Breastfeeding is considered the healthiest option for newborn babies and infants. That is why medical recommendations promote breastfeeding for at least the first six months after the baby is born (Sobonya). However, many women struggle to determine whether to breastfeed, and their partners’ support plays a crucial role in their final decision (Sobonya). Father’s positive attitude towards breastfeeding helps the mother initiate breastfeeding and consider its duration. Moreover, fathers who learn more technical information about the process and challenges it possesses become more supportive husbands, which is good for relationships.
Several ways help encourage fathers to support their partners’ breastfeeding initiatives. They concern with more extensive topic coverage on social media as well as Best for Babies Foundation interviews on men giving breastfeeding support to their partners (Sobonya). La Leche League meetings may also help fathers understand the importance of breastfeeding their babies and become more supportive. However, not everyone may overcome the major concerns related to the process of breastfeeding, which negatively influences their attitude toward it and may even cause arguments between spouses. These fears are usually related to the men feeling left out or to their fear of emerging complications in relationships with their partners (Sobonya). Moreover, many men are against breastfeeding because of the extreme sexualization of the process since they consider that their partners may become objects for sexual assault by other men. As a result, they feel uncomfortable or overprotective because they do not want someone else to see their partners while breastfeeding.
There also exist several challenges related to breastfeeding or chestfeeding that transgender men encounter. They usually regard the lack of knowledge on the issue that prevents society from the adequate perception of chestfeeding in transgender men, though, during the past decade, the situation has slightly improved (Sobonya). However, more open and direct conversation on the matter of potential pregnancy for transgender people may become the way to fight the stigma.
Work Cited
Sobonya, Sarah. “Making Room for Daddy: Fathers and Breastfeeding in the United States” Gender in Cross-cultural Perspective, Routledge, 2017, pp. 588-602.