Men photographed 'breastfeeding' in controversial new campaign

A father of two in the US has launched a gender-bending campaign to get dads to be more involved with breastfeeding. Hector Cruz had the idea when he felt helpless while his wife, Nicole, struggled to breastfeed their daughter, Sophia.

He said: 'I woke up and my wife was having so many issues with breastfeeding... visibly shaking in anticipation of the pain that was about to happen. So I started to think if I could breastfeed, would I step in for my daughter and my wife? I came to the conclusion that if I could I would. It's about doing the best possible thing we can for our kids. Showing support for every mum out there.'

As a professional photographer, Cruz decided to launch a campaign so men could show their support to their partners by photographing them holding their babies as if they were breastfeeding them, with the message 'Project Breastfeeding: If I could, I would'.

One of the subjects, Alan Bartlett, said: 'Really understanding how my wife's body works help me to understand my children and their developmental and physical needs and makes me a better father.'

Cruz adds: 'I want to de-stigmatise public breastfeeding, educate men and empower women. I want to get education and support for fathers and helping them understand what a vital role they play with the breastfeeding journey with their spouses, partners and children.'

The value of this support is backed by a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report from 2013 which states that women are more successful at nursing when they are supported by the fathers.

For more information on the campaign, visit http://projectbreastfeeding.com/

Would your partner have breastfed if they could have? Would your partner pose for a photograph like this? Would your partner attend/have attended breastfeeding support classes? Let us know in the comments area below.

Where to next? Breastfeeding myths explained 20 ways to prepare for having kids The photos every mum needs on her phone