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How Breastfeeding Benefits A Daddy

You know that breastfeeding is best for mother and child, but what's in it for Dad? Isn't he going to miss out by not getting to share in the joy of feeding the baby? Let's see how Dads benefit when a Mom chooses to breastfeed their child.

Cost Savings
This is a big one for Dad! Whether he's the sole income provider or not, adding a new member to the family can be a source of worry for him. Let him in on the fact that one year of breastfeeding can keep over $1,000 in the family budget. That's just for bottles and formula, that doesn't include extra Doctor visits and prescriptions that happen when baby is formula fed.

More Sleep
Let's face it. He doesn't have the equipment to handle the job of night feedings. While some Moms choose to pump and let Dad offer a bottle at night, for many Moms, snuggling up with baby at night to nurse is the norm. In a lot of families, this means Dad can head off to work with a full night's rest.

Proud Papa
When Dad sees how baby's cheeks and thighs are filling out on Mom's milk alone, he tends to view her as some kind of Dairy Queen. What an amazing capacity she has to help his child grow and thrive! Many Dads become huge proponents of breastfeeding when they see how healthy their babies are.

Health Benefits
Dads are especially impressed by the fact that breastfed babies gain an average of 8 IQ points over their formula fed counterparts. Breastfeeding also means that Mom is less likely to get ovarian or breast cancer. The extended nonfertility that many nursing Moms experience is also a plus in Dads book.

Focus on Mom
Since Mom is breastfeeding, Dad can find other ways to bond with baby and be a support to Mom. Some ideas: take baby for walks, burp and bathe baby, sing baby to sleep, massage baby and read to baby. He can also be in charge of helping Mom stay fed and hydrated in the early weeks while she recovers from the birth. And since Mom is handling the "input", Dad can be in charge of "output". Dads are far more likely to be willing to change diapers since a breastfed baby's poop doesn't have an unpleasant odor (until solid food is added!).

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