As an LC who came up in La Leche League working with only moms, I find I
really enjoy having the dads in my breastfeeding classes.  These guys
are the primary support system for their wives, and if (1) they are sold
on bf (and after one of *my* classes, how could they not be <BG>) and (2)
they have the same accurate information regarding breastfeeding as does
the wife, things seem to go smoother after baby's here!  And we have fun
in class!
        I give the dads "homework" or "assignments" in nearly every
segment of the class.  Warn them about postpartum blues and how vital
their support and encouragement is not only as labor coach but bf coach
and booster squad..   Give them checking chores with latch/positioning,
"feeding the baby" by rubbing between mom's shoulder blades while she
nurses and watching the baby start to gulp as the milk starts flooding
(we practice this in class, with both parents getting to be the massager
and the massagee, it's a popular activity.  I love the picture of the
milk mustache!)  The dads also seem to like the image of them as
protectors...we talk about silent signals the mom can give the dad to
let him know she's ready for him to excuse her and baby from guests for
rest or feeding.  How to handle too much "help" from relatives--these are usually first-time parents.   They will be a new family unit and each member will have specialized tasks:  mom makes and feeds milk; baby
communicates his/her needs and expects to have them met; dads are the
buffers and providers.  He can expect to assist with
housework/shopping/errands, etc for a while.  I share a serendipity I
happened across...asked my husband  somewhere around baby 2 or 3, "If I
only had time to do one thing today, what would please you the most to
see done?"  So when those kitchen counters were cleared, even if he was
knee-deep elsewhere and I was still in the nightgown I'd slept in the night before when he got home from work, he knew I'd managed to do
something I didn't care a flip about but he did....and he was lots more
likely to pitch in unasked doing other things.( Hey--worked for me!)
          We practice positioning with dolls and cloth breasts; the dads
as well as the moms (some of them are real hams and funny as all get
out!), and the rest of the class critiques...we talk about skin time for
dads, bathing, daddy neck nuzzle a la Dr. Sears,  etc. and I find the
dads add a whole new dimension and perspective to the classes.  And when
I do the breastpump show and tell, they're right there playing with all
the pumps and explaining how and why they work....sometimes I think dads
are renting pumps because they're fascinated with how they work more than
baby needs pumped milk!  I have a collection of slides showing both
correct and incorrect nursing positions and the dads seem to be more alert to subtle variations than the moms (which is good, the slides show
things the way dad will be seeing them live and in person!)  And I find
the dads are always interested in the why-things-work-this-way, which
helps them remember how to help their wives!
        At the end, we watch a segment of a video in which new *moms* are
discussing with CB instructor the realities of parenting/bf versus their
ideas of how it would be and sharing tips..I then bring this into the
class itself by having the dads replay the scenario from their
perspectives.
        I'm fortunate that the hospital where I teach will allow me to
limit classes to a max of 8 couples to allow for all this interaction.
The classes are two-nighters, and it's quite common for a mother who
came herself the first night to have her partner with her the second....
        My .02 for your consideration.....
        Karen Zeretzke, MEd, IBCLC