Breastfeeding Myths The list of untrue statements on breastfeeding is staggering. Get the straight stuff from Dr. Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC
These are the Myths - Click for the facts Many women do not produce enough milk. It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt. There is no (not enough) milk during the first 3 or 4 days after birth. A baby should be on the breast 20 (10, 15, 7.6) minutes on each side. A breastfeeding baby needs extra water in hot weather. Breastfeeding babies need extra vitamin D. A mother should wash her nipples each time before feeding the baby. Pumping is a good way of knowing how much milk the mother has. Breastmilk does not contain enough iron for the baby's needs. It is easier to bottle feed than to breastfeed. Breastfeeding ties the mother down. There is no way to know how much breastmilk the baby is getting. Modern formulas are almost the same as breastmilk. If the mother has an infection she should stop breastfeeding. If the baby has diarrhea or vomiting, the mother should stop breastfeeding. If the mother is taking medicine she should not breastfeed. A breastfeeding mother has to be obsessive about what she eats. A breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk. A breastfeeding mother has to drink lots of fluids. A mother who smokes is better not to breastfeed. A mother should not drink alcohol while breastfeeding. A mother who bleeds from her nipples should not breastfeed. A woman who has had breast augmentation surgery cannot breastfeed. A woman who has had breast reduction surgery cannot breastfeed Premature babies need to learn to take bottles before they can start breastfeeding. Babies with cleft lip and/or palate cannot breastfeed. Women with small breasts produce less milk than those with large breasts. Breastfeeding does not provide any protection against becoming pregnant. Breastfeeding women cannot take the birth control pill. Breastfeeding babies need other types of milk after 6 months Nursing mothers cannot breastfeed if they have had X-rays. Breastfeeding mothers' milk can "dry up" just like that. Physicians know a lot about breastfeeding. Pediatricians, at least, know a lot about breastfeeding. Formula company literature and free formula samples do not influence whether or how long a mother breastfeeds. Breastmilk given with formula may cause problems for the baby. Babies who are breastfed on demand are likely to be "colicky". Mothers who receive immunizations (tetanus, rubella, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, etc.) should stop breastfeeding for 24 hours (3 days, 2 weeks). There is no such thing as nipple confusion. Women with flat or inverted nipples cannot breastfeed. A woman who becomes pregnant must stop breastfeeding. A baby with diarrhea should not breastfeed. Babies will stay on the breast for 2 hours because they like to suck. Babies need to know how to take a bottle. Therefore a bottle should always be introduced before the baby refuses to take one. If a mother has surgery, she has to wait a day before restarting nursing. Breastfeeding twins is too difficult to manage. Women whose breasts do not enlarge or enlarge only a little during pregnancy, will not produce enough milk. A mother whose breasts do not seem full has little milk in the breast. Breastfeeding in public is not decent. 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. If the baby is off the breast for a few days (weeks), the mother should not restart breastfeeding because the milk sours. After exercise a mother should not breastfeed A breastfeeding mother cannot get a permanent or dye her hair. Breastfeeding is blamed for everything.
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