Hello, I wanted to ask the dads their opinion. My DH was away because of work and just returned a couple of weeks ago. DD is 3 months. He is great with her but is feeling left out because she cries and he can't soothe her - most of the time she wants to nurse. He thinks she is crying because she doesn't want to be held by him.
He gives her a bottle when I am away, but it is rare. I wanted to know how other dads feel about soothing and not having the "tools" that moms have.
Re: boob envy?
A friend of ours was in the same situation where her husband was going to be away for work for about a month soon after the baby was born for work.
She started using a breast pump and feeding from a bottle pretty early to get their son used to it. Once her husband got back, he was able to step right in and get the bottle in there.
I would say at this point, it is clearly too late to take preemptive measures. I suppose he will just have to be patient.
That would be hard for me. Right from the start, within the first five hours our boy was born, I was skin to skin with him. I still do that with him once a day, normally later at night when my wife gets some solid shut eye. I do the 11:00 feeding with him, and I do that skin to skin.
My wife pumps aftre every feeding, so normally I can take two feeding off her plate that way.
He still needs his mommy for the majority of the feedings, but he knows that he still can find comfort with daddy when mommy is not there. He is only 3 weeks old and already my wife has left the house to get away from it all for a few hours 2 times.
Skin to skin can work some magic...
I assume you are topless at this time?
Skin to skin...both baby and myself, topless.
My DH gives a bottle a day, but I will suggest skin ti skin. Thanks!