Here are common myths about
breastfeeding—busted!
1.
If you
have small breasts, you won't produce enough milk to feed your baby. Truth: Size doesn't matter! "The breast tissue you need to nurse a baby grows in response to
pregnancy regardless of your breast size," says Judith Lauwers,
I.B.C.L.C., a spokeswoman for the International Lactation Consultant
Association. So rest assured that whether you're an A or D cup, your breasts
are capable of providing your baby with the milk she needs.
2.
You won't
be able to breastfeed if you've had breast-augmentation or breast-reduction
surgery. Truth: Not necessarily. "These
days, implants are usually inserted near the
armpit or under the breast tissue or chest muscle, which shouldn't interfere
with breastfeeding," says Carol Huotari, I.B.C.L.C., manager of the Center
for Breastfeeding Information at La Leche League International.
3.
You must
eat only bland foods while breastfeeding. By
the time the foods you eat have been digested and used to make breast milk, the
potentially upsetting elements have been broken down and shouldn't affect your
baby at all. In other words, if you eat cabbage, it's unlikely that it will
make your baby gassy. And if you indulge in some spicy salsa, your baby probably
won't refuse to nurse. As Haldeman of The Pump Station says: "Women in
India eat really hot curry and their babies still breastfeed. And there is
research that shows babies actually prefer garlicky milk." Many
breastfeeding moms swear by the wait-and-see approach: Don't alter your diet at
all and see if your baby has a problem. "If necessary, keep a food diary,
and if your baby is fussy two to 12 hours after you've eaten a certain food,
cut it out of your diet for a while," Huotari says.
4.
You need
to nurse every two hours around the clock—no more, no less—to make sure
that your baby gets enough to eat. You
can schedule a weight check with your pediatrician if you're worried that your
baby isn't getting enough to eat.
5.
If you
give your baby bottles of pumped milk, she will refuse the breast. Truth: Most babies switch between breast and bottle with no
problem.
6.
You
shouldn't nurse if you have a blocked duct. "It usually happens when the baby's nursing patterns
change and the breast becomes overfull," Lauwers says. "For instance,
when a baby starts taking longer naps, eating solid foods and sleeping through
the night, she may nurse less frequently, which can lead to blocked
ducts." Besides frequent nursing, applying heat—in the form of a heating
pad—before nursing can help clear a duct. "It's not going to hurt your
baby."
7.
A
breastfed baby won't sleep through the night until she starts eating solids.
Truth: Your baby will sleep through
the night when she's ready. That said, breastfed babies do need to be fed more
frequently than formula-fed babies in the early months because breast milk is
digested more quickly than formula. "As long as your baby is getting
enough to eat, she'll sleep for as long as she's meant to sleep."
8. Breastfeeding
is a reliable form of birth control. Truth: If you're not ready to be pregnant again, don't rely on
breastfeeding for birth control. However, if you're breastfeeding exclusively,
if your baby is younger than 6 months and if your period hasn't resumed, the
so-called lactation amenorrhea method can be 98 percent effective in preventing
pregnancy. "But if all three of those criteria are not met, or if you're
letting your baby use a pacifier [which can make a baby suck less often or less
intensely when on the breast, in turn affecting your hormone production],
breastfeeding should not be used as contraception," Lauwers says.
9.
Once you
go back to work, you'll have to wean. Truth:
Hogwash!
"If you commit to pumping, you can give your baby breast milk for as long as you wish," Haldeman says.
"If you commit to pumping, you can give your baby breast milk for as long as you wish," Haldeman says.
10.
Breastfeeding
your child for more than one year makes weaning difficult. “Babies are individuals, and some just want to nurse longer
than others," Lauwers says.
11.
Your boobs
will forever look like tube socks. Truth:
Some women may notice a change in the shape of their breasts after
breastfeeding, but pregnancy, not just nursing, is the culprit.
12.
It'll make
your baby clingy and dependent. Truth:
Quite the opposite. "Studies have shown that babies who benefit from the
attachment of breastfeeding tend to be more independent later in life,"
says Bettina Forbes, a certified lactation counselor and cofounder of the Best
for Babes Foundation, an
organization dedicated to changing cultural taboos that surround nursing.
13. You have to stop if you get sick. In
fact, by nursing while you're sick you pass along protective antibodies,
helping your little guy stay healthy.
14.
You can't
take any meds. Truth: While some medications
are verboten because they could pass through your breast milk to your baby,
Berens says many are just fine.
15.
Exercise
will turn your milk sour. Truth: Not as
far as your baby is concerned.
16. Weaning is
the worst. Start by
subbing in a bottle of breast milk during your sweetie's least favorite
feeding and do it gradually to give both your body and your baby time to
adjust.
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