1. A
breastfeeding mother has to be obsessive about what she eats. Not true! 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,
this is unusual. Most commonly,
"colic", "gassiness" and crying can be improved by changing
breastfeeding techniques, rather than changing the mother's diet. (Handout #2 Colic in the Breastfed Baby).
2. A
breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk. Not true! 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 this also will affect their
milk. There is no need for
concern. 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 the milk supply. The mother should eat a balanced diet
dictated by her appetite. Rules about
eating just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.
3. A
breastfeeding mother has to drink lots of fluids. Not true! 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 believe that you have to drink at
least a certain number of glasses a day.
Rules about drinking just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.
4. A mother
who smokes is better not to breastfeed. Not true! A mother who cannot stop smoking should
breastfeed. Breastfeeding has been
shown to decrease the negative effects of cigarette smoke on the baby's lungs,
for example. Breastfeeding confers
great health benefits on both mother and baby.
It would be better if the mother not smoke, but if she cannot stop or
cut down, then it is better she smoke and breastfeed than smoke and formula
feed.
5. A mother
should not drink alcohol while breastfeeding. Not true! Reasonable alcohol intake
should not be discouraged at all. As is
the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and
continue breastfeeding as she normally does.
Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily
restrictive for nursing mothers.
6. A mother
who bleeds from her nipples should not breastfeed. Not true! Though blood makes the baby
spit up more, and the blood may even show up in his bowel movements, this is
not a reason to stop breastfeeding the baby.
Nipples that are painful and bleeding are not worse than nipples that
are painful and not bleeding. It is the
pain the mother is having that is the problem.
This nipple pain can often be helped considerably. Get help.
(Handout #3 Sore Nipples and
#3b Treatments for Sore Nipples and Breasts).
Sometimes mothers have bleeding from the nipples that is obviously
coming from inside the breast and is not usually associated with pain. This often occurs in the first few days
after birth and settles within a few days.
The mother should breastfeed! If
bleeding does not stop soon, the source of the problem needs to be investigated,
but the mother should keep breastfeeding.
7. A woman
who has had breast augmentation surgery cannot breastfeed. Not true! Most do very well. There is no evidence that breastfeeding with
silicone implants is harmful to the baby.
Occasionally this operation is done through the areola. These women do have problems with milk
supply, as does any woman who has an incision around the areolar line.
8. A woman
who has had breast reduction surgery cannot breastfeed. Not true! Breast reduction surgery does
decrease the mother's capacity to produce milk, but since many mothers produce
more than enough milk, mothers who have had breast reduction surgery sometimes
can breastfeed exclusively. In such a
situation, the establishment of breastfeeding should be done with special care
to the principles mentioned in the handout #1 Breastfeeding—Starting Out Right.
However, if the mother seems not to produce enough, she can still
breastfeed, supplementing with a lactation aid (so that artificial nipples do
not interfere with breastfeeding).
9. Premature
babies need to learn to take bottles before they can start breastfeeding. Not true! Premature babies are less stressed by
breastfeeding than by bottle feeding. A
baby as small as 1200 grams and even smaller can start at the breast as soon as
he is stable, though he may not latch on for several weeks. Still, he is learning and he is being held
which is important for his wellbeing and his mother's. Actually, weight or gestational age do not
matter as much as the baby's readiness to suck, as determined by his making
sucking movements. There is no more
reason to give bottles to premature babies than to full term babies. When supplementation is truly required there
are ways to supplement without using artificial nipples.
10. Babies
with cleft lip and/or palate cannot breastfeed. Not true! Some do very well. Babies with a cleft lip only usually manage
fine. But many babies with cleft palate
do indeed find it impossible to latch on.
There is no doubt, however, that if breastfeeding is not tried, it will
not work. The baby's ability to
breastfeed does not always seem to depend on the severity of the cleft. Breastfeeding
should be started, as much as possible, using the principles of proper
establishment of breastfeeding.
(Handout #1 Breastfeeding—Starting
Out Right). If bottles are given,
they will undermine the baby's ability to breastfeed. If the baby needs to be fed, but is not latching on, a cup can
and should be used in preference to a bottle.
Finger feeding occasionally is successful in babies with cleft
lip/palate, but not usually.
11. Women
with small breasts produce less milk than those with large breasts. Nonsense!
12.
Breastfeeding does not provide any protection against becoming pregnant. Not true! 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 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 two to three years even without any
artificial method of contraception.
13.
Breastfeeding women cannot take the birth control pill. Not true! The question is not exposure
to female hormones, to which the baby is exposed anyway through
breastfeeding. The baby gets only a
tiny bit more from the pill. However,
some women who take the pill, even the progestin only pill, find that their
milk supply decreases. Estrogen
containing pills are more likely to decrease the milk supply. Because so many women produce more than
enough, this often does not matter, but sometimes it does and the baby becomes
fussy and is not satisfied by nursing.
Babies respond to rate of flow of milk, not what's "in the
breast", so that even a very good milk supply may seem to cause the baby
who is used to faster flow to be fussy.
Stopping the pill often brings things back to normal. If possible, women who are breastfeeding
should avoid the pill, or at least wait until the baby is taking other foods
(usually 4-6 months of age). Even if
the baby is older, the milk supply may decrease significantly. If the pill must
be used, it is preferable to use the progestin only pill (without
estrogen).
14.
Breastfeeding babies need other types of milk after 6 months. Not true! Breastmilk gives the baby
everything there is in other milks and
more. Babies older than 6 months
should be started on solids mainly so that they learn how to eat and so that
they begin to get another source of iron, which by 7-9 months, is not supplied
in sufficient quantities from breastmilk alone. Thus cow's milk or formula will not be necessary as long as the
baby is breastfeeding. However, if the
mother wishes to give milk after 6 months, there is no reason that the baby
cannot get cow's milk, as long as the baby is still breastfeeding a few times a
day, and is also getting a wide variety of solid foods in more than minimal
amounts. Most babies older than 6
months who have never had formula will not accept it, because of the
taste.
Handout #12 More Breastfeeding
Myths. Revised January 2005
Written by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC. © 2005
This handout may be copied and distributed without further permission,
on the condition that it is not used in any context in which the WHO code on the
marketing of breastmilk substitutes is violated
I look forward to helping you
with your breastfeeding concerns
You can reach us at 847-484-0516 or in Illinois at 800-LACTATE or
e-mail us at: lactationsupportgroup.com
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