A California dad went above and beyond to support his breastfeeding partner.
Cee Grant and Chris Lopez have a 3-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter. On Thursday, Lopez shared a sweet Facebook post about her partner’s dedication and support during her breastfeeding journey ― complete with an adorable “Billy Madison”-esque moment.
“This dude right here is the real deal,” Lopez wrote. The mom explained that when she had her son, she only breastfed for four months, as she felt too insecure to nurse in public and didn’t have a strong support system. But when she was pregnant with her daughter last year, she told Grant that she needed his support and encouragement to reach her breastfeeding goals.
“And boy has he come through,” the mom added. “There has def been a few times where I was ready to give up and he didn’t let me. From 1 a.m. trips to Walgreens for nipple shields to scrubbing gentian Violet off the bathroom counter, he has done things so much differently for me this time around and it has helped me succeed in so many ways. He is sometimes the biggest pain in my ass but more times he is my biggest fan and supporter.”
Lopez explained that earlier that day, she and Grant ran a few errands with the kids. “I didn’t have pads on and leaked out in public. Of course I didn’t have anything to cover it and my hair is not in any condition to be worn down so this dude grabs a napkin & water and dabs his nipple so I wouldn’t be alone,” she wrote.
The sweet story appeared on the popular Facebook page Breastfeeding Mama Talk, where it reached more than 5,000 likes.
Lopez told HuffPost she’s passionate about nursing and even created a breastfeeding-themed Instagram account called @boobelife, which has almost 5,000 followers.
“Every day we acknowledge and recognize breastfeeding mothers, but when my partner wet his nipples so that I wouldn’t be alone the other day, it really gave me this epiphany moment,” she explained. “I realized how much his support has done for me the second time around breastfeeding and I realize that I haven’t acknowledged the supporters of breastfeeding as much as I do the mothers who breastfeed.”
When Lopez had her first child, Grant was facing a substance abuse battle. “I was very alone and didn’t have his support as he was dealing with his own life issues,” said the mom.
“But I am so blessed that he was able to overcome his battles, and when we had our second child, I expressed to him how much I needed him,” she added. “He has shown up for me and our family 100 percent, and it has made all the difference in my successful breastfeeding journey.”
Lopez also explained that Grant grew up in the foster care system without a mother or father. “He didn’t have a clue where to start when it came to being a great parent or supporting me and breastfeeding because he never knew or saw any of that growing up,” she said. “But what I want all fathers to know is they don’t need to know how to be a good parent or breastfeeding supporter. They just have to make the choice to do it, and that’s good enough.”
The mom emphasized the importance of communicating your breastfeeding goals to your loved ones and asking for their help and encouragement.
“Make sure to know that when you have moments of embarrassment like leaking out in public, they’re going to have your back,” said Lopez. “That will make all the difference in succeeding at breastfeeding.”
