A Different Dimension in Promoting Breastfeeding: Paternal Support

Paternal support is defined as the support given by a father to his wife for the care of the baby after childbirth. Paternal support has a quite significant impact on the development of positive breastfeeding behaviors. Fathers' knowledge of breastfeeding and attitudes towards breastfeeding affect mothers' breastfeeding decisions, fathers' help for the care of the babies, the housework and the mothers' responsibilities enable the mothers spend more time and energy on breastfeeding, fathers' love and encouragement towards their wives helps mothers to cope with the challenges of breastfeeding and increases their self-esteem, and hence continuing breastfeeding strengthens the bond between mother and baby. This study aims at focusing on the importance of the father support in breastfeeding process and the role and responsibilities of fathers. Baba destegi, bir babanin cocuk sahibi olduktan sonra bebegin bakimina yonelik esine verdigi destek olarak tanimlanmaktadir. Baba destegi, olumlu emzirme davranislarinin gelistirilmesinde de oldukca onemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Babanin anne sutuyle ilgili bilgisi ve emzirmeye iliskin tutumu annenin emzirme kararini etkilemekte; babanin bebek bakimi, ev isleri ve annenin sorumluluklarini paylasmasi annenin emzirmeye daha fazla zaman ve enerji harcamasini saglamakta; babanin anneye gosterdigi sevgi ve cesaret annenin emzirme surecindeki olumsuzluklarla bas edebilmesinde etkili olmakta dolayisiyla annenin ozguveni artmakta, emzirmeye devam etmekte anne bebek arasindaki bag kuvvetlenmektedir. Bu makalede emzirme surecinde baba desteginin onemi, babalarin rol ve sorumluluklari uzerinde durulmasi amaclanmaktadir.