Although breastfeeding may be the best form of infant nutrition and be an important practice for mother and infant, it may be perceived as negative by the father and thus inhibit the development of the father-infant relationship. This study provides a summary of data from a longitudinal study of the male experience of expectant and new parenthood, and a summary of the literature on breastfeeding and fathers. Fathers' concerns about breastfeeding included the lack of opportunity to develop a relationship with their child, feeling inadequate, and being separated from their mate by the baby. The professional literature fails adequately to represent the negative aspects of breastfeeding for fathers. The parents' literature contains one father's candid and humorous account that caregivers might use, together with other techniques, to make parents aware of these aspects.
Breastfeeding is the best form of infant nutrition for mother and infant, but because it perpetuates the exclusive mother-infant relationship that existed during pregnancy, the father may feel excluded, jealous, and resentful to the detriment of breastfeeding success and the adult couple relationship. Supporting the father during breastfeeding may help improve the mother's satisfaction with breastfeeding, duration of breastfeeding, and adaptation of both parents to parenting. This paper provides recommendations for education and support related to breastfeeding based on recent research findings on the male experience of expectant and new parenthood. Recommendations based on these findings focus on anticipatory guidance about breastfeeding, anticipatory guidance to support the adult couple relationship during the transition to parenthood, and ways to enhance the father-infant relationship.
The authors review the experiences of 11 mother-infant pairs who had breastfeeding problems related to the infants' mandibular asymmetry. Lower jaw asymmetry is an early identifiable sign of torticollis, and a possible contributor to latch difficulties, nipple pain, and poor milk transfer. Pediatricians and lactation consultants should look for signs of lower jaw asymmetry combined with a preference for turning the head to one side in newborns who present with breastfeeding difficulties. By recognizing these anatomic irregularities early in the course of breastfeeding, pediatric health care providers will be able to treat breastfeeding problems promptly and proactively. They will be able to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions for dehydration symptoms or a septic workup and will intervene quickly with the recommendation of breast pumping and complementary feeding if milk transfer is not occurring.
Migraine headaches affect 19 percent of adult women. A small group of these migraine sufferers also are breastfeeding mothers. Although a correlation has not been documented in the literature, some women have noted that the onset, frequency, or pattern of their migraine headaches changes during lactation. Lactation consultants can provide education and support to breastfeeding women suffering from migraine. They also are in an excellent position to add case studies to the scientific database about this phenomenon.
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