Research-backed
Image: iStock
Breastmilk is one the most important things for a baby, besides a mother’s touch, oxygen, et al. But just like anything nice, which comes with its trolley of questions and doubts, breastmilk too comes with a whole lot of myths, some absolutely ridiculous. How far are you willing to go to question this elixir of life for your little one? In this breastfeeding week (1-7 August), let’s bust a few myths!
1. Washing nipples before breastfeeding
Imagine the mother’s plight. The little one can feed up to ten times in the day and washing nipples all those times can be painful. Nipples have some protective oils that help strengthen the baby’s immunity, which makes it unnecessary to wash them. However, if your baby is on formula milk, you may want to wash the bottle’s nipple often as it could be a storehouse of microbes! (1)
2. Breastfeeding kills the mother!
And in what way might that be? In fact, breastfeeding aids weight loss, improves the mother’s health (with the variations in hormones), prevents breast and ovarian cancers, and a lot more! (2)
3. Colostrum is bad for the baby
Colostrum is referred to as liquid gold by many. This is the first secretion of milk and is rich in antibodies. It is the best and most nutritious food that a mother can give her baby. The bad reputation is probably because it is thick and not as smooth or thin in composition as breastmilk that comes out later. But, trust science!
4. Frequent feeds mean your babyâs tummy is not full
Breastmilk is easily digestible and the baby survives only on mother’s milk for the first six months. Hence it is normal for him to drink milk more than ten times a day in the first month and around eight months in the subsequent months. If your baby is seeking milk often, it does not not indicate shortage of milk. Don’t listen to mothers when they say that their formula-feeding babies need fewer feeds. It is because formula milk is composed differently to stay in the stomach for a longer time. (3)
5. It hurts to breastfeed!
Of course, it would if you did not hold your baby well and he is not able to suckle properly. Holding the baby away from you and in an angle in which his neck gets strained, will make him pull on your breasts. This would hurt you and also not give your baby enough milk. So hold the baby close and in the right position so that your breasts won’t feel sour.
6. Using both breasts is compulsory
And who said that? It is better not to pull out a feeding baby from one breast and put him on the other. The foremilk (or the milk that comes first when a baby feeds) has fewer calories than the hindmilk (the milk that comes later when a baby feeds). This means that if you switch faster, the baby may not get more calories. Also, in some feeds, the baby may not want to feed more than one breast.
7. Artificial pacifiers are better than breasts
The breasts are designed in such a way that they help improve oral-facial development, besides other things. A mother’s touch also calms the baby and helps him sleep well, which is very important for the baby’s growth and development. Artificial pacifiers are good only if the mother cannot produce enough milk and has the baby on formula or if she is not available at all times around the baby. (4)
8. Too much feeding leads to no milk
The hormones in your body change during pregnancy for a variety of reasons, one of them being generation of milk. This means that the milk supply will not end anytime soon, and you can continue feeding your baby. However, your milk supply may reduce if you are not eating well or having nutritious food. Remember to eat regularly as you will breastfeed for at least a year (that is the recommended duration). Also, you need not have to rest your breasts between feeds to increase milk supply as it is in continuous formation.
9. Breastfeeding means saggy boobs
The size of your breasts increases during pregnancy exclusively because you produce milk. This makes breasts fuller, and heavier things do get pulled down by gravity! However, studies prove that breastfeeding does not adversely affect your breast shapes! (5).
10. Babies should not feed if they are unwell
Breastmilk is the best anti-infection and anti-disease that a baby can get in the first few months. No matter how unwell the mother or baby may be (except if the mother has HIV, Hepatitis C, or some other infections), as long as the baby can suckle, and as long as the mother produces enough milk, the baby should feed. There are a few foods that can affect the quality of milk but mothers can feed their babies even when they or the babies are unwell. (6)
11. Feeding in public is a taboo
Is it because people can’t look at you or it is a crime? A lot of countries accept breastfeeding in public, and several have special rooms available for nursing mothers. Check the rules and if you are comfortable, and the law allows you, you can breastfeed in public. Rest assured, your milk quality or quantity is not going to be affected by people watching you!
So mothers, how many of these myths did you believe in? Be honest in the comments sections below!
