4 ms·

breast feeding goes on a lot longer than "the first few weeks". I'm a stay-at-home dad. I'm pretty good at it. But there are things my wife can do that I can

breast feeding goes on a lot longer than "the first few weeks". I'm a stay-at-home dad. I'm pretty good at it. But there are things my wife can do that I can't.

dagw 15y ago
Breast feeding goes on for as long as you want it to go on. I'm certainly not advocating against breast feeding, if you're medically capable to do it, enjoy it, and can fit it into your schedule then by all means breast feed away, I'm even cool with you doing it public. However using it as THE reason for mothers not going back to work and having the father stay at home is simply archaic.
- philwelch 15y ago
  You're not advocating against breast feeding, you just don't think the choice to breastfeed is a legitimate reason for the mother to be the one to stay at home? That's some double-talk there.
  - dagw 15y ago
    You shouldn't need any legitimate reason beyond "I want to" to stay at home with your kid. My point is that it is perfectly reasonable to raise a kid with out breastfeeding during the day and breastfeeding should not be used as an argument to guilt or coerce women into staying at home when they'd rather go back to work.
    - pbhjpbhj 15y ago
      Breastfeeding is better for the mother and child. Choosing not to is like choosing not to give your child a decent diet. The WHO strongly advocate breastfeeding for a minimum of 12 months. Women don't need to try to breastfeed unless they want to raise children. If you want to be "equal to a man" then don't bear children. Simples.
      - dagw 15y ago
        Choosing not to is like choosing not to give your child a decent diet. Every pediatric doctor I've spoken to on the subject disputes this as outdated. The only cases where this still holds true is in places where there is limited access to modern baby formula and clean water.
    - philwelch 15y ago
      breastfeeding should not be used as an argument to guilt or coerce women into staying at home when they'd rather go back to work I don't see anyone doing that. All I see is the notion that breastfeeding is a reason why, on aggregate, mothers choose to stay at home longer than fathers. If anything, I'm reading your attitude as a way to guilt and coerce mothers into going back to work when they'd rather stay at home.
- lotharbot 15y ago
  > "Breast feeding goes on for as long as you want it to go on." Yes -- and a lot of people want it to go on for the first year or so, because it's far and away healthier than formula. Ergo, a lot of mothers take more time off work than fathers do. Even among women who choose to go back to work, many do it only part time, because of the added time commitment of breastfeeding or pumping. This is something a stay-at-home dad simply can't replace; infant formula is a sad substitute.

breast feeding goes on a lot longer than "the first few weeks". I'm a stay-at-home dad. I'm pretty good at it. But there are things my wife can do that I can't.

dagw 15y ago

Breast feeding goes on for as long as you want it to go on. I'm certainly not advocating against breast feeding, if you're medically capable to do it, enjoy it, and can fit it into your schedule then by all means breast feed away, I'm even cool with you doing it public. However using it as THE reason for mothers not going back to work and having the father stay at home is simply archaic.

philwelch 15y ago
You're not advocating against breast feeding, you just don't think the choice to breastfeed is a legitimate reason for the mother to be the one to stay at home? That's some double-talk there.
- dagw 15y ago
  You shouldn't need any legitimate reason beyond "I want to" to stay at home with your kid. My point is that it is perfectly reasonable to raise a kid with out breastfeeding during the day and breastfeeding should not be used as an argument to guilt or coerce women into staying at home when they'd rather go back to work.
  - pbhjpbhj 15y ago
    Breastfeeding is better for the mother and child. Choosing not to is like choosing not to give your child a decent diet. The WHO strongly advocate breastfeeding for a minimum of 12 months. Women don't need to try to breastfeed unless they want to raise children. If you want to be "equal to a man" then don't bear children. Simples.
    - dagw 15y ago
      Choosing not to is like choosing not to give your child a decent diet. Every pediatric doctor I've spoken to on the subject disputes this as outdated. The only cases where this still holds true is in places where there is limited access to modern baby formula and clean water.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    breastfeeding should not be used as an argument to guilt or coerce women into staying at home when they'd rather go back to work I don't see anyone doing that. All I see is the notion that breastfeeding is a reason why, on aggregate, mothers choose to stay at home longer than fathers. If anything, I'm reading your attitude as a way to guilt and coerce mothers into going back to work when they'd rather stay at home.
lotharbot 15y ago
> "Breast feeding goes on for as long as you want it to go on." Yes -- and a lot of people want it to go on for the first year or so, because it's far and away healthier than formula. Ergo, a lot of mothers take more time off work than fathers do. Even among women who choose to go back to work, many do it only part time, because of the added time commitment of breastfeeding or pumping. This is something a stay-at-home dad simply can't replace; infant formula is a sad substitute.