Looking back on those early weeks of breastfeeding, I can (now) admit that I was pretty clueless. I mean, I was trying (oh man, was I trying) but there was so much to learn, and so little time to learn it. I can only imagine how overwhelmed my partner must have felt. I mean, on top of figuring out a newborn, I was also asking him to help me figure out breastfeeding. Thankfully, he was up for the challenge, and before long, he was showing me that he was figuring out all the things every grown-ass man should know about breastfeeding. He was helping me with latching, grabbing the nursing pillow from the other room at regularly scheduled intervals, bringing me food and drinks, and positioning the baby in my lap.
On the surface, it can seem like breastfeeding is strictly between mom and baby, but my partner was quick to prove otherwise, staying right by my side the whole time (okay, maybe not the whole time, a man’s gotta sleep and I get that) and really reminding that feeding your baby, whether it's with a breast or a bottle, is a team effort that both parenting partners should be involved in. Just because my cisgender, male partner couldn't experience breastfeeding for himself, didn't mean that he shouldn't know just as much as I did, about it. After all, I was feeding his baby too, and how your baby is fed should be something every parent is well versed in.
So if you're either breastfeeding or preparing to breastfeed, and want your grown-ass man to know what's involved and how he can help, make sure he knows the following: