Focus on Fathers
A Father's Thoughts on Breastfeeding
Jim B.
IL USA
From NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 19 No. 3, May-June 2002, p. 105
Before my wife became pregnant,
I did not have an opinion about breastfeeding. It's one of those things
men don't usually think about until they have to. Well, once Ileana's
pregnancy was confirmed, my sister Kathy immediately inundated us with
La Leche League information on the positive aspects of breastfeeding.
Once I had read the material, it was obvious that breastfeeding was
the correct choice for our child. I was a convert.
Of course, all the information
was just information until Alex arrived in June of 2000. Happily, everything
we had learned about breastfeeding was tremendously helpful during those
first few intense weeks. I'm sure there is a primal urge that drives
a parent to want their child to eat. I remember watching Ileana trying
to get Alex to latch on the very first day. When he did it, a tremendous
sense of relief came over me that suddenly turned to panic when he broke
off and had to start over. Thankfully, Alex and Ileana figured things
out quickly. Before long, Alex was comfortably nursing.
The thing that most impresses
me about breastfeeding, aside from the nutritional and logistical benefits,
is the sheer sense of pleasure I get from watching my son nurse. He
looks so happy and peaceful in Ileana's arms. It makes me happy to know
he's being loved in the best way possible. This makes me love my wife
even more. It's this emotional element that breastfeeding encourages
that I find so appealing. We really feel like a close-knit family. I
give my full support to Ileana for breastfeeding so she can do so for
Alex. In turn, he loves us back even more. It's really a team effort.
I find all the objections
about breastfeeding just so absurd. It is amazing how ignorant modern
society has become about this. In the end, I'm glad La Leche League
found its way into my family. We're much better for it.
Last updated Friday, October 27, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:29:59 UTC 2007.
