So, I was excited last night about all the discussion we had here yesterday about adoptive breastfeeding and went home and explained it to my husband and he isn't being very supportive about it. This is something I can not do without his support obviously so I'm pretty crushed. He thinks it seems like a lot of hassle when we can just formula feed. I explained the benefits to him and still is not on board. Oh well, I tried.
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Re: DH not on board
I'm sorry to hear that.
Why can't you do it without his support?
And why does he think it's a hassle, if he's not the one doing it?
Formula feeding is much more of a hassle for the husband. My best friend who is starting to wean her baby says that washing all of the bottles is such a pain. Breastfeeding was hard to get a hang of for her, but once she did it was easy, a great experience, and didn't require lots of clean up like bottle feeding.
I understand (sort of) if your DH is simply uncomfortable with the idea of you breastfeeding an adopted child. However, if his reasoning is really that it's a hassle, that makes no sense. You are the one who is going to have to do everything with breastfeeding, so it shouldn't matter to him if that's what you want to do!
I'm sorry! How frustrating.
But I wouldn't just give up. Give him some time to think about it. My husband was a little weird about me bfing my DS past one, but he came around, and same with bfing the next baby...
I just have to say something about the argument about FF being more work for the husband. Sure--you could look at it that way..but..Breastfeeding--in way creates exclusivity for the woman and the child to bond, whereas FF creates an equal opportunity for both parents to feed the child, spend time with them--and bond. Also you are correct breastfeeding (not pumping and storing) absolutely creates more work for the woman! She has to get up in the middle of the night,
It's completely interesting to me, that in this instance breastfeeding would be brought up as this beautiful--wonderful experience--for the mother. But FF is thought of as "Work" for the father.
Shouldn't simply the act of feeding the child--no matter HOW it is done--be a beautiful experience--for both parents?
well said!