Fatherhood

When discussing pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding most often the focus is on women and children. Fathers tend to be at best at the edges of the picture. Traditionally this are pure female business and only for the last few generations fathers want or are supposed to be involved. Partners who actively want to build on their paternal role, will have to form a bond with their child, but often they feel this is hindered by breastfeeding. On the other hand, supporting an promoting breastfeeding is seen as an important fathers’ role. Qualitative research performed by Cleide et al in Brazil showed that although fathers may feel quite ambivalent and even tuned out of the mother and child relation, they do have ideas on how to participate and build their paternal role. They suggested being more involved in pregnancy and childbirth, creating a supportive environment for mother and child and being around when mother breastfeed their child. The American fathers in the rempel & Rempel study came to the same conclusions, but added that in order to activel support breastfeeding they needed to become breastfeeding-wise. A large quantitative study amongst over 50,000 Swedish fathers showed that  having a job and being in the more financially privileged part of society as well as using paternity leave were important factors in prediction breastfeeding duration.
Flacking R, Fiona Dykes F, Ewald U: The influence of fathers’ socioeconomic status and paternity leave on breastfeeding duration: A population-based cohort study. Scand J Public Health, 2010 38: 337-343
Cleide M. Pontes CM, Mônica M. Osório MM, Aline C. Alexandrino AC: Building a place for the father as an ally for breast feeding. Midwifery, 2009, 25(2):195-202
Rempel LA, Rempel JK: The Breastfeeding Team: The Role of Involved Fathers in the Breastfeeding Family J Hum Lact 0890334410390045, first published on December 20, 2010