Breastfeeding

You may begin considering whether or not to breastfeed before you give birth. At the moment, I will introduce you to some of the basics.

Breastfeeding is something that people can get mixed emotions and mixed messages about. It is normally best for the baby, for up to 2 years. Many children will be alright if breastfed less and others will go on breastfeeding until they are 5 or 6 years old.

If you have a decent standard of living then you will really have a choice about whether or not to breast feed. Yes, it is important for a woman to eat well and to have a healthy diet when breast feeding whenever possible. If a woman does not want to breast feed, she can start the baby on formula right away without much anxiety.

The main benefits of breast feeding are that it is natural and that it passes immunity and protection against disease directly from mother to baby. The bonding and cuddling that take place during breast feeding are actually quite valuable. With proper training and adjustment, many women can learn to breast feed rather gracefully even in semi-public places. More on this below.

The main disadvantages of it are: it can be socially awkward at best, it prolongs the mother's experience of having swollen breasts, it does inhibit further pregnancy.

Fathers

One of the common questions related to breast feeding is about what to do for fathers who want to help and mothers who like that their man wants to help with the baby. In actual fact, it is possible to get breast pumps. Avanti and a number of other brands are available. The mother pumps breast milk when the baby does not need a feeding and then the father can in fact give the baby breast milk using a bottle when the mother is busy for whatever reasons.

For those intent on using breast milk, this can come as quite a relief.

What remains for what fathers can do about breastfeeding? As usual, helping the woman by providing either equipment or funding for the right equipment is always a great way to help. Supplies from bottles to breast milk. Most of the rest, also not surprising, is providing emotional support to the mother and finding ways to get yourself enough space to not suffer from feeling overwhelmed or really aggravated by your moody, hormonal, breast feeding, sensitive new mother.

Patience regarding sex is about all the rest aside from what was explained above. Some mother will want sex more and others a lot less. There is tremendous natural diversity amongst women so your wife is probably acting within the range of normal. The first 3 months after child birth are when the woman is least likely to want to resume a normal sex life. Some women will want it sooner and others may seem to have totally lost interest, which can be disturbing. Some fathers to, may find that when the woman is pregnant or when the baby is there that the desire for sex is changed. It could be 'weirded out' or scary. Some fathers may suffer from still wanting way more sex with the wife than she wants whereas another man may have guilt or fear because he discovers he feels more attractive to women who aren't pregnant even though it is 'his fault' that his wife or partner is now a pregnant woman. None of that is abnormal, but one should just 'ride it out' and be as supportive of the mother and baby as possible.