How supportive is your dh, bf etc of you nursing???

Just curious about everyones experiences.  With my first 2 I excluisvely Bf.  This one, because I have 2 older kids and maybe I am being selfish, but I wanted to supplement with formula as well.  Long story short, DH looked at me like I had lost my mind and proceeded to inform me that he did not want that at all, he wanted the baby to nurse only because it is best for the baby. Dont know if I should be mad or happy lol.  I dont know if we are going to be able to bf this time because I had augmentation with a lift.  Any thoughts or experiences?

[AHP84]

I've been exclusively breastfeeding and my son is nine months old. Recently, he's become much more interested in solids and table food than nursing, and only nurses about once or twice a day anymore, sometimes three times a day, but that's rare. Because of this, my supply is diminishing quickly. I used to produce an average of 15 ounces in 10 hours, and within a week, I'm hardly producing six ounces in that timeframe (I work full time and I pump at work). I'm wondering if I'll make it breastfeeding him until 12 months, which is my goal, so I can get him on rice milk (he has a milk allergy that causes him to break out in a rash and hives). I told my husband this the other night; we may need to consider formula for the last few months before he turns 12 months old--which would mean we'd need to probably use Nutrimigen (very expensive) because I don't want to use soy based formula.
His response? Well, he actually cringed and made a disgusted sound and simply replied, "Can't you just do something to up your supply again? I don't want him drinking formula if we can avoid it. That stuff is NASTY."
Lol, now I know the only reason he's referring to it as "nasty" is because we occasionally get nursery duty at church with the babies, and the ones who are formula fed have the absolute WORST smelling spit up that literally makes my husband gag, lol.
But I will admit, I am trying to keep my supply up since he said that. I was almost feeling a sense of freedom, knowing the breastfeeding days are coming to a close soon, and maybe sooner than I think. Not that I don't enjoy breastfeeding--I couldn't be happier that I could exclusively breastfeed my son for this long, as I could not with my first son; I had to supplement with formula for my first son. But being a full time working mom, sometimes spending up to three hours a day hooked up to a pump and always feeling hungry because I'm literally sucking out half the calories of everything I eat, breastfeeding is probably one of the most demanding and time consuming things I do as a parent. On top of that, my baby still doesn't sleep through the night and is up every two hours or less...so needless to say, I'm exhausted! So the temptation to give up breastfeeding is a struggle for me, but eventually, the guilt always gets to me, and the rewarding feeling along with keeping it up, and it keeps me going.
I don't know how the next few months are going to turn out, but I know if we end up needing formula for a couple of months, my husband is probably not going to be happy about it, but I do know that he'll be supportive, and that's all that matters to me.
Good luck to you!

[jenstam]

My husband is very supportive of my breastfeeding our son, who will have his FIRST birthday in less than three weeks! I've successfully nursed both of my boys for 11+ months. I think this baby will actually go beyond 12 months but we will see what my supply does. I have four daughters from a previous marriage and my ex husband was not supportive at all, and I bottle fed (regret!). The support a woman has to breastfeed has a huge impact on the outcome! Good luck with your continued nursing and glad to hear there are other men out there who are supporting and interested in how their babies are fed!

[KarenDiane]

My husband has been very supportive. He was also supportive when I formula fed my other kids. I think it's important for them to be supportive either way.

[Clysta]

My husband has been very supportive of my breastfeeding as well. Once when I suggested formula he gave me a disgusted look and refused, knowing that breast milk is better for her. I'm glad he's the way he is about it, because it helps to keep me going when it gets hard. If he didn't care either way I would have given up weeks ago, and regretted it for a long time after.

[KarenDiane]

I hope I don't sound horrible, but I can't understand when some of you say that your DH, BF, etc. refuses to let your baby drink formula. I don't see how they can make you breastfeed.

[Clysta]

He does it because he knows it's not what I really want and knows if he lets me stop that I would be upset. I detest formula, and find it to be a poor substitution if my body is able to give something better to her (not to be rude to anyone who chooses it, this is just my opinion) but when I'm exhausted it's hard to remember why I hate it.

[nola0805]

I think it is easy for your DH to say he does want supplementation but in the end he is not the one that has to do all of the breastfeeding.  We all know that there are many advantages to exclusive breastfeeding but each person has to make the choices that are the best for themselves and their families, and often supplementing is not even a choice.  If supplementing means that you are better able to breastfeed and breastfeed longer, then don't think twice.  And, I know a million people that were formula fed (myself included) who turned out just fine.  

I actually had the opposite problem. In the early days my milk supply was low and I had to supplement a little because my son was losing too much weight.  Once we were back on track my DH would still worry about the baby and would want to supplement.  He also loved being able to participate by giving our son a bottle and being able to give me a break from time to time.  I used to yell at him for giving our son a bottle in the early mornings (I was panicked that he would prefer the bottle).  When he realized how I felt he stopped and things are better now (except for the fact that my son will now not take a bottle at all and I start work in 2 weeks).

[KarenDiane]

Thanks nola, you hit the nail on the head. I would have some not so kind words for my hubby if he told me I wasn't allowed to supplement. I don't see him getting up every 2 hours all night long or eating dinner after it's gotten cold because the baby was hungry. I haven't supplemented yet, but if I need to, no one is going to tell me I can't.

[zazou]

My husband was and still is very supportive (I'm still BF with my daughter being 16 months). He has never told me not to supplement, we've both given it a try especially when I was about to start working FT (didn't work out) but he has always told me that I should do what I think is best and if that meant supplement, he would support me.

[Diane1003]

I am now EBF baby number two and for my husband I think it's a matter of what's quick/easy and cheap...    oh - and what's best for the baby.  it also means he doesn't have to wake in the middle of the night...   He's supportive of me breast feeding. we have never discussed supplementing with formula.

[Ladybugbc]

I am exclusively breast feeding my 6months old and I am so thankful to my DH for encouraging me to do that.
In the first few months I was in so much pain with episiotomy, tearing and had a slow recovery. On top of that my son would pull away from the breast and cry half way through nursing and every body around me said that was because my supply was low. It was so dishartening and there were days I almost supplemented him with formula. But DH gently put it off saying let's wait it out just today and if it goes on tomorrow we'll supplement.
He knew how important it was for me to be able to breast feed my son and avoided me doing some thing I didn't really want to at a point I was not able to think straight.

Eventually I figured out the problem was not with my supply; the culprit was reflux.
Since we have talked obout this through out the pregnancy he knew how I felt about it and I am so thankful he was there to guide me when I was so vulnerable and could have done some thing I didn't want to out of desperation.

I also would like to add I have no problem with any one who chooses to supplement. No one can MAKE you breast feed if you don't want to. I have a cousin of mine who chose not to breast feed as her husband was not comfortable her "exposing" her breast all the time.
Ultimately the decision should be yours not any body elses.

[zazou]

Where the people telling you that your baby was crying because you had low milk supply those that actually encourage breastfeeding?? I had always negative comments from women who were either unsuccessful breasfeeding and these included people who were too lazy to wake up at night to BF or wanted to get back to smoking, thus it was too inconvenient to BF. I have no problem with supplementing, it's every one for their own.

[Michele, Katy, TX]

Well, I have one son from a previous marriage and 5 daughters w/ my current husband.  I have breastfed all of my kids but the time period has varied for different circumstances.  But my husband is very supportive.  Since he doesn't have any previous children, my husband knows nothing else but breastfeeding.  I am not supplementing now, but had to with previous children because I was working and my supply eventually went down.  I would pump at work, but my supply would normally diminish and I'd have no choice but to supplement just for my babies to get their nutrients.

I have to say that my husband recently read an article about breastfeeding for the first year.  Geez, I'm glad he didn't read that article before he did.  LOL!!  I totally respect my husband's opinion, but I do pull rank where the kids are concerned.  I am generally the person that makes the decisions where the kids are concerned and my husband is just fine with that.  He says that he trusts me completely so he just goes along with whatever I say.  And as others have said, my husband is NOT the one going through what I am going through either (as you know from my recent thread).  My husband may work a lot and not get a lot of sleep at times, BUT what he does get, he gets uninterrupted and not with a baby sucking on him all night!  So he really isn't allowed to tell me what to do if you know what I mean.  Like I said, I love my husband and respect his opinion, but in the end, I strongly feel like the decision is mine.  When he can grow breasts and we can take turns, I will be more than happy to be more compromising on this topic :)

[Ladybugbc]

zazou: Everyone except my MIL had supplemented with formula for their children. They kept saying "he's a boy so he must be hungry".. but MIL was a "milk machine" in her days.
She breastfed my husband for 5 (yes..five) frickin years and his sister for another 5yrs and could express enough to fill a cup in a few minutes. ahhh..how I hate those stories!!

Michcle: You made me laugh out loud "When he can grow breasts and we can take turns, I will be more than happy to be more compromising on this topic" .. LOVE IT!!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

Thanks Lady :)  

Wow, 5 years!!!  That is too long for me!!!

[30something13]

I know two woman who have had breast agmentation, one was partial with a lift and one was a full boob job and neither of them had trouble with nursing their babies. The only prblem is if the dr did not do what he was supposed to do and went to deep causing scaring to the milk ducts but that is rare and worth being sued if he did!

My Dh was for it and does not agree with formula unless there is a medical condition why mom cna not BF. I am the same way. His first wife had to go on meds for crohns but I think it was just so she did nto hvae to get up at night! She alwasys made him once she got on meds do the night feedings and also would drug them with benadrl so make them sleep. Bad mom!!!

I think that dads have the right to make decisions about feeding as much as mom does. But with that all DH who truly love thier wives would never casue any harm emotional of phisical to mom with any decision they make. It has to be waht is best physically for both mom and baby.

[mature_enough]

My husband has been completely supportive, and I believe he would react the same way about formula. haha Well, maybe he just wants what is best for you and baby. You should be able to breastfeed even with implants (as long as they were not injections, which are illegal now) but if you have implants they shouldn't affect your milk ducts too much. You may have a lower supply at first and have to supplement if the baby begins to lose weight, but every time you give your baby formula (assuming you will need to) pump too. So that your milk supply will increase instead of decrease. Good luck sister and congratulations on your choice to try, and for succeeding with your other children.