Awesome Dad on Bringing Home Baby

[MarcyC]

I meant to post this Friday when I actually saw it, but I forgot. I saw the most awesome Dad on Bringing Home Baby.

The mom was BF'ing and her milk wasn't in or something. Anyway, anytime the baby cried, fussed, rooted...anything...mom put baby to the breast. Well, by the middle of the night, mom was drop-dead tired. So the dad was like, maybe we don't know all her cries...maybe she's tired, too. Maybe she's not hungry. The mom insists that the baby is hungry and continues to leave baby at the breast. The dad then offered to take the baby to another room and rock the baby so that mom can rest. He kept saying that maybe the baby is just tired...let me take her and rock her so you both can rest.

Flash forward to morning. Mom said baby cried, nursed, cried and nursed and cried all night. Finally in desperation she gave Grandma a bottle and had grandma feed the baby.

The dad says on camera that he's really not wanting the baby to have the bottle and he feels like his wife is falling into that trap where she doesn't think she's enough for the baby and how just this one bottle could disrupt things. He said he hopes this doesn't continue because he could see how his wife could just give up and think bottles are easier.

WTG Dad!!!

Then came the bummer! I didn't get to see their follow up (what is it? 5 or 6 weeks?). Because - get this - my kids needed me. Why won't they just let me watch t.v. in peace!? : So I don't know what ultimately happened.

But when so many men have the "fix it" attitude (you know, if you're having trouble BF'ing, give the baby a bottle, that'll fix things), I hope this woman knows how lucky she is to have such a supportive knowledgeable husband!

[mama_at_home]

Sounds like a good daddy.

[blissful_maia]

That's so sweet. Darn your kids for interrupting your TV-watching!

[mommy2julia]

What a sweeeet dad!!!!

[bhawkins]

I saw that. He was an awesome dad! The follow up said that she was happily nursing and it showed her doing so. But the mom said that she wanted to give up after just a few days and DH convinced her to keep trying a little longer. Wow! She said she was glad she stuck with it now.

[Mama Poot]

What a great story! My DH was extremely supportive and at one point the ONLY person who supported me through some tough times getting started with BFing. He simply would not let me give up because he knew how important it was to me. I'm glad another woman has a husband like that!!

[jessjgh1]

I'm glad they showed her successful and saying she was glad she stuck with it. I'm glad I did, but dh saw how stressful and painful it was and suggested that I tried very hard and I didn't have to breastfeed-- which was NOT what was helpful to hear.

He was very helpful and supportive to a point and stopped suggesting that I quit when he saw how angry and upset it made me.

In retrospect I realize that it is very hard for the partner to guage the support you need- especially if they don't know a lot about breastfeeding. He only had the experience of his coworkers wives, all of which seemed to try and give up. He now thinks everyone should breastfeed and is supportive of child led weaning.

I think that is such a great story!

Jessica

[deleria]

When my nipples were cracked and sore and my first baby had a horrible latch, my husband (then bf) said something like 'I know it's hard, but just hang in there until tomorrow. It's his one week check-up, so just hang in until tomorrow. We can find out what the problem is. You birthed a ten pound baby. I know you can breastfeed!'

Sure enough, my son's tongue tie was fixed on the spot the next morning and we went on to have months of a beautiful breastfeeding relationship. Way to go for supportive partners!

[Mamapits]

That is great!!
It is said that the 2 people who can influence a woman the most in her decsion to breastfeed or bottle feed are her DR. and her partner.

[NurseLaurie]

I saw this episode. She stuck with breastfeeding, but they were giving the baby formula at night so that it would sleep longer... I know that is reality, but only because it's so hard to digest. Either way, the dad was incredible and I think mom was doing what she thought was best in her completely exhausted state. I'm glad he was there to encourage her to keep at it.

[mommaduck]

Good Daddy!!! It's normal for many babies to do nothing BUT nurse at first...my new one is like the already (and she is only 24hours old...homebirth...so I'm resting, at the comp...LOL!). She doesn't want to be away from her BM access for a moment!

[rachelmarie]

That's great! Especially after hearing so many negative things about that show.

My dh also was and still is super-supportive of breastfeeding. The first week he got up with me every time during the night, and he would read our breastfeeding book and give me tips and help out when I wasn't sure what to do. I just thought he was so sweet for being such a great and supportive husband to me, and a great dad for wanting his son to have the best. I love my dh!

[aanule]

anyone see yesterdays? it was a philipino couple and the mom kept saying how she never had to get up at night for her first 2 and didnt nurse because they had a nanny. then she desided she wasnt making enough milk and started giving him formula... that show covers the first 72 hours, thats not even enough time for some women to get thier milk in! and the dad just took it in stride and stayed up all night feeding the baby.

and then i saw one where the baby was just crying and crying and it was obvious she was experiencing some serious nipple confusion and the mom just kept trying to pop the paci back in... i really wish i could take some of these people and shake them!

okay, im done... no one gets it when i start yelling at the tv... i figured you guys would!

[firstkid4me]

aanule, Bringing Home Baby is certainly VERY frustrating at times.

[momtoNatalee]

Yeah for that daddy! My dh was that way and those first few weeks before I knew anything about bfing I was on the verge of giving dd a bottle(boy I was stupid) and dh kept telling no and was major supportive!

[thefragile7393]

Yay for awesome dads! I am extremely fortunate that my son had no problems bf'ing at all, but my husband has often said how happy he is that I'm bf'ing because of how it's the best thing for a babe. That helps

[Jade2561]

That is so awesome! Dads really do make a difference. If it wasn't for my dh I would not have successfully breastfed. He kept telling me - you can do it; keep going; you'll regret it if you give up now. Love my dh!

[eirual]

My DH was super supportive too! I totally reached the point where I was feeling ready to give up, but there was no way I was actually going to. I had lots of support from Dh, my Mom, and MW. That support system is SSOOooo important to BFing success, IMO.

[graceshappymum]

dh was so helpful in the begining. It helped alot to have the three of us in the bed for those few frustrating nights, although dd has only had a couple of "difficult" nights so far! With dh there was never a question, extended bf was just assumed on his part.

[Ammaarah]

Did anyone catch the episode last Thursday or Friday? The couple was so sweet...a Japanese-American mom and a Euro-American dad, with a couple of dogs who suffered from sibling rivalry. Anyway, Mom had a natural birth with a doula, she was nursing, and they were slinging that little one all over the place. There were a couple decent BHBs last week, I about fainted from shock!

What would they call it if they had a homebirthing couple? Keeping Baby Home?