and he is still very supportive, always tells people that I’m breast feeding triplets, and stays up with me every night while I pump after the babies go to bed.
Thanks, Mamas, for sharing your stories! What’s YOUR supportive daddy/partner’s victory story?
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