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Breastfeeding Myths and Facts
I do not have enough milk to feed my baby
Nursing is a `Supply and Demand' activity, the more you nurse the
more you will produce! This includes pumping the breasts.
My breasts are too small (too large) to feed my baby
The size of a woman's breasts is irrelevant to nursing. However, women
with extremely large breasts will need extra help with positioning
the baby to a healthy latch-on.
Breastfeeding is painful
Breastfeeding is only painful with incorrect latch-on. Furthermore,
it can be very pleasant and lead to a deeper sense of bonding with
your newborn.
Breastfeeding is not convenient
The breast are always sterile as the Montgomery Glands protect the
nipple, breast milk is always the right temperature and consistence
and exactly what your baby will need, whether it be nourishment,
hydration or just comfort.
It takes too much time to nurse my baby
Your baby will nurse at the breast at the same rate any other baby will
feed at a bottle. Furthermore, bottle fed babies are typically more
colicky and needy than those that are breast-fed. If you have a
colicky baby, chances are that your baby would be worse if on formula,
regardless of the type.
I cannot work and nurse my baby
Many mothers have returned to work and continued their nursing relationship
with their newborn, it takes a little finesse, but it is possible
and rewarding. There is a catch; Babies do better without any foreign
object, i.e. bottles pacifiers and plastic nipples within the first
six weeks post-partum.
I have to have a perfect diet to nurse my baby
The breasts are much better at filtering impurities than the placenta
was, so indeed you want to do the very best for your baby, but an
occasional imperfection will not harm either one of you!
Formula is just as good as nursing
Formula cannot hold even a close second to breast-feeding. With
all of its preparation, it is still always the same. Breast milk
has been studied in numerous laboratories and every time it is tested
is has different components. Components that your baby needs. In
hot weather, it will be more hydrating, with a higher water base
and electrolyte balance. In cold weather just the opposite is present.
In addition, the breast seems to know if your baby is truly hungry
and releases the hind milk, rich in nutrients and much more filling.
If your baby is just tired or over-stimulated the hind milk simply
does not let down. Your baby gets just what the doctor ordered,
a calming concoction of hormones specifically designed to put your
baby at ease or even to sleep. Ask that of any formula manufacturer!
If I nurse, I will have to nurse at all hours of the night
While breast milk does dissolve within two to four hours of ingestion
and it might seem that you are nursing 24/7. Chances are that had
you decided to bottle feed you would be up anyway! Then what would
you have to comfort and soothe your baby? Not that it is not possible,
just that it is much more difficult.
Women around the world for centuries have nursed their babies with great
results.
The survival of the species itself has always relied upon
this system. It has baffled doctors since they started asking the
greatest question ever asked, "What's in this stuff!"
Even in Ethiopia, during starvation, mother's had healthy babies
and nursed without incident, it was at the time of weaning that
they and their offspring became ill and often died! Trust yourself
and your body's ability to deliver the very best nature has to offer!
I offer one on one private Lactation Services, in your home, for the
best possible nursing relationship between mother and child. Contact me
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