Expectant Fathers’ and Mothers’ Perceptions of Breastfeeding and Formula Feeding: A Focus Group Study in Three US Cities

The objective of the current study was to better understand how pregnant women and male partners conceptualize infant feeding and support for breastfeeding. Information was collected through 18 focus group interviews in 3 major US cities. There were 121 focus group participants of varying professions and income levels. Half were African American and half were Caucasian. Pregnant women and male partners had favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding, but did not articulate specific benefits to mothers or infants. Men expressed empathy for their partners’ pregnancies and deferred to their partners’ feeding decisions. Both groups disapproved of breastfeeding in public. Women voiced concerns about father-infant bonding more than men did. Both groups emphasized fathers’ support of the infant, but not of the mother. Educators and practitioners may wish to consider expectant couples’ perceptions of breastfeeding in public, knowledge of breastfeeding laws, and expectations of father-mother and father-infant relationships in their approach to breastfeeding promotion among expectant couples.