Your partners mental health is just one of the things to consider after juniors arrival…

Post-natal health

Why does it happen and can it be treated?

What is the treatment?

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is an important part of your babies development and has many benefits so is something you should encourage your partner to try. On the downside it means you can’t feed your little one yourself but the health benefits will outweigh this one drawback no end. Obviously as you’re a “SuperDad” you’re not thinking ” At least I haven’t got to get up in the middle of the night”.

So, what are the benefits?

Benefits to your baby include help protecting them against:

• ear infections
• gastro-intestinal infections
• chest infections
• urine infections
• childhood diabetes
• eczema
• obesity
• asthma.

Benefits to your partner include help protectring them against:

• ovarian cancer
• breast cancer
• weak bones later in life.

Other breastfeeding facts that you may find interesting are………………

1. Adults who were breastfed as babies have IQ’s 5.2 points higher than those who were bottle fed according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
2. Breastfed babies are less likely to be obese as adults
3. It’s environmentally friendly. There is no packaging, no waste and doesn’t require any power to heat up the milk.
4. It’s free and will save a family approximately £450 across the first year of your babies life.

Remember though – Not all women are able to breastfeed for one reason or another and consequently they will probably feel guilty about this. Your job as “Superdad” is to help them come to terms with this and show her that she is still a good mum. You need to point out that she is doing her best and that is all she can do.

Give mum a post-natal treat

Why not treat that new mum to a spa package? You can even get packages designed specially for new mums.

Virgin Experience Days

Some postnatal do’s and don’ts for dad that may also help mum:

• Don’t be too solution focused, in some cases just let things be.
• Do try to assist your wife, e.g. prepare, serve up, and clean up a meal at least once a week
• Don’t behave as though nothing has changed e.g. playing sport every night, going to the pub every night.
• Do be prepared to be around without actually believing you have to do stuff – this is very hard to do but your wife really values you being there
• Don’t be a wimp i.e. you need to be able to do everything your wife does except breastfeeding if she does that admittedly you’re probably not going to be as good as she is but there’s no shame in that. Giving it a go is what counts.
• Do arrange things so that your wife has the opportunity to have some free time at least once a week. You nipping out to the local with junior for a quick pint is quite acceptable.
• Don’t expect that your wife is going to be passionate about sex for a while as she’s actually going to be tired quite a lot.
• Do make time to listen to her problems. Let her know that you hear what she says, be sympathetic to her difficult experiences, and don’t come up with answers
• Do remember to include humour in your relationship and don’t let your fights (Many divorces follow the birth of a child) continue overnight.

Author: SuperDads

We’re here to make a difference. Superdads not only offers advice but we are her e to promote the importance of fatherhood. Many people are oblivious to the fact that Dads really do matter and this is something we’d like to put right.

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