If breastfeeding was way harder than you expected it to be, you're in good company: last year, a What to Expect survey found that 59 percent of moms felt that way. The majority of them agreed that more support would have helped them breastfeed for longer. Now, new research shows where a critical piece of support should come from: Dads.
A study of 250 fathers found that when dads wanted their infant’s mother to breastfeed, the chances of it happening were significantly higher compared to when dads didn’t support breastfeeding or had no opinion. The study, published on June 16 in the journal Pediatrics, confirmed what many moms already knew: a father’s active support could be critical in the early months of an infant’s life.
“Dads are, in fact, the best and most effective champions and advocates for their partners,” says Heidi Murkoff, creator of What to Expect and founder of the What to Expect Project, who has spent the year advocating in Congress to include dads in the parenting conversation. “When there is a dad in the picture, his involvement matters in every aspect of a child’s life—from their emotional and physical wellbeing to their cognitive and social development, even to their health and safety.”
Dads Can Improve Breastfeeding Rates
When the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its policy statement around breastfeeding last year to recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and up to two years or more, some moms felt defeated. It’s incredibly challenging to breastfeed at all without societal supports such as federal paid leave and accessible lactation education already in place.
This makes it even more crucial for you to be able to turn to dads and partners for the support you need. Most dads do champion breastfeeding — 67.8 percent of those surveyed want moms to breastfeed their infants. And when dads showed encouragement, it did make a difference: 95 percent reported breastfeeding initiation and 78 percent reported breastfeeding at eight weeks. This is significantly higher than the rates reported by fathers who had no opinion or did not want their infant’s mother to breastfeed – 69 percent of these fathers reported breastfeeding initiation and 33 percent reported breastfeeding at eight weeks.
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In addition to providing encouragement, dads can support nursing moms by taking care of other tasks to give moms adequate time to feed. Dads can change diapers, bathe the baby, prepare meals and do skin-to-skin time after nursing is complete.
Dads Can Improve Infant Sleep Safety
Dad’s role in infant health doesn’t end with feeding support, what happens next is just as important. After babies nurse at night, dads are crucial in making sure they get back to sleep in a healthy environment.
"The vast majority of unsafe sleep happens after the baby wakes in the middle of the night hungry,” explains Alison Jacobson, executive director and CEO of First Candle, a nonprofit committed to eliminating sleep-related infant deaths. “The role of dad is to acknowledge that the baby is usually coming into the bed to nurse, but once nursing is done, dads need to put the baby back into the safe sleep environment.”
The AAP recommends that all infants be placed on their backs for sleep on a firm, flat, non-inclined sleep surface in their own sleep space. Additionally, the space should be free from other people, blankets, pillows, toys, bumpers or other loose, soft items.
Nearly all fathers surveyed (99.4 percent) reported placing their child to sleep, but not all of them followed recommended safe sleep practices: 81.1 percent reported placing their infant on their back to sleep, 31.9 percent reported using an approved sleep surface, and 44.1 percent reported using no soft bedding. But only 15.7 percent of the dads reported following all three safe sleep recommended practices.
Just last week, two resolutions were introduced in Congress with the intention of recognizing the importance of father’s inclusion in pregnancy, postpartum and parenting.
“Change is finally starting to happen,” Murkoff says. “The What to Expect Project and I are so proud to have drafted and helped deliver groundbreaking congressional resolutions officially recognizing the importance of fathers: Senate Resolution 256. These congressional resolutions pave the way for action — both to improve maternal and infant health, particularly among Black and Brown moms and babies, and to nurture fathers so they can help nurture a healthier, happier future for the little ones they love.”
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