How Partners Can Help with Breastfeeding and Pumping

How Partners Can Help with Breastfeeding and Pumping - BeauGen Mom

Helpful Hints for involving partners in the process of feeding baby.

For many first time parents, breastfeeding or breast pumping, can feel like a one person job - an overwhelming one person job. While only one of you might be producing milk, there are ways that both parents can be involved in the process of feeding your baby. 

Having partners help with the breastfeeding or pumping process is not only good for mom, who quite often needs an extra hand. It is also good for your partner as it brings you closer to your partner, and it brings them closer to your baby. When mom is doing all of the feeding, the holding, and everything else that goes along with breastfeeding, your partner can miss out on wonderful opportunities to bond with your baby. 

In this blog and video, we explore some helpful hints and tips to help invite partners into the breastfeeding or breast pumping process. 

Tips for Inviting Your Partner into the Breastfeeding Process

Be a Helping Hand

Carrying the baby around for mom while she pumps, or takes a minute for herself is a great way to help out. Partners get great one on one time with the baby and mom can get some things done for herself. Slings or baby carriers are a great option to use here.  

Rub a Dub Dub

Giving baby a bath is not only crossing another chore off of mom’s to do list, it’s a great bonding experience for partners and babies. Another option here is to give the baby a gentle and soothing massage. Either a bath or a massage can help to calm baby down and smooth over the bedtime routine for mom.

Settling the Baby

Babies can smell mom’s milk and know when mom is holding them. When your partner takes baby, they can help to settle your baby down easier or faster. And let’s face it, less time crying makes for less stress all around the family. 

Cleaning and Sterilizing

One major chore that all pumping moms face is the cleaning and sterilization of their breast pump parts. The last thing moms want to do at the end of the day is this time intensive task. While mom might be the one using the pump, this is a great time and place for partners to jump in and help out.  

Diaper Duty

This one might sound simple, but it is very much appreciated by moms everywhere. One less diaper to change means one more minute to herself. One less diaper to change means one less baby wrangling session. Changing one diaper here and there doesn’t take much, but it makes a big impact for mom.

Feeding Baby

If mom is pumping or expressing milk, the physical act of feeding your baby can be handled by your partner. Depending on the timing this means mom can pump hands free, or be free to go run an errand, catch a nap or run a load of laundry.  Feeding the baby is also another great way for partners to bond with their baby.  

Bring Mom a Snack or a Glass of Water

Breastfeeding and pumping is hard word. It literally requires energy and takes a lot out of a mom’s body. Snacks and extra water not only help keep mom happy, they help keep her healthy and maintain her milk supply as well. So when mom is settled in and feeding or pumping for the baby, grab her something that will help her out. This is also a great way to get siblings involved in helping mom to care for the baby. 

Taking on Additional Chores

From doing the laundry to vacuuming, helping breastfeeding moms tackle the household chores goes a long way. A new baby adds a laundry list of to do’s for moms. Having a partner or older siblings that help out by taking on new responsibilities makes a dramatic impact for mom and her stress level. 

Breastfeeding or breast pumping, like the rest of parenting, really can be a team sport.  It dramatically helps to have a partner involved in the process to alleviate time spent caring for your baby and your home, as well as the stress and strain that can accompany it.  For more videos and blog posts like this one, you can check out our Express Yourself Channel on YouTube.  

Watch the short video or continue reading the blog post for easy and effective ways to invite your partner into the process of feeding your baby. 

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