Breastfeeding is an important bonding time for mothers and babies. However, many new fathers feel left out or unsure of their role during this period. As a husband, there are many supportive things you can do while your wife is breastfeeding.
Be Patient and Understanding
Breastfeeding can be challenging, especially in the early days. Be patient with your wife as she learns this new skill with your baby. Offer encouragement and avoid criticism. Understand that breastfeeding can be demanding, time-consuming, and even frustrating at times for your wife.
Help Create a Calm Environment
Your wife will need peace and quiet while nursing. Help minimize distractions by taking the phone off the hook, turning off the TV/music, keeping other children occupied, and not overloading her with questions or conversation. A calm environment helps mom relax and let down her milk.
Bring Her Water and Healthy Snacks
Breastfeeding burns calories, leaving many new moms feeling hungry and thirsty. Bring your wife a glass of water or healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, cheese and crackers each time she sits down to nurse. This thoughtfulness will be much appreciated!
Burp the Baby
Burping helps relieve baby’s gas and spit up. Take the baby for burping breaks when your wife needs a short break from nursing. Gently pat or rub baby’s back until they burp.
Change the Baby’s Diaper
Take over diaper duty after breastfeeding sessions. Your wife will be thankful she doesn’t have to get up and change the baby each time. Offer to use any creams or ointments for diaper rash as well.
Hold the Baby Skin-to-Skin
Skin-to-skin contact, also called kangaroo care, has many benefits for babies. Take your shirt off and hold your diaper-clad baby against your bare chest when your wife needs a break. This helps regulate baby’s body temperature, breathing, and brain activity.
Do Household Chores and Run Errands
Take over chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping. Your wife will have her hands full around the clock meeting baby’s needs. Lightening her load with household responsibilities allows her to focus on breastfeeding and bonding.
Let Her Rest
Make sure your wife takes nap breaks to rest and re-charge while you watch the baby. Interrupted sleep can leave new moms utterly exhausted. Encourage her to sleep when the baby sleeps for her health and milk supply.
Keep Her Comfortable
Your wife may experience breast tenderness, leakage, and nipple soreness while breastfeeding. Help by bringing cooling packs, nipple creams, breast pads, a supportive nursing bra, pillows to prop baby on, etc. Keep her comfortable so she can continue nursing.
Be Her Cheerleader
Breastfeeding is hard work! Give your wife sincere praise and encouragement. Compliment her on what a great mom and breastfeeder she is. Let her know how proud you are of her commitment to your baby’s nutrition.
Educate Yourself
Read up on breastfeeding basics so you understand the process. Learn how to recognize good latch and positioning. Look into laws that protect public breastfeeding. Knowledge will help you better support your wife while she nurses.
Advocate for Her
Support your wife’s right to feed her baby whenever and wherever by speaking up against criticism or harassment about public breastfeeding. Also advocate for breastfeeding rights in your workplace if she plans to pump milk when returning to a job.
Give Plenty of Encouragement
Breastfeeding can be isolating for new moms. Reassure your wife that she’s doing great and you appreciate her efforts to nourish your baby. Share how breastfeeding is benefiting the baby’s health and your family. Give encouragement to lift her confidence.
Help with Pumping
If your wife pumps milk, help by washing pump parts, providing healthy snacks and water during pumping sessions, and storing the milk properly. Offer to watch the baby when she needs to pump to help the process go smoothly.
Bond with Baby Too
Don’t feel left out while your wife is nursing. Sit next to her and read, sing or play with the baby as they feed. This helps you bond while allowing your wife to rest. Take over with the baby when feeding is finished.
Show Physical Affection
Cuddle with your wife, give back rubs, hold hands, etc. Physical touch releases oxytocin to help her milk flow and feel bonded to you too. Show non-sexual physical affection while she nurses for comfort and connection.
Cook Nutritious Meals
Breastfeeding moms need 450-500 extra calories per day. Prepare well-balanced meals with extra proteins, whole grains, fruits/veggies for your wife. Staying nourished helps her feel energetic and keeps her milk supply robust.
Help at Night
Get up with your wife for night feedings. Change the baby’s diaper, burp them when finished, and put them back to sleep. Let your wife stay in bed and rest as you handle the interruptions. She’ll be grateful for the help!
Give Her Time to Shower
Watch the baby so your wife can take relaxing showers. New moms often go days without personal care time. Give the gift of a peaceful shower while you hold down the fort with your little one.
Do Her Hair/Makeup
Offer to help your wife with quick hairstyles, makeup application or jewelry selection before she goes out. She wants to feel like herself again amid the new mom duties. Small beauty gestures go a long way.
Go on Walks Together
Stroll around your neighborhood together while your wife wears the baby in a front carrier. Walking helps restore her energy and mood. Bring water and a nursing cover so she can breastfeed during your walks if needed.
Help with Pumping Logistics
If pumping at work, help get your wife’s pump and supplies ready each evening. Have her leave milk in the fridge or freezer for you to transport and store properly. Making logistics smooth enables her to keep pumping.
Give Reassuring Touches
Rest a hand gently on your wife’s shoulder or rub her back while she breastfeeds. Reassuring physical touch calms the nervous system. Your loving presence helps make nursing sessions peaceful.
Protect Her Downtime
Guard your wife’s limited downtime fiercely. Take over baby duties, field calls/visits from others, and handle interruptions yourself. New moms desperately need protected rest periods. Shelter her during these.
Celebrate Milestones
Mark important breastfeeding milestones like making it to one month or six months. Celebrate with flowers, her favorite meal, a card, small gift or night off from baby duty. Validate her commitment to your child.
Give Her Time Off
Offer your wife chances to get out of the house alone while you care for the baby. Time off allows her to reconnect with friends, pursue hobbies, and remember her pre-mom identity. This supports her mental health.
Help with Siblings
If you have other children, keep them happy and occupied while your wife nurses the new baby. Read to them, play games, take them on outings to give her 1-on-1 time with the baby.
Suggest Nursing Stations
Help create comfortable nursing spots at home and on the go. Set up a station with water, pillows, books, etc. Suggest secluded public spots like quiet corners or nursery rooms when you’re out together.
Give Massages
Massage your wife’s neck, shoulders or feet as she breastfeeds. Massage eases tension and helps her relax. Avoid massaging near the breasts as stimulation can cause reflex milk ejection.
Remind Her to Take Vitamins
Breastfeeding depletes mom’s body stores. Remind your wife to take a postnatal vitamin with iron, vitamin D, folate, etc. You can even bring her the vitamin with a glass of water for easy intake.
Educate Family/Friends
Politely inform extended family and friends about breastfeeding facts. Clear up myths, explain milk supply, normalize feeding cues, etc. This will avoid sabotaging or misguided advice to your wife.
Help Her Hydrate
Breastmilk is over 85% water. Keep your wife hydrated by refilling her water bottle and having cool drinks handy when nursing. Dehydration impedes milk production so regular fluids are key.
Let Her Vent
If your wife gets overwhelmed or struggles with nursing challenges, be a listening ear. Let her vent her feelings without judgment. Offer empathy, validation, and encouragement. Your support means everything.
Boost Her Confidence
Build up your wife’s breastfeeding confidence with praise. Highlight her commitment, resilience, and the wonderful job she’s doing nurturing your baby. Confidence helps her power through rocky times.
Help with Latching
If baby is struggling to latch, offer to get in nursing position. Draw your wife in close skin-to-skin and guide baby onto the breast with a stable latch. Your help and reassurance can get them back on track.
Protect Her Privacy
Keep visitors away while your wife is nursing or pumping to give her privacy. Close doors, pull curtains and ask others to excuse themselves during feeding times. Prioritize her comfort.
Self-Educate on Milk Supply
Learn how milk supply is established and maintained. Understand supply/demand, cues, indicators of transfer, etc. Correct myths. Knowledge ensures you don’t inadvertently sabotage her efforts.
Stock Nursing Supplies
Keep your home stocked with nursing pads, nipple cream, frozen gel packs, nursing pillow, nursing bras, etc. Check in to see if any supplies are running low and restock as needed.
Help with Positioning
If baby is not latching well, offer to help reposition them in the cradle, cross cradle, football or side-lying holds. Proper positioning assists with comfortable feedings.
Encourage Milk Expression
Gently encourage your wife to express some milk between or after nursing with hand expression or her pump. This helps stimulate milk production and relieve engorgement.
Be Her Wingman at Night
At night, get up and change baby’s diaper when your wife begins to stir. Silently bring them to her for feeding, then burp and return baby to bassinet when done. Let her rest.
Boost Nutrient Intake
Breastmilk quality is impacted by mom’s diet. Offer to prepare lactation-boosting foods/smoothies with oats, leafy greens, salmon, eggs, etc. Her nutrient intake fuels baby’s growth.
Give Back Rubs
Gently rub your wife’s lower back as she nurses in a comfortable spot. Lower back massages alleviate postural strain from nursing. It’s a soothing way to support her.
Keep Her Stress Low
High stress can negatively impact milk supply. Help minimize your wife’s sources of stress when possible. Take over chores, give encouragement, suggest meditation and breaks. Her peace of mind matters.
Welcome Food Cravings
Indulge any breastfeeding-related food cravings your wife has within reason. She needs the extra calories. Satisfying cravings for foods like oatmeal cookies or yogurt helps her enjoy nursing.
Give Her Downtime After Feeding
Encourage your wife to rest and relax after breastfeeding instead of rushing off to multitask. Brief recharging periods conserve her energy so she can focus on the baby.
Limit Visitors Initially
Keep visitors away the first 2-4 weeks to allow breastfeeding to establish stress-free. Your wife needs privacy, skin-to-skin time and lots of rest during this important period.
Help with Sore Nipples
If your wife is struggling with nipple soreness, offer to apply soothing nipple creams/gels between feedings. Also provide cooling packs and help correct any latch problems.
Babysit Siblings
Entertain other children for a few hours while your wife focuses on nursing the newborn. Give her a peaceful, interruption-free environment to establish breastfeeding.
Bring Her Nursing Water/Tea
Staying hydrated is essential while breastfeeding. Offer your wife blends of water, coconut water, herbal tea or diluted fruit juice. Fluids keep her milk production high.
Watch for Signs of Trouble
Learn indicators of breastfeeding problems like poor latch, inadequate intake or dehydration. Watch for cues so you can alert your wife and offer help getting back on track.
Provide Healthy Postpartum Meals
Prepare balanced meals with extra calories, protein, fruits/veggies for your wife as she recovers from childbirth and breastfeeds. Meal support aids healing and maintains energy.
Bring Nursing Supplies
When leaving home, pack a discreet nursing cover, nursing pads, nipple cream, nursing pillow, water bottle, and healthy snacks in a bag. Having supplies on hand makes public nursing easier.
Do Skin-to-Skin with Baby
Take off your shirt and hold baby skin-to-skin when your wife needs a shower or break. Your close contact keeps baby cozy, calm and speeds brain development.
Help Track Feedings
Offer to track baby’s feedings and diaper changes on paper or an app. Consistent data helps your wife ensure baby is eating enough and gaining well. Review it together.
Burp Baby Mid-Feeding
Gently burp baby midway through feedings by patting or rubbing their back. This relieves gas buildup so they can continue comfortably nursing until satisfied.
Give Plenty of Snuggles
Cuddle and play with baby skin-to-skin when your wife needs some time. Physical closeness builds your bond. Take over snuggles happily while she rests nearby.
Do Baby Care Between Feedings
Handle tasks like bathing, swaddling, playing and soothing the baby between feeding sessions. Check in with your wife if the baby needs anything first. Lighten her load.
Make Lactation Treats
Surprise your wife with lactation cookie or smoothie treats made with oats, brewer’s yeast, flax meal, etc. The ingredients help boost her milk supply naturally.
Conclusion
Supporting your breastfeeding wife encompasses both large and small gestures. Offering practical help, emotional encouragement,avoicing her needs, limiting visitors, and educating yourself on the process allows you to be a valuable partner. When husbands take an active role, the entire family benefits.