Issue:

New Dads

Page:

5

Abstract

Tom Signal and wife Leighanne overcame the challenges of breastfeeding the baby of a fulltime working mother.

Keywords:

Breastfeeding,Work/Family,Househusband

I started looking after my first son when he was three months old while my wife returned to work. At first it was hard work deciding how we were going to feed him - or more to the point: how was I going to feed him while the feeders were at work with the wife! We did not want to use formula at this early stage of Benjamin's life.

So what we came up with was expressing milk. Leighanne would do this morning and night while feeding Benjamin. But I found some days that the milk Leighanne had left me to use for the feeds was not enough, so I would have to resort to the freezer stocks that we had built up while Leighanne was off on Parental Leave.

Even when I was still working fulltime when Leighanne was on leave, I would come home and give him his evening feed. This was for two reasons: firstly to get him used to the bottle to prepare for the time when I would be taking over as primary caregiver.

But I think the more important reason was for him to bond with me as well. Benjamin was 9 months old before we had to supplement with formula. This was especially important as Benjamin was a reflux baby and has had violent reactions to some baby foods. When we started supplementing we used soy and goats milk formulas. By 1 year old Benjamin was tolerating dairy based formula, but still breastfed by Leighanne when she was home.

When two years later our second son, Hayden, was born, he took well to the bottle just as Benjamin did.

Benjamin, Hayden and I are all the best of mates now. When Hayden is upset he comes to me for cuddles and then often to mum as well (he's no fool).

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"An Extraordinary Thing": A dad tells about his experiences with fathering a girl that was breastfeed for four years!