If your significant other is wondering how he’ll bond with baby if you’re breastfeeding and doing all of the feedings, don’t worry, there are still plenty of things that can be done between the two of them to foster bonding. We were going to wait at least six weeks to introduce a bottle to our little one so we wouldn’t interfere with her ability to breastfeed, but we had to do so sooner, so my husband was able to take part in feedings early on. But, here are some additional things he does to ensure that he is getting plenty of bonding time with baby too.
He’s Not Afraid of the Moby Wrap: In the mornings, my husband will put our little one in the Moby wrap (before he gets his suit on). He’ll make himself breakfast, have coffee, and watch the news all while she chills with him. I’ll try to get a few more minutes of sleep and then he’ll hand her off to me to feed while he gets ready for work.
After Work Walks: When the weather was nice, my husband would take our daughter for walks in the evenings (also wearing the Moby). This would give me some time to take a bath or do some things around the house and he’d get some special time with her.
Helping Out With Baths: If I can, I often times wait to bathe our little one until the evening. This way, my husband can be a part of bath time. He’ll help out with the bath and then get her jammies ready before we settle in for her nighttime feed.
Floor Time/Tummy Time: After supper and on the weekends, my husband will get down on the floor with our little one and spend some time playing with her. It was during this floor time play time that my husband got our daughter to laugh for the first time.
Diaper Changes: My husband still struggles with poopy diapers, but he’s a champ with the wet ones. He’ll pluck my daughter up on the changing table, allow her to kick her legs freely while he talks to her, and then change her diaper. These few minutes add up to precious little moments that he’s able to coo and smile along with her.
By Holly M.
BabyChatter Contributor
