Who would have thought there could be two people battling over… your boobs? Yea, I said ‘boobs’. Strange, isn’t it? But it is possible that one day your husband (who may originally have been the number one advocate for breastfeeding in the household) would suggest that you should give up nursing. Confused, you may wonder where this is coming from. Well, your husband misses having you to himself! It can and does happen that your other half is jealous of the intimacy you have with your baby, and may fear that he can no longer share that part of you.

While you may not feel the same, Daddy may be all about introducing a bottle to your baby just after a few months. You don’t have to cave immediately, nor do you have to attack him for these feelings. Remember, parenting is new to the both of you, and having someone new in the family, who takes up so much of the attention, can be hard on both of you. Talk about the reason for his suggestion and see what steps you can take that will suit all of you.

Before you make accusations, make sure Daddy isn’t just jealous that you are the only one feeding the baby. If this is the case, you can extract (pump) milk and let him experience feeding your newborn as well.

Also, don’t assume that your husband has ‘boob jealousy’. Your husband may suggest you consider switching over to formula for other reasons as well. One of which can be his acknowledgment that breastfeeding is tiring (which it is!) and you are stretching yourself too thin. If this is the case, you may want to listen to the logic behind this idea and consider your options. You can try and rest more, or depending on your baby’s age and nutritional needs you may consider increasing the amount of milk or even introduce solid foods. Certainly if you have doubts about what is best for your baby you can always consult your doctor in effort to find the best solution for you and your baby.