In line with this celebration, let me share some of the common myths on breastfeeding from the book i got from TBAN (Embracing Families, Gift of Love 2013. Written by Dr. Jack Newman).
Many women do not produce enough milk.
Fact: The vast majority of women produce more than enough milk. Indeed, an overabundance of milk is common. Most babies that gain too slowly or lose weight, do so not because the mother does not have enough milk, but because the baby does not get the milk that the mother has. The usual reason is due to poor latching.
It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt.
Fact: Though some tenderness during the first few days is relatively common, this should be a temporary situation which lasts only a few days and should never be so bad that the mother dreads nursing. Any pain that is more than mild is abnormal and is almost always due to the baby latching on poorly.
A breastfeeding baby needs extra water in hot weather.
Fact: Breastmilk contains all the water a baby needs.
Breastmilk does not contain enough iron for the baby's needs.
Fact: Breastmilk contains just enough iron for the baby's needs. If the baby is full term, he will get enough iron from breastmilk to last him at least the first 6 months. Formulas contain too much iron, but this quantity may be necessary to ensure the baby absorbs enough to prevent iron deficiency. The iron in formula is poorly absorbed, and most of it, the baby poops out. Generally, there is no need to add other foods to breastmilk before about 6 months of age.
Women with small breasts produce less milk than those with large breasts.
Fact: Nonsense!
Modern formulas are almost the same as breast-milk.
Fact: The same claim was made in 1900 and before. Modern formulas are only superficially similar to breastmilk. Every correction of a deficiency in formulas is advertised as and advance. Fundamentally formulast are inexact copies based on outdated and incomplete knowledge of what breastmilk is. Formula contain no antibodies, no living cells, no enzymes, no hormones. They contain much more aluminum, manganese, cadmium and iron than breastmilk.They contain significantly more protein than breastmilk. The proteins and fats are fundamentally different from those in breastmilk. Formulas do no vary from the beginning of the feed to the end of the feed, or from day 1 to day 30, or from woman to woman, or from baby to baby. Your breastmilk is made as required to suit your baby. Formulas succeed only at making babies grow well, usually, but there is more to breastfeeding than getting the baby to grow quickly.
If the mother has an infection she should stop breastfeeding.
Fact: With very, very few exceptions, the mother's continuing to breastfeed will protect the baby. By the time the mother has fever (or cough, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, etc) she has already given the baby the infection, since she has been infectious for several days before she even knew she was sick. The baby's best protection against getting the infection is for the mother to continue breastfeeding. If the baby does get sick, he will be less sick if the mother continues breastfeeding. Breast infections, including breast abscess, though painful, are not reasons to stop breastfeeding. Indeed, the infection is likely to settle more quickly if the mother continues breastfeeding on the affected side.
If the baby has diarrhea or vomiting, the mother should stop breastfeeding.
Fact: The best medicine for a baby's gut infection is breastfeeding. Stop other foods for a short time, but continue breastfeeding. Breastmilk is the only fluid your baby requires when he has diarrhea and/or vomiting, except under exceptional circumstances. If lactose intolerance is a problem, the baby can receive lactase drops, available without prescription, just before or after feeding, but this is rarely necessary in breastfeeding babies. Get information on its use from the clinic. Lactose free formula is not better than breastfeeding.
A breastfeeding mother has to be obsessive about what she eats.
Fact: A breastfeeding mother should try to eat a balanced diet, but neither needs to eat any special foods nor avoid certain foods. A breastfeeding mother does not need to drink milk in order to make milk. A breastfeeding mother does not need to avoid spicy foods, garlic, cabbage or alcohol. A breastfeeding mother should eat a normal healthful diet. Although there are situations when something the mother eats may affect the baby.
A breastfeeding mother has to drink lots of fluids.
Fact: The mother should drink according to her thirst. Some mothers feel they are thirsty all the time, but many others do not drink more than usual. The mother's body knows if she needs more fluids, and tells her by making her feel thirsty. Do not believer that you have to drink at least a certain number of glasses a day.
A breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk.
Fact: Women on even very low calorie diets usually make enough milk, at least until the mother's calorie intake becomes critically low for a prolonged period of time. Generally, the baby will get what he needs. Some women worry that if they eat poorly for a few days will affect their milk. Such variations will not affect milk supply or quality. It is commonly said that women need to eat 500 extra calories a day in order to breastfeed. This is not true. Some women do eat more when they breastfeed, but others do not, and some even eat less,without any harm done to the mother or baby or milk supply.
Breastfeeding does not provide any protection against becoming pregnant.
Fact: It is not a foolproof method, but no method is. In fact, breastfeeding is not a bad method of child spacing, and gives reliable protection especially during the first 6 months after birth. It is almost as good as the pill if the baby is under 6 months of age, if breastfeeding is exclusive, and if the mother has not yet had a normal menstrual period after giving birth. After the first six months, the protection is less, but still present, and on average, women breastfeeding into the second year of life will have a baby every 2 to 3 years even without any artificial method of contraception.
The best way to protect against another pregnancy is to breastfeed
exclusively at least every four hours around the clock, without using
any supplements or pacifiers. Doing so can be a very effective method of
birth control, as effective as using birth control pills.[Source]
There is no such thing as nipple confusion.
Fact: A baby who is only bottle fed for the first two weeks of life, for example, will usually refuse to take the breast, even if the mother has an abundant supply. A baby who has had only the breast for 3 or 4 months is unlikely to take the bottle. Some babies prefer the right or left breast to the other. Bottle-fed babies often prefer one artificial nipple to another. So there is such a thing as preferring one nipple to another. The only question is how quickly it can occur. Given the right set of circumstances, the preference can occur after one or two bottles. The baby having difficulties latching on may never have had an artificial nipple, but the introduction of an artificial nipple rarely improves the situation, and often makes it much worse. Note that many who say there is no such thing as nipple confusion also advise the mother to start a bottle early so that the baby will not refuse it.
Women with flat or inverted nipples cannot breastfeed.
Fact: Babies do not breastfeed on nipples, they breastfeed on the breast. Though it may be easier for a baby to latch on to a breast with a prominent nipple, it is not necessary for nipples to stick out. A proper start will usually prevent problems and mothers with any shaped nipples can breastfeed perfectly adequately. In the past, a nipple shield was frequently suggested to get the baby to take the breast. This gadget should not be used, especially in the first few days. Though it may seem a solution, its use often result in poor feeding and severe weight loss, and makes it even more difficult to get the baby to take the breast. If the baby does not take the breast at first, with proper help, he will often take the breast later. Breast also change in the first few weeks, and as long as the mother maintains a good milk supply, the baby will usually latch on, sooner or later.
A woman who becomes pregnant must stop breastfeeding.
Fact: If the mother and child desire, breastfeeding can continue. There are women who continue nursing the older child even after delivery of the new baby. Many mother do decide to stop nursing when they become pregnant because their nipples are sore, or for other reasons, but there is no rush nor medical necessity to do so. In fact, there are often good reasons to continue. The milk supply may decrease during pregnancy, but if the baby is taking other foods, this is not a problem.
Breastfeeding a child until 3 or 4 years of age is abnormal and bad for the child, causing an overdependent relationship between mother and child.
Fact: Breastfeeding for 2-4 years was the rule in most cultures since the beginning of human time on this planet. Only in the last 100 years of so has breastfeeding been seen as something to be limited. Children nursed into the third year are not overly dependent. On the contrary, they tend to be very secure and thus more independent. They themselves will make the step to stop breastfeeding (with gentle encouragement from the mother), and thus will be secure in their accomplishment.
If the baby is off the breast for a few days (weeks), the mother should not restart breastfeeding because the milk sours.
Fact: The milk is as good as it ever was.
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