I am so excited to be sharing this with you because not a lot of people know this is even possible! These two mamas are doing amazing things for there little man. Please enjoy. ❤
My wife and I are expecting and we are planning to co-nurse our baby that is due September 4, 2018!
Co nursing was a choice that was a no brainer for me, I wanted to bond with our baby and wanted to share all the responsibilities with my wife. I have been in the process of Inducing Lactation since January 20th. I have been following the Newman Goldfarb protocol. It's important to note that the Newman Goldfarb Protocol isn't the only way to induce lactation but after extensive research, I found that the Newman Goldfarb Protocol seemed to be the most effective. It starts by "tricking your body into thinking it's pregnant" by taking a combination birth control (active only pills) and increasing your prolactin levels by taking a medication called Domperidone. The hormones each have a role to play to prepare your breasts to make milk. The protocol suggests having at least 22 to 24 weeks in preparation time, it's very important that if you decide to go with the protocol that you start as early as possible for best results. For the most up to date information I recommend visiting Dr. Jack Newman's website on inducing lactation.
For my wife and I, our goal is to co-breastfeed our baby. Since I will be staying home with my wife and the baby for the first 2 months, we plan on taking turns nursing in the beginning. Once I go back to work, I am planning on pumping at work and breastfeeding in the early mornings and evenings. My wife and I will have to pump when we aren't breastfeeding to keep our supply. I know this won't be as easy as it sounds and maybe our goals may change once the baby is here but the most important thing is that my wife and I will be working together as a team and communicating with each other. Our hope is that we find a rhythm that works for us so that we can breastfeed as long as the baby is interested. We don't have a cutoff date, and to us it doesn't matter what society feels comfortable with.
What inspired us to want to co-breastfeed was so that we could both share the bonding that comes with breastfeeding and to also share the responsibilities of motherhood. When we both became aware of inducing lactation, there was nothing else to think about for us. We knew right away that co-breastfeeding was the route we wanted to go.
This will be my wife's first time being pregnant and breastfeeding. I didn't receive as much support as I should have with our first two children with regards to breastfeeding and I found out the hard way that breastfeeding isn't always as easy or as natural as people make it seem. Luckily my wife has me. I have so much information and experience to share with her regarding breastfeeding. I also plan to be there for her every step of the way to guide and support her through this process.
I have lots of advice and tips but the most important one that I could give is to NEVER give up on a bad day! Inducing lactation is not easy and it takes time but if you focus on the reward then it will all be worth it.
Be patient! Like anything else in life…Hard work always pays off. Consistency is key!
UPDATE! Their little man has come to the world and is doing wonderful! Both mamas are taking turns cluster feeding and baby wearing. Please welcome Orion!