Eighteen ways to support your breastfeeding partner and a Beco Soleil giveaway

This post made possible by the generous support of Beco Baby Carrier

Babywearing daddy

When talking about breastfeeding we naturally spend a lot of time and energy working with, talking to, and sharing about women and babies so it may come as a surprise to you to hear that I feel breastfeeding is not a women’s issue, rather a humanitarian issue.  Which means it’s a men’s issue too.  Breastfeeding may seem like it’s about moms and babies but in reality breastfeeding is about the family and all of humanity.  It matters not just to those doing it and those receiving it but the value of breastfeeding extends to those that used to breastfeed, those who support those who breastfeed, those who know someone who breastfeeds, those who love someone who breastfeeds, and those that helped make the baby that breastfeeds.

Partners, this post’s for you.

I thought about having Jeremy write a post on dads and breastfeeding related to Father’s Day but that was about the equivalent of saying “hey, it’s the holiday to celebrate you… here’s more work for you to do!”  Instead we’re heading down the “brag about your partner” path.

Recent research suggests that one of the most important contributing factors in a woman reaching her breastfeeding goals is the support she receives.  Those closest to her and health care professionals can have the most impact on her breastfeeding experience.  Partners, this means you!  Your role in breastfeeding, even though you’re not the one putting the baby to your breast, is not to be minimized.  You matter, a lot.  And I’ll let you in on a little secret: when you help support a mom according to her needs, she will fall more in love with you.  Check out this thread on The Leaky B@@b Facebook page to see more about that.  Women are strong and determined and are equipped to breastfeed just fine on their own without support but when we don’t have to… it’s a beautiful thing.

I’m confident I could breastfeed just fine without The Piano Man’s support but I am grateful I have my partner’s support non the less. With so much emphasis put on being a “real man” in culture today it could be easy for him to not be willing to support me breastfeeding or think there’s no room for his involvement but his role is important, valuable.  Real man?  There is little I find more attractive than an involved partner, equally parenting in a setting of equal support and respect for each other’s contribution in the family.  That’s sexy.  And totally worth celebrating.

Eighteen ways to support your breastfeeding partner and bond with your baby

  1. bath time- a favorite recommendation for the non-breastfeeding partner is bath time.  It gives mom a break, accomplishes an important tasks, creates an opportunity for skin-to-skin, and can’t be multitasked.
  2. play time- even from the time they are first born, babies play.  The method just changes.  As newborns, talk to them, hold a toy steady for them to examine, holding them securely rock and dance with them.  As they grow, the play becomes more active.  I love watching my husband play with our children no matter what their age, they bond, I get a break, and I see the tender, fun-loving side of my husband that I love so much.
  3. get her water and make her be comfortable for feedings- breastfeeding is primarily between the mom and baby but there is no reason others can’t be involved.  Sit with them, talk with them, physically support her and metaphorically support her, be involved in the connection.  Even if it is 2am.  By taking care of her by getting her water, snacks, pillows, or anything else she needs, you are involved in the feeding and care of your child.
  4. learn about breastfeeding- read the science behind breastfeeding and encourage her by sharing that information.  Find resources and share them with her, learn what a proper latch looks like, and ask her what you can do to help.  If she’s pumping, help set up the pump and wash parts.  You don’t have to be left out but you may have to involve yourself.
  5. encourage her- think your partner breastfeeding is amazing?  TELL HER.  Do you think the expression on her face when she looks at your baby at her breast is beautiful?  Let her know.  Are you proud of her?  Respect her?  Communicating your support and doing so often goes a long way in her feeling like you’re really present.
  6. make the call- is she struggling with breastfeeding?  Is she in pain?  Worried?  Find the name and number of an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and make the call.  Then get her to the appointment.  You could be responsible for saving that breastfeeding relationship.
  7. run interference- is there an annoying individual pressuring her to use formula?  Find ways to keep them at bay.  Has someone criticized her breastfeeding?  Ask her if she wants you to say something or just wants your quiet support while she stands up for herself.  In those early days, help her get the rest she needs and hold the boundaries for her to heal from birth well so she can focus on establishing her milk supply.
  8. adjust expectations- things have changed, her body, the family dynamic, sleep, you name it.  Having your expectations remain the same simply isn’t realistic and it could greatly damage your relationship.  For everyone, have a discussion about realistic expectations in everything from financial decisions to responsibilities, from conversations to chores, from physical intimacy to sleep.  Be real and be flexible and you will all end up stronger.
  9. massage- offer to give your partner a back rub and even if she’s touched out, she’ll probably welcome that physical closeness.  Learn infant massage and give your partner some space to herself while you soothe and care for your child.  Massage is powerful.
  10. send her away- if baby is fed, consider sending your breastfeeding partner out of the house for an hour or so while you take on all the care.  Bonding with your baby while she’s gone and giving her some time to hear her own thoughts can strengthen you all.
  11. cosleep- while it may not be for everyone, done safely, cosleeping provides the space for some deep connections for the family.  Do your research before making the decision and if you cosleep make it an intentional choice (not falling asleep on accident on the couch with your newborn) and you’ll find it simplifies breastfeeding at night and puts you right there to not miss out on any of the night time parenting opportunities.
  12. get up- maybe you could sleep through all the night time feedings but if you wake and help get baby (if they aren’t right there in the bed with you already) then you become the promise of milk for your hungry baby.  It can be pretty lonely feeding a baby in the middle of the night, don’t miss out on the chance to be present with them.  Get up, change the diaper, hand baby to mom, get her a drink of water, and keep her company before you go back to sleep.  Everyone will think you’re pretty awesome.
  13. solids- when it’s time to introduce solids, get involved in the action!  However you decide to get your baby started on solids (check out baby led weaning or baby led solids- SO fun!) there’s lots of room for the non breastfeeding partner to take the led.  You’ll have a blast and so will your baby and chances are strong your partner will love watching you help your baby explore new tastes.
  14. do some chores- think about it this way, if you help with the stuff around the house like dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc., you free up more time for all of you to connect and rest.  This will help your bond with your child by modeling healthy adult behavior and balance and by making sure their mother isn’t too drained and stressed.  This will help your bond with your partner because while doing the dishes isn’t exactly sexy, her NOT having to do them is.
  15. diaper changes- sure, it’s poop and pee but it happens regularly and is a great opportunity for face to face interactions.  Hearing my husband talk to our baby or make silly faces that make them laugh as he changes their diaper always makes me smile.  I love that he’s such a good dad.
  16. cook- whatever it is, learn to cook something and do it regularly.  Humans bond over food which is part of why breastfeeding is such a bonding experience but it doesn’t stop there.  Cooking for your partner and your children forges deeper connections, sharing that meal together (and expressing gratitude for the one that prepared the food!) is sharing a nourishment that reaches the soul.
  17. soothe- if, for some strange reason, the breast can’t soothe your upset child at some point, take a turn trying to soothe them.  I’m not sure how but my husband has a magical soothing touch and there has been a point with all of our children where he is the only one that can comfort them and get them to settle to sleep.  Even the boob won’t work.  When he gets them calmed, I’m calm knowing they were in the arms of someone that loves them as much as I do.
  18. babywearing- all the celebrities are doing, wearing a baby is the trendiest accessory these days.  Seriously though, get a carrier you feel comfortable in and take turns with your parter having your baby attached to your body.

Real Men of AP Jamie Grumet

My friend Jamie Grumet from I Am Not the Babysitter celebrates these involved partners too and I just love her “Real Men of AP” series highlighting attached dads, see her post about her husband Brian, A Real Man of AP.  From babywearing to breastfeeding support, Real Men of AP are the partners that aren’t afraid to forge deep connections with their children, biological or otherwise, even if it means bucking what society tells them is required to be a “real man.”  Nurturing, giving, and in tune, these guys step up their manliness factor not in spite of but because they participate in tea parties, run the vacuum, and with lots of cuddles.

This post went live Thursday and then vanished as a result of some technical problems.  Preparing our eldest daughter to leave for the rest of the summer, I tried to juggle the issues with the site and having my attention focused on her and getting her ready to leave on Father’s Day.  The Piano Man encouraged me to let it go and just be present with my family.  So this post is late, very late, but somehow it feels right that it’s so late because it was my very own Real Man of AP that saw my stress in the midst of it all and reminded me of what’s really important and I took the time needed to pour into my family and it was good for my heart.  When I think of the guy I co-parent with I see the guy that helps me be the kind of parent I want to be even when external circumstances make that challenging.  A man that reminds me it can be ok to disappoint others in some areas so I can be so present with my family.  Today that’s what I think of when I think of my Real Man of AP.

The Leaky Boob is teaming up with Jamie and Beco Baby Carrier for a great giveaway and sharing information about how to form strong connections with our children.  We want to see the Real Men in your life and how they are attached and connecting with your children, whatever that looks like.  Then on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 10am Central, we’re having a live chat sponsored by Beco Baby Carrier with Jamie Grumet from I am not The Babysitter about developing those attachments with our children, babywearing, discussing attachment parenting, and taking a look at parenting beyond a theory or philosophy in the real world.  Share your images and stories of a Real Man of AP and enter for a chance to win one of 3 Beco Soleils (retail value $130/each) and attach drool pads, a coordinating hood, and an infant insert with accessory pack (retail value $40/each) and you can keep the attachment going with a carry-all bag (retail value $25/each) that attaches to the carrier.  Let’s show the world what a Real Man of AP looks like, use the hashtag #RealMenofAP on twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and FB so we all can see (and tag us!) and we’ll share our favorite images on the Facebook pages of I Am Not the Babysitter, Beco Baby Carrier, and The Leaky Boob and visit the Real Men of AP tumblr.

Beco Soleil dad

Quick info on the Beco Soleil:

  • 3 carry positions: front, hip, and back.
  • Built-in waist belt pocket, key and toy ring
  • Carries 7-45lbs
  • Carrier weight 1.1lbs
  • Material: 100% cotton
  • Seat: 16″ and 17″ tall
  • Shoulder straps extending from 18″ to 45″
  • Waist belt extending from 27″ to 59″
  • Recommended fit for adults 5′ to 6′ 5″
  • Compatible accessories: hood, drool pads, infant insert, carry-all

Good luck and we look forward to seeing and hearing your pictures and stories!  See the widget below to enter.
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Comments

  1. My husband was a pro at #5 & #7 both being so vital for me to really push through some initial feeding issues we had! What a great list!

  2. Stephanie Wilkes says

    My hubby gets up at night with our DD and changes her to pass her off to me…it is a huge source of comfort for me knowing that he is there for the both of us. He is a wonderful dad to both of our children, our toddler and newborn. This is my first time to breastfeed and he has been a champion for me from the start!

  3. elizabeth says

    Even when, for various reasons (jaundice etc) drs have pushed formula my hubby has always been 100% on board with me exclusively breastfeeding our boys. I’ve never had to justify it to him & now he’s often the first to explain why we EBF

  4. Helen Sitter says

    My DH is the best balance for me and the way we parent. In the areas I’m slack he’s supportive and picks up on it for me. He’s always encouraging the kids and I to go the extra mile in even the daily mundane chores and such. He a real treasure and we love him so much.

  5. hellokennedy says

    My husband was my only breastfeeding support and here I am still going 4.5 years later.

  6. I hope I’m doing this right because I don’t see any other comments. >.>

    My husband’s pretty awesome. He’s always been able to be very laid back and calm with both kids, even when I’m ready to rip my hair out – mostly with the almost-4-year-old. She has SPD and likely ADHD and she can be INTENSE. He’s always able to bring her back to a place of calmness by being very calm himself. It’s pretty awesome. Seeing that definitely inspires me to take a moment and center before reacting to something going on with her.

    He connects with our kids just by sharing the stuff he likes. Well, the baby can’t really bond over anything in particular right now. Like hey, 5 month old, let’s go play old Atari games and watch Doctor Who, right? Not so much. But he holds him and talks to him (about nonsense) and all that good dad stuff. With our daughter, he just shares what he likes and sees what sticks – and they find new interests together. He’s an avid classic game collector and bought kids’ games for his old systems that they can play together, along with her own little kid system (from the 90s, called a Pico) that she can play just like him. They watch cartoons together and do gardening together. That’s good, because I am incapable of keeping plants alive, but he’s pretty awesome at it – so he gets to teach her about nurturing things and responsibility while I stay far away in case a plant detects me and decides to die.

  7. Amanda Cain says

    We haven’t had our baby yet, but my boyfriend talks to our baby girl every day and supports my decision to breastfeed 100%

  8. Christy G says

    My husband inspires me because he is sooo patient with out kids. Sometimes they drive me up a wall but it never seem to phase him. <3

  9. Cassandra Eastman says

    My husband inspires me to not worry about the small things, and to sit back and enjoy every moment with our children. He connects with our children by reading to them, and they have a special game called “midnight chase” it’s basically hide & seek in the dark tag… He’s such a fun dad!

  10. Leanna Summers says

    I was really worried that my husband wouldn’t support me breastfeeding with our second child as he did our first because I had production issues and had to start taking chemotherapy but He did more this time around because he said he knew how important it was even if I was only able to breastfeed for a couple weeks

  11. Jessica Abbott says

    My husband, when he isn’t working nights, changes diapers in the night for me. He also encourages me, especially during the first 6 weeks! I almost have up but he wouldn’t let me.

  12. Anna Stallcup says

    My husband loves rough and tough guy time with our son, even though he’s only 14 months. He has turned that kid into an adrenaline junkie already! But you can see the adoration on his little face the whole time. 🙂

    • Kate Sellers says

      My husband is a godsend for making sure I don’t forget to look after myself. Once I’ve run around after a 2 year old a newborn it’s easy to forget to rest, wash, eat and drink. He makes sure I get some time where he looks after the boys and makes sure I always have a drink and have eaten. I love that he realises I need to be taken care of too. 🙂

  13. Great tips! Shared with my fiancé!

  14. katherine karasinski says

    My husband bonded right away with our daughter by doing lots of skin to skin time with her as soon as we were back in the recovery room.

  15. Now that it’s warm out, fishing has been the go-to bonding activity. They may not always catch much, but every single one of them comes home with a smile on their face.

  16. My husband does nighttime diaper changes, babywears for walks and has special outings with both the girls. He reminds me to be kind and gentle and we are a team when it comes to the house and all the parenting decisions. My kids are totally in love with him, just like I am!

  17. Jessica Ortiz says

    Breastfeeding was so hard for me in the beginning. I struggled with it and am so grateful my husband was there helping me out. Even if he just sat next to me and played with my hair, he was helping in whatever way he could. He wakes up in the night and changes diapers and then hands LO off to me to feed, and it really works.

  18. My husband inspires me with his playfulness with our kids! He bonds with them by wearing our babies, changing countless diapers, giving baths & horsie rides, & reading to them. ♥

  19. Kaley Ssmith says

    When I’m at my whits end with the kids my husband steps in and takes over even if he just worked all day he still manages to help me.

  20. My husband is so patient with our son, and me! It was really stressful in the beginning knowing that my child’s life is in my hands and depending on me for food, but he always stood by me. He’s great at playing with our son too. I’m always wanting to do educational play, and get the kid to learn, but my husband just does whatever the kid wants, and it’s so cute to watch.

  21. Michele C says

    DH used to wake up with DD1, change her diaper and bring her to me for night feedings. Now that we have 2, he puts DD1 to sleep (including bath) every night and if she wakes up. With DD2 we alternate night-time care. He also works insanely hard so he can work from home to provide daytime “emergency” relief (1 needs a nap, other keeps coming in and screaming “hi babyyyyyy!!!!!” etc.) and so I can stay home with our girls

  22. My husband is currently a “stay at home dad”. They spend all day connecting, its great!

  23. My husband inspires me with his consistency. He is always there when we need him. 🙂

  24. Hubby goes and get the baby now that she’s starting the night in her crib. He brings her to me and lays her in her spot next to me. When he’s home he does every diaper change and holds her and plays with her. He wears her in his favorite carrier while he cleans and cooks the occasional dinner. And he does bedtime b/c I don’t have the patience that it takes to do it.

  25. Elizabeth Gee says

    My partner is awesome. He has always supported my bfing goals, getting longer each time, gets me water, makes sure I have some time to myself when I really need it and stays active in our childs life. <3

  26. Amanda S says

    My husband will play princesses for hours with our Daughter. He’s always been in charge of bath time, it’s their thing. And when she was little was a way for me to get a little time. WIth our 4.5month old son he hangs out and plays superman songs with him. He inspires me to spend more time just focusing on the kids instead of the million things on my to do list

  27. Jessica Macker says

    my SO is the best with our kids! He works two jobs to make sure we have everything and every spare minute he has is with the kids. I have a 5 year old from a previous relationship but you would never know. My SO treats my son like his own and spoils our 8-month old baby girl with plenty of hugs and kisses! He is the most patient man and makes everything so much easier on me because I have a short fuse. He really is the rock in our family!

  28. my husband is great at taking one or both kids off for an adventure, particularly now I am growing #3. Be it doughnuts, church when I don’t feel well, or tonight the pool.

  29. My husband wakes up to change and cuddle our babe before passing her to me every time she needs to be fed. He wants to make sure she feels loved by both of us, even in the middle of the night.

  30. Maryann Sherrick says

    My husband is the rough and tumble but also the cuddle time man. He helps me keep balanced 🙂

  31. My husband and I work as a team even more now that there are three kids in the mix. Either I have the big kids and he has the baby or the reverse. By this stage we have both learned to anticipate who needs what and when so between he and I, when he’s home all goes smoothly. He’s also been on board with co-sleeping, babywearing, and supportive of breastfeeding. Now, managing all three when he’s away is a different story lol (but thank goodness for FaceTime and such to keep us all connected). He inspires me mostly be just being present even when he’s overwhelmed with a bajillion stressful responsibilities at work.

  32. Laura Larramore says

    My hubs is so supportive of co-sleeping, and I LOVE him for that…I probably would have continued breast feeding without that support, but it would have DRAINED our marriage because it would have required either I co-sleep in another room, or resulted in my being frustrated at taking all the night time parenting responsibility. When our little one was 8 weeks old, I mentioned co-sleeping to him. We started with a bassinet, but he quickly became interested in bed sharing because he thought it would be easier for me. He’s such an awesome dad and so supportive of our gentle parenting ways 🙂

  33. Aiden Wagner says

    My husband is DEFINITELY a real man of AP. It’s hard to choose one particular story of how wonderful he is out of the many daily moments that make up the father he is. Perhaps the greatest testimony is the look in my son’s eyes when he wakes up and realizes Daddy isn’t at work. It’s not hard to understand why it’s there after you’ve seen my hungry husband eat his dinner one tiny spoonful at a time, because his son REALLY wanted to feed his daddy.

  34. My husband gets up in the wee hours of the morning to help me get set up to BF our LO. And on the weekends when he has time, he has daddy/daughter time with her laying on his chest. They both love it!

  35. My husband is pretty awesome. He cleans up after every dinner I cook, does laundry, cleans the bath rooms and works full time so I can stay at home and nurture our children. He plays music with them every night and encourages them to find their inner musicians. His patience with the children is really inspiring.

  36. We are expecting baby number 2 we never had any good quality fancy carriers with our first . We had to hold her by hand lol he would hold her . Sing to her . Watch football with her , to this day she loves football. I’m looking forward with the new baby to get a good carrier so dad can use it as much as me !

  37. My husband has been so supportive of every parenting decision we have made. I appreciate his willingness to make changes from what he used to believe is the norm (his dad wasn’t super hands on when he was a kid) when necessary in order to be the best parent he can be. We definitely balance one another, too, which is always a plus.

  38. Michelle V says

    Hubby has been supportive by doing things for me around the house and has many a time been my errand boy while I was on the couch. DD has finally warmed up to him and now when ever he’s home Mommy just won’t do, Daddy has to be the one to do things for her.

  39. My husband was the first one to get our little girl to giggle. He loves having a talk with her while changing her, and she loves a lil bit of naked time, so its a win win!

  40. i am newly remarried, and i brought to the relationship my ds, then 3 and still self weaning, now 6 and lovely and attached. I wont pretend my new husband ‘got’ why i was still nursing at the time, but instead of being weird about it, he did volumes of research and came to understand all the ‘why’s’ of my choices. now that we’re planning a child, his interest has been peaked again and i cant explain how awesome it feels when i randomly get an email from him that examines or introduces some aspect of extended breastfeeding that we either hadnt discussed, is new to just him, or new to both of us. I never knew annotated medical abstracts could be so romantic and supportive, lol.

    *excuse typos, im on my phone in the yard while writing this!

  41. Karen M. says

    My husband does #12 without me ever having to ask. He did it from the very beginning. I am so blessed! I always knew he would be a great dad, but he continues to impress me as our baby grows. Breastfeeding was so awful in the beginning that each day, I really thought it would be my last day doing it. Thankfully, my husband was super supportive – whether I continued or quit – and so here we are, almost 10 months later, and I’m still breastfeeding my daughter. It would be awesome to win a new carrier as I feel like she’s outgrowing the Gemini!

  42. My DH struggles with the bond that I have with our almost 1 year old, and I know that’s due to the fact that he got to help with feedings with our first child (I EP’d for 6 months.) I wish I could make him see that he’s done everything right with #2 and instill in him the hope of a stronger relationship as YDS grows and becomes more aware of his familial surroundings.

  43. My hubby does most of the bedtime routine on his own… Baths, books, and snuggle time in chair 🙂 It gives me a bit of time by myself to decompress!

  44. When she wakes up early and I’m just not ready to get up yet, Daddy takes the morning ‘shift’ and gets up to play and get breakfast taken care of so that I can get a few extra hours of sleep.

  45. My husband is always finding new ways to entertain our year old son. I would never think of using the pop up toy to launch the blocks across the room! He can always make the little guy laugh.

  46. My husband is incredibly patient and relentlessly optimistic. In those early days of breastfeeding he would rub my back, bring me a glass of water or a snack and remind me that there was no way that things would be that tough forever. He was right. He connects with our sweet girl in so many ways- he loves helping her to master new skills, the most recent of which has been crawling. We’re lucky to have a daddy who works from home so he’s been able to be a part of a lot of the daily goings-on in her life. (Rocking her to sleep for the occasional nap, playdates, etc.)

  47. Shayna Dimmick says

    I’m a SAHM, so when I’m particularly frustrated, frazzled, and burnt out, Hubby leads by example. He’ll squeeze in extra snuggle time and wrestling matches, and throw schedules and healthy dinners to the wind. He reminds me constantly that while we want strong, healthy babies, they’re so young and won’t be forever. Once every few weeks, you CAN decide to have banana splits for supper. Sometimes it’s perfectly okay to skip cleaning for a whole DAY, just to spend the time enjoying the impish smiles and vivid imaginations. Mommy grounds the whole family. Daddy reminds us that we can fly.

  48. Amanda S says

    I tired the beco soliel before and it was so comfrortable and so easy to breastfeed in ader 21

  49. i love watching my ‘manliest-of-all-the-men’ hold our tiny baby. his smile is amazing. dads face as i birthed freddy was the single greatest thing i have seen in my lifetime. he has been an amazing bfing support. he carries a lot on his shoulders, working overnight shifts in another state to be home with me during the day, he is my rock.

  50. Such a great, important article. My daughters just turned one and are still going strong breast feeding. I don’t think we would have made it this far without the help and support of my husband, especially in the early days. I couldn’t even lift my girls without help due to my c- section, so he would get up and bring them to me, get me water and food, anything I needed.

  51. Jackie G says

    My husband has been so supportive since our daughter was born six months ago. When our daughter had a hard time latching on during feedings he would try to find a position that would work for both of us. He would even play with her feet so she won’t distracted and pop off. Sometimes he can put her down for a nap just by holding her close and singing to her. I’m grateful for his help.

  52. Amanda M. says

    My man has been very helpful about getting me snacks when I am nursing and does lots of house work. HE is so precious with our daughter!

  53. My husband has been my rock since day one. Our son was born unexpectedly one night at home when I was only 27 weeks along in my pregnancy. He took care of me and our child while the EMTs were on their way. He also cared for me while we went through some very dark days while in the NICU, all the while silently suffering his own depression from our situation. But we all made it through and are happy and healthy now. He has been a dedicated father and supportive husband through thick and thin and I’m eternally grateful for that. He’s also been quite supportive in our breastfeeding journey. He even tried the breast pump out to make sure it was working correctly! 🙂 And he babywears any chance he can get! He’s been the best dad and husband and we’re so lucky to have him.

  54. Britni Bradford says

    He’s definitely been supportive of our journey into attached parenting. It definitely wasn’t what we talked about pre-kids, but as I began to lean that direction after having DD, he never once questioned my judgement and embraced the decisions about extended breastfeeding, co sleeping, etc… He definitely loves to engage the little one in play time too =)

  55. Nick is a super loving, super involved daddy. He supported me through the arduous task of learning to breastfeed with baby number one and continued to with baby number two. He does bath time, babywears, changes diapers, hangs out with both girls in the morning while getting ready for work so that I can get some extra sleep, and so much more!

  56. Jessica M. says

    My husband is my partner in everything we do. He supports me and all my crazy ideas even when the rest of my family turned their back on me (mainly because of breastfeeding). He is an amazing father and amazing husband. He does everything with our kids–reading books, playing outside, playing at the park….everything.

  57. Lindsay Hamilton says

    My husband has been supportive of me breast feeding from the start. Truthfully, he still has a little anxiety to get over when I nurse in public, but he knows it is what’s best for our daughter.
    As painful as it has been to go back to work, I love that it gives my husband one-on-one time with our daughter, I’ve been known to be a bit of a baby hog!

  58. I love my beco soleil and now just need one for my husband 🙂

  59. What a cool carrier- I would love for my husband to have one! My little gal just loves her daddy time (she said “Daddy” before she figured out “Mommy”) and asks about him every morning when she gets up and he’s at work already.

  60. My husband is such a huge support to me. He inspires me everyday to be the best mom I can be and gives me encouragement along the way. Even when he’s had a long and rough day at work he still finds time to play with our kids.

  61. My dh is a big guy. a country boy. and a cloth diapering, baby wearing, attachment parenting dad. It amazes me to see such a nurturing side in this gruff fighter of a man… I absolutely love it. He has been behind me 100% through clogged ducts and sleepless nights and I appreciate him and love him despite the transmission in my kitchen. 🙂

  62. Jessica Welch says

    My husband has loved wearing each and every one of our kids. It’s such a great way for baby to bond with another adult.

  63. My hubs is my extra hand, my leg to stand on, and my shoulder to lean on. Because of his support I am able to be a stay at home mom and exclusively bf our youngest. He supports my attachement parenting, crunchy, babywearing, breastfeeding, gentle ways. He doesn’t always agree but he’s willing to listen and try. He’s the father of my 2 most precious treasures, and my best friend 🙂 <3

  64. My husband is very supportive when it comes to parenting our two yr old and our soon to be little girl (she’ll be here on Friday!). He talks to our baby girl in the womb, reads her and our son books before bedtime and is always willing to give my sore/swollen feet a good rubbing! He also loves to take our son on walks and to the park.

  65. Reading through this list of ways to bond with your baby, I’m so thankful that Daddy in our house did – and does – so much.

  66. Rachel Williams says

    My partner gives me a different perspective on parenting. He always is helpful in not letting me feel overworked.

  67. My husband is definitely the coparent of my dreams. He has always been completely in love with our daughter and has stepped up to every demand or need we’ve faced. He was my rock during the newborn phase, and my sanity through these toddler years!

  68. Samantha says

    My hubby supports my crunchy mama ways. He listens to all the articles I read him, and he has the same views as I do 🙂 I love it! I get worked up quickly, but he’s so calm!

  69. My husband inspires me by being around for my daughter nearly every minute he’s not at work. He’s just as likely to be up in the middle of the night when our daughter is sick as I am, and definitely pulls 50% of the weight when it comes to all childcare responsibilities (except breastfeeding of course!).

  70. My husband supported me when I wanted a home birth and doula for our sons birth. Even though he was sick the night I gave birth he stayed by my side as much as he could. He got up those late nights to get me food, water, and to be my cheerleader when breast feeding was hard. He always makes time for our daughter, to play games or do projects. He has been my rock.

  71. Amanda C says

    My husband is a stay-at-home dad, so a lot of things on the list he does and I need to be the one to help him out!

  72. My hubby works 2 jobs, from 7am-3am, so I can be a sahm for our two children, a 2 1/2 yo & a 8 mo.
    On his days off, the only days that he can sleep in, he gets up so we can do family things together or lets me have a break from my daily morning routine with the kids. 🙂 ♥

  73. My husband has stood by me through PPD which lead me to quit my career and start working part time in retail so I could spend more time with our DS, which meant less time for us and him giving up his weekends to play Mr Mom.

  74. love this post. great for new Dads!

  75. christine k. says

    My husband took his final year off of school this coming year to stay at home with our child (expected any day). He said that the last year of school can be taken any time, but the first year of a child’s life can never be gotten back. <3

  76. christine k. says
  77. Nicole Paul says

    My hubby cannot wait for baby to arrive so he can baby wear!

  78. Patricia says

    My husband is amazing with our son. He went from never having any kind of interaction
    With infants,to changing and feeding him like a pro! He even got him swaddled better than I ever could!
    I’m so incredibly proud of how he’s been transformed into a wonderful father!

  79. When our son was born he had trouble latching. I got started pumping after one day and was able to pump my colostrum and then we tube fed it to the baby while he latched on a finger. This meant every three hours we were up for 1.5 hours to complete this process. My husband was up with me and helped with the baby while I pumped. Then he was the finger my son latched on. Without his help we wouldn’t be still breastfeeding at ten months.

  80. christine k. says
  81. My Husband is so loving and patient, I love to watch him play with DS when he doesn’t know I’m looking. It always makes my heart smile 🙂

  82. Danielle says

    I don’t have a partner at this time, but I know my sister and mom are really supportive of breastfeeding and would do whatever I needed them to do to facilitate that. I’ve had surgery that could impact my supply, and my sister has already volunteered milk if I need extra for my babies to be exclusively breastfed.

  83. Danielle says

    I shared on FB even before I finished entering. https://www.facebook.com/danielle.bowers.683/posts/663553873659378

  84. My husband doesn’t get up for the baby at night but we’ve been co-sleeping to overcome teething so he doesn’t have to. Our daughter clings to him like a spider all night and I have to pry her off to nurse her. She is Daddy’s Girl to the core and her whole world lights up when she sees him. It melts me every time.

  85. Elizabeth says

    my husband is a true partner. he supports me and is a great father to each of our children – he’s not afraid to do chores and he’s a champion for breastfeeding!!

  86. My husband has taken on the full father role with my oldest to the point where you’d never know she wasn’t his. He’s changed diapers, cleaned up puke, coached soccer, been to school conferences, ran interference when there’s been issues. Now that we’re expecting our second together, he’s still just as strong and supportive. After a super rough and stressful pregnancy this time, he’s been nothing but everything my children and I need. I can’t imagine anyone else in my life.

  87. Heidi Daily says

    My husband inspires me, because he always thinks so positively, which was especially helpful having him be so supportive when I was having problems breastfeeding. With our children he loves getting to show them new things and share with them the things he loves.

  88. My husband stays home with our daughter during the summer and I love how it’s such a bonding experience for the two of them! He has also always supported me in our breastfeeding journey.

  89. My husband is great at taking the initiative to care for our son- from playing to mealtimes to diapering, he’s got it all!

  90. my partner takes care of our 3.5 year old son and our 6.5 month old twins while I’m away at work doing night shift and am inspired by his ability to get all the boys to bed with happy faces and no fuss!

  91. My husband has wanted kids all his life. In fact, I was on the fence about having kids, but he was always steadfast in his desire for children. Since we had Boober he thanks me daily for giving him this gift. Both my boys are my world, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  92. My husband has an endless sense of humor, when things are tough he’s there with a light-hearted funny to make the situation easier.

  93. My husband inspires me to relax and have fun with the kids. Not to worry about the dishes, laundry and other cleaning all the time. He’s a great Father and our children dearly love him.

  94. katherine d says

    my husband goes out of his way to help me get ready to breastfeed AND he ensures everything around the house gets done while I breastfed. He wants all my attention on our children, not worrying wether or not the toilet is clean

  95. Tara Lee says

    I love that my husband comes home from a long day at work and plays with our toddler everyday. He also takes on bath time every night to give me some free time. I feel so fortunate to be able to truly co-parent with my partner. Seeing him interact with our son makes me love him even more.

  96. He brings me food anytime I’m nursing.

  97. KELLY MILLS says

    My husband was so interested when I started breastfeeding. He got a tip from a friend to bring me water and to give me massages to encourage relaxation and milk production. He has been very supportive to me, giving me time to feed whenever and wherever we are. He likes to sit next to us and watch 🙂

  98. Jennifer says

    I love to see my husband sit on the couch reading with our girls. They just started The Secret Garden–past reads were lots of Roald Dahl, Edward Eager, Hilda van Stockum… I read to them too of course, but it’s different and special when Daddy reads!

  99. I’m pregnant with our first, so no breastfeeding yet, but In know that when the baby comes, Hubby will be very supportive. Nonetheless, I’m excited to share this article with him. It never hurts to throw out a couple of other sugfgestions for ways he can help out and bond with Baby. 🙂

  100. Melissa C. says

    My husband is awesome! We’re starting to get to the tantrum stage and my husband is so creative about ways to diffuse the situation and get everyone back to happy. He rarely gets flustered and is great about “going with the flow.”

  101. What a wonderful resource for partners of breastfeeding mothers! Breastfeeding is tough, but the support and encouragement of loved ones is a crucial component of success. We’ll be sharing with our Milk Bank mommies!

  102. My husband and I have completely different types of brains. He’s an engineer and I am a artist. I believe that these two types of personalities really gives our daughter a rounded view of the world. On a more personal note my husband is really involved even though he works a 40 hour+ work week. He comes home and carries her and gets her ready for bedtime. I can always hear laughter coming from her bedroom. It’s a joy to hear them spending time together.

  103. sara swanson says

    I love hearing my husband talk to my daughter when I’m not in the room and he thinks I can’t hear him. They are so cute together.

  104. My DH has been my biggest supporter through nursing our 2 girls, and is just as excited as we’re closing in on our due date for baby boy. I love watching him snuggle and interact with our babies, and is such an amazing dad….every stage is such an exciting time for him.

  105. My husband does several of the suggestions on your list for bonding with our kiddos! His patience inspires me daily!

  106. My hubby is awesome in supporting me and the breastfeeding. ANd he is a great dad with the 3 boys we have. We live on a farm and he lets them tag along with him most all the time and whatever he is doing…

  107. My Husband is very supportive of my breastfeeding our son, and is a very involved Daddy! It brings me joy to see him go to Henry so often, snuggle and kiss his soft head, change even the poopiest diapers, rock him to sleep, play airplane with him, and wears him when we go for long walks. We are truly blessed!

  108. Monique L. S. says

    I love how he can always make her laugh. Hearing a baby giggle is the best sound in the world to me.

  109. My SO encourages me to breastfeed our son as long as he wants to nurse and reminds me to ignore friends and family that say otherwise.

  110. anastasia b says

    my husband has been so encouraging with breastfeeding! Quitting was never an option, but he really helped through hurdles such as infant’s milk protein intolerance and thrush.

  111. Agnieszka says

    My husband always saw through all the difficulties and, knowing I can do it, encouraged me to go steady forward. It’s been almost two years of nursing our boy, and my husband is still as helpful as those first days. x

  112. My husband supports me by being there for anything me or the other children need

  113. Shellie Givens says

    My husband supports my nursing relationship by helping with our two yr old and he supports us all cosleeping. and maybe now that he has quit smoking he can start baby wearing 🙂

  114. Ashley C. says

    I love listening to my husband read to our daughter.

  115. My husband is the lead bath-giver, is totally into co-sleeping, and loves to babywear!

  116. My hubby takes the reins at bedtime when I am exhausted! He brushes teeth, reads Bible story, listens to prayers and reads a bedtime story. He rocks!

  117. I don’t have a partner, I’m a single parent. But my Mother inspires me and is the best Mother anyone could ask for. I strive to be just like her. She has such a warm loving heart and would do anything for her kids and grand kids. They all love her to pieces.

  118. My husbands ‘solution’ to everything is breastfeeding. Little man (7wks) fusses and hubby says hungry. He says watching him eat makes him so proud. 🙂

  119. My husband has been an amazing parenting partner in every single way, but I have to say…I would not have the successful breastfeeding relationship that I have with our son if it weren’t for my husband cheering me on. We started off with a cracked nipple & a nasty case of mastitis…32 months! later, our little guy is still a “milky monster” and can’t wait to share his “milkies” with his little brother; set to arrive in August. Not only is my husband a lactivist himself, he encouraged me to reach another breastfeeding goal…This month, I received my Lactation Couselor Certification!

  120. When I was soooooooo tired and breastfeeding was hitting it’s low points of the day he would hold the baby so he would support me that way. and he notices i need a break and gives them to me

  121. Christine says

    When we had the nurse tell me time and time again there was no way I would be able to nurse twins my husband just kept repeating to me you are doing great and so are the boys.

  122. D SCHMIDT says

    My partner inspires me because he is much more practical than I am so he keeps me grounded in terms of parenting.

  123. My hubby won my heart all over again the other day when he wore our little one while also wearing a shirt with the breastfeeding symbol on it! He’s such a huge proponent of breastfeeding and babywearing, and loves cosleeping 🙂

  124. My husband is so supportive of the breastfeeding I will soon be doing. I’m sure it will be harder when she gets here (we have a 3 year old) juggling and helping, but this blog is really helpful!

  125. My husband inspires me with always being so calm about every thing. He supports me with my decisions I make with our child and even wears our little daughter.

  126. My partner does most of the chores – he knows it’s difficult to juggle the baby and toddler. I love watching him play with the kids – they light up and the joy that daddy brings them is obviously special and unique. 🙂

  127. endless ways, looking out for me, spending time with me, loving my daughter!
    making me happy <3
    The Blood Of Jesus!<3

  128. Jenn McClearn says

    my husband encouraged me to breastfeed even before our first was born, he also encouraged me to use cloth diapers which has become an obsession to me! He works hard so I can stay home with the kids and that is the best thing I could ask for

  129. Audra-Lee says

    My husband is my biggest supporter. He wants the best for his children and does everything he can to make it easier on me. We made it to 20 months with my first (he self weaned when I was about 20 weeks pregnant) and going strong with my youngest who is almost 6 months now!

  130. Sharlaina Bugg says

    My husband was my only Breastfeeding support and he pushed me not to stop. He connects well with our children by playing with them!

  131. My hubby encouraged me when bf was immensely difficult with ds1. He’s a hands on dad who isn’t afraid to show his softer side with his kids!

  132. My husband is constantly reminding me to not stress about the little things. HE just goes with the flow on everything (which sometimes also drives me nuts!). He bonds with little one by spending his days off watching her so I can work part time. He is always willing to get down and dirty and play with her and loves going for walks.

  133. My hubby gets it! He is so involved and so supportive. We have never had bonding issues. I love this list, more ideas are always helpful.

  134. Esther Johnson says

    I’d love to win a manly carrier that my hubby would feel proud to wear! He does most of the carrying now, b/c we have an older carrier w/ no back support, and it’s super girly with a flower print. I’m sure both my hubby and my baby boy would love something a bit more manly!

  135. My husband has been so great throughout breastfeeding both of our boys. He takes care of a lot of things that I cannot while nursing. And with our 2 year old he devotes so much attention to him so that I can nurse our 5 month old! He is the best!

  136. My husband has been SUPER supportive of our breastfeeding. There was never any question.

  137. Marie Dela Torre says

    So sweet! DH does a lot of the things you’ve mentioned, if not all. I feel so blessed to have him. And you’re so right about the naysayers, he does a good job of deflecting and ignoring them and then we bond over our own intent and understanding about EBF.

  138. I am very lucky to have a husband who supports me and is so pro breastfeeding! He has bonded with our son in so many ways – from co-sleeping to babywearing I am one lucky mama and our son is one lucky baby! 🙂

  139. Kelly Placek says

    My husband has been an amazing supporter through our parenting journey thus far by encouraging me to breast feed as long as I see fit asupple ping me whenever he could during our struggles with our son’s health problems that nearly ended our breat feeding journey. He pushed me to achieve my goals to breast feed 2 years or beyond and not to stop because others said we should. He supported my decision not to suppliment or feed grain cereal to our son, but to instead work towards increasing my supply to completely nourish our son. He is constantly reminding me what a wonderful job I’m doing in raising our son and what a healthy, smart, amazing little boy he is. Reguardless of his many health problems, he works long hours to allow me to be a stay at home mom to our son to make the journey thus far easier on us. During every possible second of time that isn’t spent at work he is with out son playing, exploring the real one and imaginary ones, reading stories, and creating imaginary worlds to conquer. He even spends most of the night cuddling with our son when he ends up in our bed at night (and when we 100% co slept), changes diapers and gets up some mornings with our son even though he doesn’t get up sleep until 3am. He is even baby wear when we go out!

  140. My husband is great at sharing his favorite childhood pasttimes with our kids (like making paper airplanes, building legos, and molding playdoh).

  141. My husband was a huge supporter of breastfeeding in the early days when it was tough and I wanted to quit. I went on to bf for 2.5 years! He is my balance with all things parenting and he is soooo patient.

  142. My husband works 3 jobs so that I can stay home with our children. I know lots of moms work and still breastfeed but it is important to him and me that I stay home to care for our children and along with that continue out breastfeeding relationships as long as our children want. His hard work has been the best breastfeeding support I could ever ask for.

  143. My husband inspires my parenting by being supportive and working hard so I can stay home and raise our daughter. There is no where I would rather be! He comes home ready to help and quiets her during her fussy evening time giving me a chance to get things done. We make a great team 🙂

  144. Anne Perry says

    My patner is thrilled that we are a cosleeping cloth diapering and extended/tandem breastneeding family. We are giving our boys the best start to their lives and saving lots of money at the same time. He connects with the boys via bath time, reading books, gardening and playing music.

  145. My hubby knows exactly when I could use a break and takes the kids off my hands at all the right times. He provides for our family which allows our kids to be raised at home. He is also a great baby wearing, breast feeding supporter and cloth diaper advocate.

  146. Kelly Placek says
  147. My hubby is great at taking over household chores, like cooking dinner, when the little one wants to nurse. He also likes taking walks with our boys to get in some alone time with them,

  148. Chris Johnson says

    Would like to try out this carrier, our 3 month old is already 16lbs, so it’d be great to have the different positions and weight limit; he’ll be 45lbs before we know it!

  149. Rachael Danforth says

    My hubby will be a first time dad when our little ones arrive and he is going to be a great one. We have 13 nieces and nephews and he’s a great uncle to them.

  150. Christina F. says

    my husband is amazing with our daughter! he has lots of night meetings, but when he’s home for bedtime, it’s THEIR thing. she will actually refuse me and call for him if i try to give her a bath or put her down. ditto for the duplos. 🙂 he is also the only person she will permit to paint her “piggies.” i love watching the two of them interact together and learning new ways to be with her, since we’re so different sometimes in how we read to her or talk and respond to her. it’s amazing. he works with kids, but i feel like i get to see a whole different side of him when he”s with our daughter.

    i should also call out that he was the primary (read: only) caregiver for our daughter when i was on bedrest for six weeks after she was born. i was exclusively pumping and he made sure the baby got fed and i had my pumping supplies clean and ready for me. i was in a somewhat druggy haze, so i don’t remember much, but i know how hard he worked to make sure the two of us had what we needed. and what had been an overabundant supply dried up randomly at 10 months, he was the one who comforted me and reminded me that any breastmilk is better than no breastmilk. we were able to go 11 1/2 months on breastmilk before we had to start cutting it with cow’s milk. whenever i get sad that we didn’t make it at least 12 months, he is always the one to tell me how proud he is of what i accomplished. a great dad and partner.

  151. Carmon J says

    My husband encouraged me to keep bfing in the beginning when I was going to give up. We are now at almost 18 months and still nursing. I love watching him play with our son, it is like watching two little kids!

  152. Kris Garvey says

    My husband inspires me every time I see him play with our 15 month old son – when I see my son’s big smile matched with one on my husband’s face, I know what true love is!

  153. Jennifer Skibins says

    Loved this article…truly appreciate all of the ideas!

  154. Love that my husband supports me in nursing and that he was my voice at the hospital. Its amazing how doctors and nurses try to talk you out of natural birth!

  155. Sciandra Teeters says

    My husband is very pro breastfeeding and is one of the main reasons I am still breastfeeding my 7 month old. The first few weeks were horrible but he kept pushing me through.

  156. Kari Harris says

    My husband wears our boys and plays with them constantly. He was my biggest cheerleader for the year I exclusively pumped for our first son. He got up at night to do every feeding since I had to get up to pump. He’s the best!!

  157. Ashley B. says

    My fiance encourages me to be my best, which is such a positive environment to bring our daughter up in. He knows how important being home to love, nurture, and breastfeed our baby is so he is working extra hard to provide that opportunity for us.

  158. Tasha Wells says

    I nursed my daughter for 13 months. What an amazing experience! I couldn’t have done it without my husbands support.

  159. My husband is extremely motivating by his positive outlook and ongoing patience…I often think he should be able to be the stay at home parent because nothing ever phases him!

  160. Stephanie says

    My SO is a great supporter of breastfeeding. When we found out we were pregnant he gave me no option besides breastfeeding (which I was all for to begin with). He is constantly giving me drinks and food to make sure that I get enough to keep producing milk for our little girl. Although he does not do many diapers or bath times (he is afraid he’s going to “break” her somehow), he does use the baby carrier we have as much as possible when we are out to give me a break. unfortunately, the one that we purchased was all we could afford and was used. It does not fit him well so he is very uncomfortable babywearing for me. 🙁 I keep looking at these carriers in hopes that somehow the price will be something that we can afford to spend to make our lives easier and more enjoyable.

  161. My husband is so supportive! He knows that breastfeeding and cosleeping are best for our baby and our family. He stands up to criticism and encourages me to do what feels right. Love him 🙂

  162. I am so proud of all my husband has done to support me and our family. He is really a wonderful loving man who has done all these things and more (even if we aren’t AP 🙂 And the Beco is definitely an amazing product we enjoy 🙂

  163. My fiancé has been an amazing support in our breastfeeding journey! The road was pretty rough starting out but he kept my spirits up constantly telling me how proud he was of me and what an amazing job I was doing for our son. Whenever I am feeding he makes sure I’m drinking enough water and have whatever I need. He also bonds beautifully with our baby boy doing diaper changes and getting in snuggles and nap time when he gets home from work as well as being completely on-board with my desire to Co-sleep. He is an amazing partner- I couldn’t ask for more!

  164. Rachael K says

    My husband is awesome. He helps out with baths, keeps our 4yo DS busy and entertained when I am nursing our 11 wk old. He’s been supportive throughout my pregnancy, and he knew why it was such a big deal for me to successfully breastfeed this time around. I don’t think I could have done this without his support. 🙂

  165. Laura Whitmer says

    I love hearing my son squeal with delight when daddy gets home because he knows daddy will play with him. And my husband supported me throughout my bf journey

  166. My husband has been my number 1 support system with BF. He is so patient and got me through some rough patches. I dont think I would have made it this far without him!

  167. With my first (of 4 boys) when my milk came in I was so engorged, my hormones were crazy and all I could do was cry and to top it off it was my very first Mother’s Day. My amazing hubby ran out to the store and bought me a breast pump (and some chocolate) and called the hospital to get me the first appointment he could with the lactation consultant. He has been my biggest supporter and champion with each of our sons and my desire to breast feed them. I am so lucky to have such an amazing partner!

  168. Ryane Hall says

    My fiancé helps with diaper changes. Sits with is when in nirsing. And he is great about playing with and helping the older kiddos 🙂

  169. My husband is the best with the twins. He makes time for the boys everyday and was a natural dad from day one.

  170. Daddy has been awesome with both #1 and #2 and do expect the same for #3, due in 2 months. He always speaks up for me when someone questions out breast feeding decision. He is also very good at calming me down when I get frustrated cuz a frustrated mommy makes a frustrated everyone else!

  171. Guinevere S says

    My husband is such a doting dad! He loves to play with and care for our children as much as I do. I could not ask for a better partner!

  172. Michele R. says

    My partner supports me breastfeeding – he would get up with me when I was feeding our son in the middle of the night so I would not have to go it alone, then he started using my breastmilk and bottle feeding our son so I wouldn’t have to get up. Now that I am pregnant with our second son, he has taken the lead with our toddler and steps up for all the rambunctious play when mommy is too tired in the evenings. Plus, he has no problem putting on the apron and playing cook or maid to help me out. I could not have picked a better life partner or father for my children!

  173. My husband has really broadened his approach to parenting to adapt to the needs (and loving desires) of our daughter. That is inspirational!

  174. Grace White says

    My husband inspires me by educating himself in various parenting techniques and is always willing to compromise on issues that arise with our children. My husband always makes time for our boys even after a long day!

  175. My husband helps with the diaper changes, even in the middle of the night so I can sleep an extra couple of minutes before feeding, and he does bath time with our kids so I have a few minutes for myself in the evenings. <3

  176. Denise S says

    Great post! My husband has been beyond amazing at supporting me!

  177. Anna Knoll says

    My husband inspires me everyday, he has helped me see the good during the hard times and shows me what patience truly is.

  178. My husband is amazing. He makes us laugh all the time and brings a big smile to my face. He is always there for us. He is my rock!

  179. I could not have made it through breastfeeding our first baby without my husband’s help. She was tongue tied and difficult to latch, and he helped me with every single nursing session for the first few weeks–he was a pro at getting her to open her mouth wide to latch on! Our second has been a champ at nursing since day one, but my husband has this magical way of getting her to sleep that I simply can’t replicate. She’s very much a mama’s girl until bedtime, and then Daddy is the only one she wants. I love that he’s always willing to get up with our girls even when he’s running on very little sleep.

  180. Love the article!! It’s important to have a supportive husband or partner to help and be apart of the process!!

  181. Katie Fender says

    My husband has been the most supportive person when it comes to the way I want us to parent. He listens to my ideas and is honest when he doesn’t like something. He’s been the most supportive of my decision to do BLW. He doesn’t push the subject of weaning like other family has done and always makes me feel better in my decision by telling me that my son and I know what is right for the two of us. Without him, I’m not sure I would have been able to do the things I have done.

  182. Tannis W says

    My husband is incredibly loving and compassionate. He inspires me to be a better person and a better and more loving mother. He is willing to share the parenting responsibilities and values my thoughts and opinions. Best daddy ever!

  183. Tannis W says
  184. sherry moore says

    My husband inspires me when he sits and plays with our daughter. she runs to the gate when daddy comes home and greets him its so sweet to see them together.

  185. My hubs was and is my #1supporter with breastfeeding and babywearing. Hes seen the difference its made with our two youngest and im so glad were kn the same page, for the most part.

  186. Rachelle says

    We’re still expecting our first, but my husband is so incredibly helpful with our nieces and nephews that I know he’ll be a great daddy.

  187. My husband is a great parenting partner. He is more laid back and relaxed, especially in high stress situations. He works and then comes home to help out anyway he can. He plays with our son and they have an incredible bond. He is amazing!

  188. My husband has been an incredible partner throughout our entire (still short!) parenting journey, especially when he helped coach me through my unmedicated homebirth. He was incredible then, and still is 10 weeks later. I love seeing him play with our little girl! He cares for her and me so genuinely, it’s heartwarming and inspiring.

  189. I’m currently breast feeding for the second time. Baby #1 is 16 months and dad has been a huge help with her while I’m taking care of baby #2. We’re a good team! 🙂

  190. Tovah Miller says

    My husband inspires me to be a better parent and fully supports us in BF and Attachment parenting. He helps out so much, especially when we went from 2 to 1 and even does kangaroo care with the baby. He doesn’t even mind when he gets kicked to the bottom of the bed when we are co-sleeping with the babies! I love him so much.

  191. Trisha B. says

    My husband is an amazing coach for me during the births, great supporter of me breastfeeding. Is a great playmate for his kids while helping me around the house a lot. An amazing backbone for our family.

  192. He inspires me to be a stronger mum. He fills in the spaces where I lack.

  193. My husband was such a support with our children and breastfeeding. With every child, together we have learned more and more each time!

  194. My hubby loves to rock out in a baby carrier. He is always so proud when he has our baby girl strapped to him. He isnt much of a diaper changer, but he does plenty of play time to give me a break when I need it. Our baby girl is super attached to him and gets so excited when he comes home from work, and it is all bcs of his hands on fathering. I love it!! Makes me so proud of him!!

  195. Kimberly W. says

    My OH is extremely supportive of all the decisions I’ve made in how I’d like us to parent our now-8mo son. Attachment parenting, anti-CIO, cosleeping/bed sharing until DS no longer wants to, gentle discipline (when the time comes for that), cloth diapers, organic food for all (and he is even considering joining me in adopting a vegan lifestyle for our family). He has been my biggest supporter in building me up to be confident in my choices, and he praises me for going out of my way to do what I feel is best for our son and our family as a whole. He already has a strong connection with DS (he’s his favorite, lol!)…he sings to him, dances with him, makes silly faces for him, and he plays music for him on the guitar and improvises songs with/about him. It literally makes my heart want to burst. 🙂

  196. Christine says

    My SO is amazing. We compliment each other and read each other well bfing has never been questioned in our house. It’s just the way it is!

  197. Lindsay Watt says

    My hubby says whatever I want do he supports. Then again he knows I’ve researched what’s best and he would rather go along with me than read himself. Lol. He also is good about bringing me anything I need when.I’ve got my girl attached. =oD

  198. Alexis Bertch says

    My husband has helped me nurse so many times! He’s stayed up in the middle of the night with me to help with latching issues! He’s so supportive!

  199. My husband is an encourager, for sure. He’s been so supportive and encouraging from day 1(and he amped it up big time starting with the first contraction! Love him.

  200. Lacey Hendershot says

    My husband is my only sanity in this crazy, wonderful experience of motherhood. He is so loving and encouraging. Our princess and I are so lucky to have him!

  201. I’d Love to win! My husband is great, had always been supportive of me breastfeeding and said he’d think it was weird if we used formula

  202. This is such a good article! My partner is very supportive, but it’s nice to have a comprehensive list of ideas that are both helpful to me and empowering to him! Thanks!

  203. Brianna K says

    I would love to get this for baby #3

  204. I could have written this about my husband! Love it. Passing it on to some newv& soon-to-be dads!

  205. My SO has always been supportive of breastfeeding, and wouldn’t let me quit when I wanted to give up! I love him so much

  206. Suvannah says

    My husband is a wonderful support when it comes to nursing my daughter. He has always said that if someone were to make a rude comment about me “still” breastfeeding our 2 year old he would have some choice words for them. I think something that stands out to me is when our little one was only 3 or 4 months old I had a really bad kidney stone attack and was heavily medicated. He ran all over town for me collecting donated breastmilk for our daughter from different friends (I also have an amazing network of women where I live) He knows how special breastmilk really is and made sure she didnt have to suppliment with formula. 🙂 Hes a keeper.

  207. Suzy Klein says

    My husband has been very supportive of breastfeeding. From the first days where he fed me bites of food, to 6 months in where he brings me oatmeal in bed and makes sure I’m eating enough 🙂

  208. My husband has been amazing! Whenever I’m nursing, he always makes sure I have lots of water to drink, no matter where we are. He washes diapers better than anyone else and isn’t afraid of babywearing. He was the best coach during childbirth and an overprotective husband and father during my recovery periods. Can I clone him so others can experience his awesomeness?

  209. My husband has supported me through the entire pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding so much! He always wants me to have what I think is best. He connects with our son all the time, in every way that he can! He gets on the floor and plays with him, carries him, dances with him, sings and plays the guitar to him.

  210. I have never seen my husband be so helpful since our second was born just two weeks ago! He has been amazing and so supportive of me breast feeding this time since we couldn’t with our first who was born with a cleft lip and palate. He’s done so much with out me asking. And has taken care of our son while i feel like i nurse our daughter for hours. I could not do it all with out his help!

  211. Francesca McCaffrey says

    My husband inspires me to be more adventurous with our parenting, giving both myself a chance to take in some (much needed) fresh air and show our daughter the beauty in the world.

  212. Penny galietta says

    My husband is our rock! He has always been so supportive of all our needs and struggles. We have 5 children and from day one he has been my biggest ap support!

  213. Love this! Mine is supportive in that he talks up the pros of bf’ing to his friends!

  214. Deborah P says

    My husband was my biggest supporter when we got pregnant with our daughter while our son still nursed. He encouraged me to keep going and let our son self wean. He is still supporting me while I continue to nurse our daughter.

  215. My SO is amazing throughout my pregnancies and raising our child. We are expecting again and he is just a wonderful person everyday willing to lend a helping hand anytime I need it. He truly rocks!

  216. Alexis Bertch says
  217. Elizabeth Gliot says

    My husband supports my right to breastfeeding anywhere, anytime. He is awesome!

  218. Before we had our daughter, my husband would joke around saying he’d NEVER change a dirty diaper. Now I think he changes more diapers than I do! And he loves baby wearing, especially when she falls asleep with him. It melts my heart seeing her asleep on his chest.

  219. My hubby has been supportive from day one with our older daughter, and he is even more so with our second daughter!!

  220. My husband is the master at calming down our children down. He can get our oldest two happy no matter what. I love watching him with our children, it is wonderful to sit back and watch the joy on his face and theirs.

  221. Hubby felt awkward about breastfeeding at first but now he brags about it. We both love how much money it saves and the fact that its the best thing in the world for our daughter.

  222. My husband loves our boys very much and is a great dad. He speaks to them in Spanish.

  223. Daniella says

    Love the Leaky BOOB! My husband is amazing and by his example he makes me want to be a better person in all aspects of my life, including parenting. When he’s home he always has time to play with the children and give them the attention they ask for.

  224. Daddy does “jammie time” every night, and plays silly games that Mama would never think to play! Our little girl lights up when she sees him!

  225. My hubs has been great about taking care of chores around the house so I can take care of baby and myself.

  226. My hubby inspires my parenting with his patience. When I’m about to lose it, I can think of what he would say/do, and it helps shift my perspective. His connection with our daughter is inspiring in and of itself. He’s very playful and loves to make up silly characters to draw.

  227. My Hubby helps in all ways. I work shiftwork at a hospital. He does cleaning and lunches, shuttle services and cuddles our 14 month old at night when I’m working. <3

  228. I didn’t have a lot of support from my youngest’s father. My big support for breast feeding came from my sister, mom and, very surprising to me, my amazing grandfather. Without all of the,, I would not have made it through the trials of nursing.

  229. rhi hess says

    with two under two, the daddy helps most by playing with the older one while i tend to the baby. their favorite activity is bike riding.

  230. Kimberly says

    My husband was a fabulous partner with our first baby, and now we are gearing up for baby #2. He always jumped up at night to change diapers and get me whatever I needed while I was nursing.

  231. Heather G says

    My fiancé has been very supportive of our breast feeding journey from the beginning. We had am extended stay at the hospital and it took 6 days for my milk to come in, and that’s with pumping for 10 min after each feeding. Our lo was sick and we used the sns to supplement with human donor milk. After I nursed with the sns he would finish finger feeding with it while I pumped. He would always wash my pump parts for me too so I could get extra rest.

  232. My hubby is incredibly supportive and has done most of the 18 tips listed here. Our breastfeeding journey has been 35 months long so far, tandem nursing since 24 months. He has been there through multiple challenges and continues to support me in anyway he can. Currently he is at the park entertaining both kids so I could have some alone time on a ‘touched out’ day. I don’t think I would have made it this long without his help!

  233. My Husband’s philosphy has always been “It is my job to teach her that love doesnt come from breasts” he has always supported me in breastfeeding, from force feeding me water as advised to the point of electorlyte imbalance when we are all brand new to this thing. To doing diaper duty for 2 months strait after he promised he would when I took our 3 month old on a month long vacation to visit family without him. He will wear her and cuddle her and basically just be the best Dad ever.

  234. this is an awesome list!

  235. Monika Alston-Miller says

    My husband inspires me through his endless love and true support. He stood by my decision for a unmedicated birth even when he didn’t understand it at first because he knew breastfeeding was important to me. He didn’t push me to give bottles or pacifiers and helped run interference with those who did. He’s a great dad and I wouldn’t have met my goal to breastfeed without him!

  236. Victoria says

    As a single mom, I don’t have the typical husband/spouse/boyfriend/etc support. However, my parents have been a huge help and support through everything! My dad, especially, has been a great male model for my son. He takes DS to “help” with whatever he has to do that day, even if it takes all day to finish what would normally be a few hours of work. They are so close and we are lucky to have Papa in our lives. 🙂

  237. Holly Jones says

    My fiancé has supported every choice I have made since the day we found out I was pregnant! No matter what I intended to do for our baby he was on board. When I told him I would be breast feeding, anywhere and everywhere and asked what he would do if someone harassed me, his response was “tell them to get lost.” I’m very lucky that he was there through the hardest parts of having a newborn. 🙂

  238. Alicia Taylor says

    My hubby is always good to change diapers and to get me something to drink or snack on while I’m nursing! He is such a blessing! !!!!!!!!

  239. Heather L says

    My husband keeps the older ones busy! I know it sounds kind of silly but knowing I don’t need to constantly entertain them helps me focus more on the peanut 🙂

  240. I am so thankful that my husband helps with the changing of diapers, and he always starts our cloth diapers in the washer for me when he gets up for work. He also helps by giving our son a bath at night so mommy can get dishes finished up! The little things matter so much when raising children together!

  241. Where to start! My husband is building a business and is the main caregiver at this time while I’m still at work. He is great at getting her down for a nap! He has always been supportive of me breastfeeding. He’s really just amazing. I could go on and on and on….. 🙂

  242. This is really sweet. Wish I could suggest any of these without getting yelled at.

  243. My husband has supported me through all three of my kids. I love that he is so supportive of me breastfeeding!

  244. My husband has been in board with my EBF our son since day one. When Little V had trouble latching in the hospital, my husband helped me position Little V and kept encouraging me. He even helped me argue with the staff when they wanted to give Little V a bottle.

  245. My husband is so supportive of me breastfeeding our son, but reading this list made me realize what an awesome job he does. I can’t imagine how hard it would be without his support, so reading this post reminded me to be grateful. I’m sharing this with my expectant mom friends for their partners.

  246. I am due with my first in August. My SO and I will be attending lactation classes in July and I know he is going to help any way possible! 🙂

  247. I am very luck my husband supports me. I am currently nursing #3 and he has been there since the start. 27 months with the first and numerous sets back from latch issues and severe mastitis, 22 months with the second and currently 6m with #3.
    He has supported my decisions and we worked it out, I have been nursing and or pregnant since June 2007…

  248. Maddie Jones says

    i could use one so bad i have a 7 week old and its so hard to make myself & my 8 &6 yrolds meals while breastfeeding him …my husbands in jail so im all alone with no help becuz of hus selfish actions…..ill be prayin i win

  249. Theresa M says

    My husband usually works 12-16hr shifts at a prison, so when he gets to spend time with our 3 kids it’s special. He loves to take our 4yo daughter fishing and reading to our 17mo little boy. He mostly just does a lot of snuggling with our littlest when she’s not nursing, shess 4mo.

  250. My hubby takes care of our daughter for most of the evening when he gets home from work, it’s like she knows she hasn’t seen him all day and wont settle unless she’s with him! He is very gentle and soft spoken with her, so I follow that example while he’s at work!

  251. Maureen G. says

    My husband has always been my biggest bf supporter… Especially with baby #3, he has been in heated debates defending nip!

  252. My husband was super supportive and he still is!

  253. My husband has been beyond supportive from day one. I had a few rough patches and his words, help etc. got me through! day or night he would help me calm her down, adjust pillows or her to help get the perfect latch. He has been a amazing!

  254. danielle bromberg says

    my husband was very supportive from day one, when we found out i was preganant and knew right away i wanted to BF. not knowing many people arouond me who did BF it was a tough decision, but he was all the support i needed, laughing with me when it was hard in the beginning when all we could do was laugh through it and being there when i needed him. i love how he bonds with our son every night when he gets home from work even if its only for a few minutes before bedtime, and always giving him a goodnight kiss.

  255. My husband has found many ways to help me these past 14 months as a breastfeeding mother. From play time to diaper changes, shoulder rubs, washing my pump parts and bottles, he’s been incredibly supportive. And a little to my surprise, he was very supportive when I had to feed in public. He made me feel very comfortable and confident those first few times!

  256. Kate Millott says

    After giving birth I had lost an unusually large amount of blood. While the midwives were taking care of me, my husband stepped up to the plate and did skin to skin contact with our daughter. Throughout the past 4 months, he has been there for both of us during a rocky colicky period and supported our breastfeeding journey 100%.

  257. Angelina says

    So glad my husband did almost all of these tips without even thinking about it!

  258. He reminds me to live in the moment a bit more, to leave the laundry and play. He is a hands on, full contact dad 🙂

  259. He brought me water, left the remote control and ipod touch right next to the armchair where the babe & I spent time in the middle of the night so I could entertain myself and not fall asleep on the babe when I was so tired. Now that the babe is 2, we still co-sleep (dad’s idea) and he still supports breastfeeding. The best thing now is that he offers “Daddy Milk” as a joke and points to his own nipple and our son laughs hysterically and sometimes even leans in to latch on before the giggles really get going. Keeping a sense of humor has been super important.

  260. My hubby has always been supportive of breastfeeding our kids. He’ll even get or switch off the babies for me in the middle of the night when they need to nurse.

  261. We bed share so neither of us get up at night

  262. I just love the way my husband’s face lights up everytime he looks at our daughter. He balances me out on my parenting. We may not always see eye to eye, but he has great ideas. We always find a great middle to our parenting.

  263. Judith Martinez says

    My husband is super supportive of breastfeeding even though his whole family did the formula thing. He works super hard at his job to provide for us so I can stay home. He’s also a great cook and will often give me a break from cooking on the weekend.

  264. My dear husband had been do supportive of bf with both our children. He was encouraging as I bf #1 until 2 yrs and only 1 mo from delivery of #2. He stood up for me then and is my number I’ve cheerleader again.

  265. My partner has supported me every step of the way. From reassuring me through rough nipple trauma, to fork-feeding me while I’m nursing and unable to get up and cook for myself, to taking on extra housework because he knows how time consuming nursing can be. I adore my husband!

  266. My husband spends quality time with my 3 year old in the mornings while I sleeping with the baby

  267. Valentine says

    My partner has come a long way in his parenting and support. When our daughter was born, he was shocked when he realized I had every intention of breastfeeding whenever and wherever she requested it. He was opposed at first, mortified would be a good word to use, but since has come to be a breastfeeding advocate, even speaking up for a co-workers wife at a private party where she was being hassled by another person. I breastfed our daughter until she turned 3 and though his family was unsupportive of our decision, he stood up for us! He is showing our children that they can learn and grow even when they least expect to be able to! He is showing them that standing up for your decisions is a good thing.

  268. Heather Cahill says

    My husband has been wonderful through every aspect of pregnancy and child rearing. We’re young parents of three wonderful kids. They’re our little stair steps. My husband was one of 14 kids and each one of them was breasted so it wasn’t an issue for us. He was way more familiar with it than I was and he helped me get through it all – the cluster feedings, the sore nipples, breast refusals, EVERYTHING. We just had our third baby about six weeks ago and he does everything in his power to help at home on top of working two jobs. Steven is our world and we love and appreciate him with everything we have.

  269. I love watching how different my son acts with my husband than he does with me. He has been half supportive urging me to call LC as I have had supply issues since day 1. I am thankful that my husband gets up in the middle if the night to put our son back to sleep when he wants to party and not even my magic juice puts him back to sleep. It has been a rough road but we are all making it thru!

  270. Jennifer M says

    My husband ROCKS! He’s now enjoying the blessing of being a stay at home dad to our 5 yr old boy and 6 month old (EBF!!!) daughter!! He has the patience of a saint and the calming presence of an angel!! I’m lucky to have this man and our children think he hung the moon!! He reminds me that the hard times (limited sleep…. On and on) are quickly passing and we will one day look back and miss these times. Great to hear when I’m at the end of my rope. I work 12 hr nights as an ER nurse, come home feed the baby and have breakfast with my boy then get off to bed until she decides she’s hungry again and my husband brings her to me. Sometimes he offers to feed her a bottle of expressed milk to allow for more than 2-3 hrs of sleep at a time. But as always I say no and he never pushes! I could go on with how awesome this man is!! I simply love the way he loves me and our children!! So blessed!

  271. My hubby has been super supportive of me breastfeeding. Loves him!

  272. rebecca perez says

    this is a great list ! and so helpful, I love the I am not the babysitter pics 🙂

  273. My husband works 2 jobs so I can stay home with the children. He has supported me through a rather difficult time breastfeeding and he helps with tasks around the house when he is not working. He has looked through my countless hours of research and support my natural parenting choices and defends our position being it’s not the mainstream way. He washes cloth diapers. He is simply there when we need him.

  274. My husband is pretty awesome. I brag about him all the time because without him, we probably wouldn’t eat… Or at least not as well. He does the cooking and the dishes, plays with our 3 year old, changes the occasional diaper, and is always willing to go and get whatever I need. He is a good father, husband, and provider, and I wouldn’t be able to be the mom I am without him.

  275. My husband has always been my main support. I would have fail at breastfeeding had it not been for him!

  276. My husband is amazing with our boys, in fact he is the BEST at handling toddler meltdowns. It might take some time, but he is just so patient and understanding and uses humor and diversion to get them to stop. He’s actively involved in everything that has to do with our kids and that makes me love him so much more–especially when I read stories about uninvolved, distant, and otherwise unsupportive dads. He’s also a pretty fantastic husband 🙂 Oh and he babywears!

  277. Katie Ireland says

    My husband bonds with them by playing and changing diapers and playing and bathes and feeding. My husband is so hands on. He wears the baby. He helps with bringing me water when I am nursing. Playing with our three year old while I nurse the baby.

  278. I love how we really are a partnership in parenting our children. For breastfeeding specifically, my husband has always been supportive – that’s the main reason that I have been able to nurse my six children until they were ready to wean, between two and four years old (baby six is still going strong at 19 months). Last month I had emergency surgery and a week-long hospital stay. He insisted that renting a pump (my first time pumping EVER) was definitely important. He had things all taken care of for our kids and home while I couldn’t be there.

  279. Really love the suggestions in this post and can’t wait to share it with my husband. Our first is due in September. A beco carrier is at the top of my list ; )

  280. Suzanne C says

    My husband plays with our boys on their level…he gets right in the action with them.

  281. my husband has sacrificed a ton for our daughter and i! he loves us so much and im so thankful for him!

  282. The hubby doesn’t hesitate to take our daughter when I can’t seem to make her feel better after crying for a while. He has no trouble getting up to change a diaper, or snuggle her after she’s been napping on me for hours on end and I just have to get up to stretch my legs.

    He does all the dished during the day while I’m at work and she sits there right with him watching. He always sends me a photo of this so I don’t feel left out.

    He’s so paitent and calm with her. And best of all, he makes her laugh in a way that I just cannot. It’s adorable. They have their own bond and I love it.

  283. by just being present. being there. it’s so important and makes a world of difference

  284. I’m so thankful for the support of my husband with our breastfeeding journey. He may not be as ‘free’ about it as I am but he supports me nonetheless.

  285. My husband has a garden that he started with our almost 3 year old. They discuss everything they are going to plant and how/where to plant it. They frequent Lowes together, just the two of them! Now that we have an 8 week old, my husband wears him in a wrap while in the garden with our daughter. He wears a huge sun hat that also protects the baby since they are snuggled so close together! Watching the three of them garden together is so heartwarming!

  286. My husband is amazing!! When he gets off work, he comes straight home to look after his favourite girls. He does chores, kisses us, tells us how great we look etc. He engages with our little one as much as possible; wether it’s reading her stories, singing to her or simply rocking her.

    We are always on the same page about parenting, and when I feel like breastfeeding isn’t working out, he always brings me back to my senses because he knows it’s really what I want and that I have to stop listening to all the negative people who try to convince me otherwise.

    Most impotantly he is always available to me and our daughter when we most need him!! He’s amazing!!

  287. Laurean Leigh says

    My husband has been an amazing inspiration and help with both of our kids. I know I’m very lucky and blessed to have a great partner, and I couldn’t manage half as well without him!

  288. We had a baby boy and baby girl within 15 months. I stopped breastfeeding our daughter at 12 months and gave birth to our son 3 months later. They are now 19 and 15 months, and I have had such an amazing breastfeeding experience with both. I couldn’t have done it without my husband supporting me 100%; reading books, offering encouragement, praise and absolute wonder at the dedication of a nursing mother to her baby. He loves our little ones so very much, it’s so special to watch my husband be such an incredible daddy!!!!

  289. **Correction to my above post, 19 and 4 months!! 😉

  290. Christine W says

    Thanks to my husband and his forward thinking plans (even at the tender age of 22), he has made it possible for me to stay home with our daughter. I think this might be the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

  291. My husband is super supportive of co-sleeping, breast feeding, and baby wearing!

  292. Jessica Murphy says

    he does everything and anything he can to be the best dad and support to me. I have never seen a dad so involved. makes me feel quite blessed!!!

  293. Night time wake ups!

  294. My husband was my biggest supporter. When I was about 10-14 days in, I was just crying on the bed in sheer exhaustion and he was like you can do this, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. Anyhow, it was sweet and it was exactly what I needed to get over that hump and push on. We’ve been going strong 22 months now!

  295. My husband has encouraged me to keep breastfeeding even though it is tiring

  296. When our son was first born, my husband took our 6 year old out to do fun things together. I got a break and they got to bond! Now our baby is 10 weeks and he has a magic touch when baby is fussy and the boob won’t work. Daddy’s shoulder is a great place to fall asleep!

  297. My hubby has had this amazing connection with our kids from day one. I love the look in their eyes when he is there. He helps so much with our 2 year old so I can have worry free time to feed our 3 month old. He does bath time and play time so well. It is happiness and laughter when he is in charge of daily activities and it inspires me to be a little more silly and relax when it is my turn and most of all to be present. Everything else can wait!

  298. Tiffany Coleman says

    My husband loves to carry our son just as much as I do! I love to watch them bond while he carries him :-). Having a boba would be awesome since he is 2 lbs shy of outgrowing our Bjorn.

  299. My partner is energetic and totally willing to do Anything for the littles in our lives. He’ll make a fool of himself and not feel one bit of regret. He’s 100% in it for them. That is inspiring. And hard for most of us to do.

  300. Nicole U says
  301. Leslie G says

    My husband inspires me by standing by me even in my OCD craziness that get really bad when I first have my little ones. He helps me every day and is just there for me when I need him.

  302. When I first told my husband that I wanted to breastfeed our daughter he wasn’t too keen on it. Since her birth he has asked questions, done research and become a huge supporter of breastfeeding and me!

  303. Dawn Fleming says

    I really love this site!

  304. My hubby does not do any of these things. 🙁 We have 4 children. I guess since I never asked he never knew I would have appreciated help. It’s wonderful to read all the lovely comments! You gals are lucky to have great partners!

  305. My husband is very supportive of all of my decisions regarding our son. Babywearing, co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, etc. He’s a little unsure about cloth diapering but tries to do it for my sake. He plays Legos with our son and does bathtime pretty much every night. He’s the best partner I could have chosen.

  306. My husband is my rock. He backs me 100%. He’s the absolute best father our daughter (9 mo) could ever have. She lights up everyday when he comes home from work. He spends all evening playing with her, then he gives her a bath. We are so lucky to have him!

  307. Becky Nixon says

    My husband wasn’t very hands on with baby one, but now that we are on our second son, he’s very hands on. He helps feed the baby bottles that I pump, changes diapers, takes care of baby while I pump, etc. he’s been very encouraging to me and my decision to breast feed. Anytime that I think I want to stop, he pushes me to keep going, and I’m thankful for that.

  308. My boyfriend is not my son’s natural father, but you wouldn’t know by the looks of it. We both had it hard growing up, neither one of us had anyone to be our role model (let alone be a parent). And we both had siblings that needed to be taken care of. His strength in stepping up, and wanting to be the role model and father in my son’s life says a lot where we come from. I am so happy to have found someone who is willing to be there for my son just as much as I do 🙂

  309. Every time I ask for help (food, water, back rubs, diaper changes), DH’s right there. The hard part is remembering to ask! But I never have to ask for him to play with DD!

  310. Carissa Joslyn says

    I’m single, My kids fathers aren’t in their lives. I breast fed for a little while with my youngest, but then milk stopped coming in and it was insanely painful, i had to clench my teeth when he was eating.

  311. Rachel A. says

    My husband is amazing. When I was sick, food-poisoning sick, on his first Father’s day, he took care of me and our baby all day long. He supports me wanting to work and still raise children and he connects to our baby by sharing our night-time and bed-time duties. We aren’t the perfect family, but he is a good dad and a great husband. I love him dearly.

  312. Ari Mignogna says

    My hubby has been having health issues for 2 months now and has been home with me and the two kids. Even though it has been stressful, he makes it a million times better. He watches the baby while I work from home, and has learned when Declan is tired or hungry so he can bring him to mommy!

  313. My hubby reads to the kids, does their baths and their bedtime routine. He’s very sweet with them.

  314. Lindsay Kruse says

    My husband completely supports all of my attachment parenting ideas including breastfeeding on demand, cosleeping, not letting our kids “cry it out” and feeding them organic whole foods 🙂

  315. My husband helps me keep my sanity! He keeps me grounded when I’m upset or frustrated easily, and he makes sure that I have breaks when I need them. I couldn’t do it without him!!

  316. My husband supports me as a SAHM and knows that I need breaks sometimes, so he brings the big kids (ages 2 and 3) to work with him or do small projects outside on occasion. He is the reason that I continued to breastfeed all three of my kids despite tons of challenges.

  317. Hubby tries, but he doesn’t have much patience. So I end up doing a lot of things, but I guess he does take out the trash, reaches for tall things, kills spiders and mows the lawn : P

  318. my husband is wonderfully supportive- our son is 2 1/2 and is still breastfeeding and co-sleeping with me.. though my husband doesn’t always understand my attachment parenting he supports me 🙂 he also tries to divert my son’s attention when he can tell i’m getting frustrated, which is always lovely!

  319. I’m still pregnant, but I can’t wait to see my husband with our daughter.

  320. When our daughter was first born I had many complications. He took care of me and our daughter for the first two weeks after she was born, doing ALL her diaper changes, and feeding her when possible.

    We struggled to nurse for three months. Ultimately, I was unable to do so…but my husband was truly my only supporter. He saw me suffering and struggling, but told me to keep going. I was completely devastated about not being able to nurse, he was there for me when I needed to vent, or cry, or just be angry about it. He never once judged me and always was there for me.

    He now supports my addiction to CDing and babywearing fully 🙂

  321. My partner reminds me to keep my sense of humor always!

  322. My husband inspires me by always encouraging me, especially when I get overwhelmed! He connects with our little one the most by snuggling!

  323. Jessica Hughes says

    My husband completely trusts my judgement and let’s me make most of the decisions where our kids are concerned. Like he says, who’s going to know their needs better than the person who brought them into the world?

  324. My husband is amazing! He 100% supports my choice to breastfeed our 3 month old son. He is so helpful in other ways since he can’t help with the feeding. He is always there to lend a hand after his long days at work. He plays with him, changes his diapers, helps with bath time, etc. He is always offering to watch our son and let me run errands in between feedings because he knows somedays I just need to get away and have a few hours of mommy time. I don’t know where I would be without his help! I love him to the moon and back!

  325. My husband is very supportive and was happy to have the baby in our room, encouraged me to breastfeed even when the going was rough, readily agreed to cloth diapers, and a host of other things. He is (usually) happy to take the kids off my hands for a couple of hours in the evening and play with them so I can get stuff done.

  326. Ashleigh Wilson says

    My DH has always been my #1 cheerleader, and a fabulous helper. From babywearing, to housework, to playing with the kids…he’s the best. And he has become just as big of a lactivist as I am! 🙂

  327. My hubby is fully supportive of our AP choices and is a great daddy to our kids. One of the ways he supports me by being in charge of diaper duty, including washing the cloth diapers!

  328. Hannah Ezinga says

    My husband is amazing at playing with my daughter. I love watching him interact with her and involve her in whatever activity he is doing.

  329. My husband is a wonderful father to our little girl. At five weeks old, she’s already a daddy’s girl and has him wrapped around her tiny little fingers. Even though he works, he takes the bulk of the nighttime feedings (we FF for various reasons) so I can sleep longer stretches and be a better mommy during the day. He really has stayed on top of my PPD and during the pregnancy he was the best advocate I could ask for. He loves playing with her and bath time is just one of the ways they spend lots of time together. (:

  330. I absolutely LOVE when my husband cuddles up to me and my LO while nursing, it makes it feel like I’m not the only one feeding the baby!

  331. He has encouraged breastfeeding my twins from the get-go, and is my emotional rock when I have doubts or insecurities. He is an excellent provider and a very hands-on daddy!

  332. My husband has worn our son since birth and it has been so wonderful. He would rock our baby down to sleep when he was smaller in the carrier or would help me out by wearing him and doing chores around the house. I don’t know how we would have gotten by without wearing our son.

  333. I had LOTS of breastfeeding problems. My husband was VERY supportive helped me as much as possible, always did what he could to help with the baby. I don’t know what I would have done without him. The 1st 2 weeks we lots of laying around, cuddling with baby, feeding, sleeping… He took care of my needs and our other child so I could better take care of the newborn!

  334. Krista Barber says

    My husband was great through each of the previous two breastfeeding journeys. However this time he has been a true blessing. I had lots of issue this time and was being pressured to just formula feed our current little one due to slow weight gain. He reminded me that our baby was healthy and happy and weight gain at a certain rate wasn’t everything. He encouraged me to trust myself to do something that I had done successfully before and to realize that I would know if something was wrong.

  335. Suchitra says

    He is very supportive, we ‘re parents-to-be. So yet to experience life as a family of 3.

  336. Jennifer Stone says

    My husband is so great! He wears our son all the time, supports me in breastfeeding and other endeavours, and takes such great care of Ben (our baby) when I am at work. I couldn’t do it without him!

  337. Jennifer Wagaman says

    My husband is such a huge help! when I was first establishing my breastfeeding relationship with my youngest, he would jump in and finish cooking dinner, dressing the older sisters or whatever I happened to be doing, so that I could go sit down and nurse stress free!

  338. My husband ALWAYS brought me the baby every time he/she needed to nurse at night and when the baby was done, he would burp the baby, then settle him/her back in bed. I was so grateful for that!

  339. My partner was a huge help when he was on parental leave, he changed all diapers including the middle of the night. He has also learned a new way of thinking and hopped on the AP train with me!

  340. My husband is always there for me when I get frustrated, ready to trade off and give me a few minutes to calm back down. He loves cuddling both of our babies, and rough-housing with our daughter. He says he doesn’t sleep well when our daughter isn’t in bed between us, because she’s just so snuggly. 🙂

  341. TaiLeah Madill says

    My DH supports me by making sure I have water and snacks in the early days when I am couch bound a lot of the time. He really steps up and takes over bathtime to give me a bit of a break in the evening.

  342. My husband married into a family of La Leche Leaguers, and didn’t know what he was getting until after our first daughter was born. He has been ultra supportive of every decision that I have made regarding nursing our two daughters, including extended nursing with our second. He has been right behind me every step of the way, especially when dealing with his old school grandmother who was highly critical of the decision to nurse and made many nasty remarks about it to my face when I was a new mother to our oldest.

  343. Rebecca Peters says

    My hubby loves spending as much time with the babe as possible an always watches her to give me a break. Hes awesome. 😀 He also loves bath time and plays with her! 😀

  344. My hubby does what-ever he can do to support me and our 3 kids.

    • Brandy s says

      My husband connects with our children by being a big kid himself. He is not afraid to act silly with them, dress up, pretend he is a super hero or play on the jungle gym right beside them. He has always been supportive with breast feeding and loves babywearing.

  345. I don’t have a partner, I am a single mom by choice and do it all on my own!

  346. courtney k says

    my husband is incredibly patient & if our son ever cries out in the night i always say ‘he’s fine’ and he always says ‘i can’t bear to hear him cry. i just want to rock him’ and even if i think it’s “spoiling” my husband is cherishing those moments of being able to rock him while he’s small enough to want our comfort. keeps me grounded.

  347. christine r says

    He is so good in so many ways! He works so hard so I can be home to raise my kids which means the world to me!!!

  348. Sarina Wetzel says

    As soon as he walks in the door after work my hubby takes on the primary caregiver role with our 20 month old. I am 8 months preg with our second and he knows I’m exhausted at the end of the day. I appreciate him so much!

  349. No one in mine or my husband’s families breastfed their babies. So when we decided we were going to with ours we got TONS if negative feedback. I’m breastfeeding our second baby now, he’s 11 months old, and I’m still hearing ugliness from our families. Most of them telling me that I’m being incredibly selfish for beastfeeding and that i’m going to mess my kids heads up for feeding them like that for so long. Honestly I don’t understand it at all and it’s still incredibly hurtful. Through all of this though my husband has been my knight, my rock. He’s encouraged me to continue, helped me to do research when i’ve come across problems, fed me when our babies have been on stretches where they constantly want to be latched on, and stood beside me when any negativity has been rained down upon us and our decission. I feel that breastfeeding is incredibly important for a mother and her baby, incredibly hard at times, and the very best nutrition you can give your babies. I could not have done it without my husband, though.

  350. Jessi Randall says

    I love the way my SO plays with our kiddo! And e was always willing to fetch me water or a snack, a blanket, whatever. Even now, though she’s two!, he’ll get me anything I need if she’s asleep on my lap.

  351. I love the giggles that we get from him playing with the kids. He loves getting them all riled up.

  352. Sarah Hayes says

    Im a single mom 🙂

  353. My hubby inspires me to play more creatively. He’s a big kid himself so he always finds fun ways to make the little guy laugh. He definitely connects using his play abilities.

  354. My husband helps me to chill. Some days after being alone with the litle ones all day I feel like I could just lose it. He reminds me that the person challenging my authority constantly is only 3 and the one who is taking his diaper off and peeing everywhere is only 1… and that they are mine and I love them. He tells me how they probably act just like I did as a child and it makes me giggle. I forget my frustrations. Love that guy

  355. My husband has been my biggest support in breastfeeding our daughter and he is one of the biggest reasons we’re still going 22 months later! He helped me get through those rough first days and weeks. In the early days, he supported me by caring for me through my c-section recovery, feeding me (literally spoon-feeding me sometimes), bringing me water and whatever I needed while nursing, cleaning my pump parts, changing baby and bringing her to me to feed, waking me up during the night to nurse, taking care of the house, etc., etc. These days, he still cooks and helps clean the house, and brings me water and food while I’m nursing. He also frequently still gets up if our daughter wakes up during the night, gets her out of her crib (in our room), changes her, and brings her to our bed so she can nurse and we can all go back to sleep. He supports me in so many other ways, too – I couldn’t have gotten this far without him!

  356. I honestly couldn’t imagine a more inspiring guy on a day-to-day basis. He has encouraged me to continue nursing through IGT with two babes (the first until he was 30 months) and the second is going strong at 11 months. He connects with our children almost daily with walks and cuddles. He shows compassion towards both our boys in such a way that inspires me to see not only his heart but theirs, too. What a blessing he and our boys are to me.

  357. Sarah Schiro says

    We struggled with infertility before conceiving and giving birth to our son naturally. During that season of not knowing whether we would ever become parents my husband was so supportive of me. He comforted me and believed that we would become parents. Now that our son is here we both realize how much of a miracle he is. Everyday my husband plays with him and sings to him. My husband took overtime so that I can stay home with our son. He is an amazing dad.

  358. Alainna Bell says

    My husband always supported me with bfing, i wish i was more educated at the time because i wanted to breast feed way longer than i did :/

  359. Brandy s says

    My husband connects with our children by being a big kid himself. He is not afraid to act silly with them, dress up, pretend he is a super hero or play on the jungle gym right beside them. He has always been supportive with breast feeding and loves babywearing.

  360. My husband plays with the other kids while I nurse the baby. He helps change diapers and now helps feed the baby solids. He loves to play with the kids, have water gun fights, pillow fights, and tickle fights 🙂

  361. My husband is just as involved with raising our kids as I am. He wears them in the grocery store and at festivals.

  362. My husband has a way to make my daughters face light up like no one else. He is such a hands on dad it amazes me. He’s never afraid of a diaper change, fully supports and even encourages the use of cloth diapers and is so supportive of breast feeding. He would always change her while I got ready to feed her when he was a newborn. Nd now still does everything possible to help around the house while I feed her. Even if its as simple as picking up dinner or switching the laundry.

  363. The last thing my husband does before leaving in the morning & the first thing he does when he comes home is attack our son with kisses. He loves our weekend morning snuggle time, just laying in bed together & playing with the baby. He inspires me to remember to play & have fun.

  364. I love watching my husband give our baby girl a bath and cuddle with her after! She just smiles and coos at daddy!

  365. maegan delorme says

    I would not be breast feeding if it was not for my husband. I was unsure I even wanted to, but he was aliment that I at least try, so I did. I had a lot of trouble, and even now, at 11 months, I still use a nipple shield. But he was there every step of the way, especially when I wanted to give up.
    He goes to college full time but always makes time for out daughter, she adores him.

  366. We hope to start a family very soon and I think my husband will make a great dad. He loves having the cat I brought with me.

  367. My husband does bath & story time with our daughter every night before bed. Then I go in to breastfeed and lay her in her crib. I get a small break in the evening and they get great bonding time!

  368. Kadi Mahoney says

    My husband is the chore enforcer! It keeps the household sane with a baby around.

  369. My husband helps out with the girls so much. Our oldest daughter (6 years) loves to ride in his truck. Our middle daughter (2 years) loves to wrestle with him. And our youngest (3 months) likes to cuddle with him.

  370. Michelle Lee says

    Hubby always does bath and bedtime here. It’s his special time with the kiddos.

  371. Michelle Lee says
  372. Crystal-lynn says

    My husband wanted to babywear right along with me, & has supported me in my last 18 months of breastfeeding. Now that our little guy is a year & 1/2, he NEEDS the rough & tumble play that he loves best with his Daddy. 🙂

  373. Watching my husband take care of son, cuddling, soothing, feeding and baby wearing is amazing and we can always use another!

  374. Theresa smith says

    I’m not sure if I would still be breastfeeding my 10 month old daughter if it weren’t for my husband. He has been so encouraging since day one. He never let’s my water glass get empty and helps with the meals and housework. He loves his little girl more then anything, my favorite thing is seeing them together. He just left for his first deployment since her birth and I know he misses her so much. Can’t wait to have my family back together again!

  375. kaitlin briel says

    even though my husband has been deployed 9 months he is still able to connect with our son by talking with him daily and always supporting my decisons on raising him while he is gone. he is looking forward to coming home soon and being able to bond with our son and is looking forward to wearing him and catch up on lost time

  376. Meghan M says

    My husband is everything our son and I want/need him to be. He inspires me to be everything I can be for our son. He is strict, yet loving, attentive and fun. Earlier this month, I was on bed rest with my pregnancy and ended up miscarrying, hubby worked his night shifts and still stayed up all day with our son and waited on me hand and foot, I only wish I could be so amazing.

  377. The first two weeks after our little one was born my husband did absolutely everything. Waited on me and our baby hand and foot. I could barely get out of bed and refused to take pain medication. I am so glad that I had him and his little brother who helped out when my husband was at work (:
    My husband is gone for a week at a time for work, but he also gets an entire week off. During his week off it is constant playing! Our son has a completely different attitude when his daddy is home. He is happier and less aggressive and clingy!

  378. Kirsten Leitner-Markert says

    We are in need of a new carrier. Thanks The Leaky B@@b and Becco for this opportunity.

  379. I’ve experienced complications during this pregnancy and my husband has really stepped it up around the house. He is super dad and super mom all rolled into one, taking care of the kids all day and doing all of the household chores.

  380. My husband does bath time almost every night. It gives me a little breather and him time to connect with our son each day.

  381. Anna-Marie says

    My husband is awesome! He handles diaper changes and most of the baths. He makes sure I’m comfy and have what I need when I’m feeding our daughter. He also makes sure our freezer is well stocked with gelato. Gotta make sure that milk has enough fat in it, lol!

  382. Baby is on the way but hubby is very supportive of breastfeeding & cosleeping

  383. My husband has always helped me by giving my boys their baths, letting me have some free time! He also gets up in the middle of the night with them if they are having trouble staying asleep. He has spent many nights sleeping in the recliner with a baby on his chest.

  384. Melissa Butler says

    My parter supports every decision we have made together with our daughter. So many medical issues have arisen in these short17 months and he has been there for everything.

  385. my husband is supportive of all things natural parenting and loves to play with his “little buddy’ and gardens with him and never complains!

  386. Hi there,
    I really liked this post. You gave some great advice and tips. I really like the tip about ‘sending her away’. I guess each breastfeeding mum likes some time on her own to do something for herself instead of nurturing others.
    I was wondering if you accept guest postings on your blog too? I’d love to discuss a couple of ideas with you. Could you please contact me via my email, I’d really appreciate it.
    Warm regards,
    Irma

  387. Hailie J says

    Thank you for the great giveaway! SO ecstatic about winning!

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