Dear Lactnetters,
     I was thinking (fuming!) about the increasingly widespread idea that babies need to be given bottles by their fathers, otherwise the poor Dads are being "deprived" of a bonding opportunity.  (Ideas we know aren't true, but spread like rumours!)
    Do any of you who take ante-natal classes and encounter parents who have planned for the baby to have a regular bottle so that Dad can give it ("to bond", or "to give Mum a rest") ever follow up on these parents?  It would be interesting to see some studies done of the outcome at (say) 6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months.  What I'm thinking should be asked, besides looking at obvious things such as breastfeeding duration and socio-economic factors, is - who ends up giving the bottles after the novelty wears off?  Are mothers really being "given a break", or are they ending up taking on giving the bottle, too?
    It would be kind of nice to know what actually is happening, in a variety of communities, as it could provide some evidence-based information useful in discussions with parent-to--be.  Just an idea.
    Cheers,
         Virginia
         in Brisbane,
         Queensland

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