Common breastfeeding myths
*Breastfeeding is much harder than bottlefeeding…Maybe in the very beginning when both mom and baby are learning and when difficulties are most likely to arise. But ultimately?! No way! No bottles to prepare, no time waiting for milk to heat up while a hungry baby cries, no washing or sanitizing (well, maybe an occasional shower!), no running to the store to buy formula…It takes exactly two seconds to pull up your shirt and pop that baby on there. You don’t even have to wake up fully for nighttime feedings.
*Breastfeeding hurts…. I’ve known so many women through the years that thought they never experienced postpartum engorgement because they were waiting for painful breasts. Yes, breasts can feel firm, full, heavy, and like they belong to someone else for a few days, but they don’t have to be painful! My experience is that most moms who have very painful engorgement just haven’t been told how to manage it. What about sore nipples? While some nipple tenderness is normal (most nipples aren’t accustomed to being sucked on 10 times per day!), prolonged soreness, extreme pain, cracked/bleeding/damaged nipples are not normal. Most damage is due to positioning/latch problems or related to oral ties. Seek the help of a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) if nipple pain is severe or unresolved after the first week.
*Many mothers do not make enough milk for their babies. Not true! Breastfeeding is a beautifully designed system of supply and demand. If a baby is nursing effectively and often, most mothers will make plenty of milk for their babies. While supplementation can be warranted occasionally, many women do so unnecessarily which causes a “slippery slope” effect of baby nursing less, so mom makes less milk, so supplementation is increased etc…If baby is not gaining weight, rather than immediately resorting to supplementing, seek the help of an experienced Lactation Consultant to help determine the cause and come up with a feeding plan to enhance the breastfeeding rather than sabotage it.
*If mom is breastfeeding, partners are left out. If this is happening, if is often due to what I refer to as “the bossy breastfeeding mom”. She knows she has the “magic boob” which will solve all the baby’s problems- whether he’s hungry, tired, bored, fussy, overstimulated, cutting a tooth…whatever. The partner doesn’t have the magic boob so mom is often hovering nearby, ready to swoop in and rescue baby so she can save the day by nursing. Partners need to find their own special ways to soothe baby (when feeding is not what the baby needs). Let them figure it out without being too quick to jump in and take over.
*If you are breastfeeding, you will be stuck at home all the time because it is too difficult or embarrassing to nurse in public. The opposite is true! Have breasts will travel. Your breasts go everywhere you do! The milk is always available, clean and hygienic, never runs out and ready to feed in an instant. You can nurse on the beach and not have to worry about how to keep the milk cold and then warm it, you can nurse on a mountain top, you can nurse on an airplane or a cruise ship (reminds me of that Dr. Suess book- “you can do it in a car, you can do it near or far!”…) Once you do it a few times and realize nobody is paying attention to you, you will get comfortable with it quickly. It is a law in all 50 states that a woman has the right to breastfeed her baby anywhere in public.
*Breastfeeding is stressful. Sometimes…in the beginning when you’re getting to know your baby and getting in the groove of being a breastfeeding mama. But ultimately, breastfeeding is very relaxing because of what are known as the “mothering hormones”. Every time you nurse your baby, you release oxytocin and prolactin. These hormones are known to give you a feeling of calm and relaxation. Being a new mom can be stressful, so having a built-in source of relaxing hormones is surely a benefit! Moms who breastfeed have less postpartum depression and anxiety. Generally, you will also sit down to nurse your baby (although many a mom has nursed cooking dinner!). I realized after my last baby weaned that I never sat down again! (except in the car to schlep the kids around)
*Small breasted women will have trouble making enough milk. Breast size has nothing to do with milk production.It’s all about the glandular tissue and milk storage capacity. I’ve seen many moms with teeny-tiny breasts produce copious amounts of milk.
*Breastfeeding moms get less sleep. Not true! Although your baby will probably wake more often during the night to nurse (a reason that breastfed kids have a lower incidence of SIDS), you don’t have to get up and prepare a bottle (or sit with a breast pump). Snuggle and snooze and you and your baby will go right back to sleep. Many breastfeeding moms can’t even remember how many feedings they had during the night by the next morning because it is auto-pilot.
*Breastfeeding isn’t worth the time and trouble that it takes. The biggest myth of all! A breastfed baby will be healthier for life because of all the amazing benefits that mother’s milk provides. Persevering through the initial adjustment period and the bumps in the road along the way are worth all the time and effort that goes into it. Don’t let all the misinformation and misconceptions scare you away from trying. And always…ask for help if difficulties arise. Most problems can be overcome with guidance and loving support!
