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1. Many women
do not produce enough milk.
Not true! The vast majority of women produce
more than enough milk. Indeed, an overabundance
of milk is common. Most babies that gain
too slowly, or lose weight, do so not because
the mother does not have enough milk, but
because the baby does not get the milk that
the mother has. The usual reason that the
baby does not get the milk that is available
is that he is poorly latched onto the breast.
This is why it is so important that the
mother be shown, on the first day, how to
latch a baby on properly, by someone who
knows what they are doing.
2. It is normal
for breastfeeding to hurt. Not true!
Though some tenderness during the first
few days is relatively common, this should
be a temporary situation that lasts only
a few days and should never be so bad that
the mother dreads nursing. Any pain that
is more than mild is abnormal and is almost
always due to the baby latching on poorly.
Any nipple pain that is not getting better
by day three or four or lasts beyond five
or six days should not be ignored. A new
onset of pain when things have been going
well for a while may be due to a yeast infection
of the nipples. Limiting feeding time does
not prevent soreness. Taking the baby off
the breast for the nipples to heal should
be a last resort only. (See handout #3a
Sore Nipples).
3. There is no (not
enough) milk during the first three or four
days after birth. Not true! It often
seems like that because the baby is not
latched on properly and therefore is unable
to get the milk that is available. When
there is not a lot of milk (as there is
not, normally, in the first few days), the
baby must be well latched on in order to
get the milk. This accounts for "but
he's been on the breast for 2 hours and
is still hungry when I take him off".
By not latching on well, the baby is unable
to get the mother's first milk, called colostrum.
Anyone who suggests you pump your milk to
know how much colostrum there is, does not
understand breastfeeding, and should be
politely ignored. Once the mother's milk
is abundant, a baby can latch on poorly
and still may get plenty of milk.
4.
A baby should be on the breast 20 (10, 15,
7.6) minutes on each side. Not true!
However, a distinction needs to be made
between "being on the breast"
and "breastfeeding". If a baby
is actually drinking for most of 15-20 minutes
on the first side, he may not want to take
the second side at all. If he drinks only
a minute on the first side, and then nibbles
or sleeps, and does the same on the other,
no amount of time will be enough. The baby
will breastfeed better and longer if he
is latched on properly. He can also be helped
to breastfeed longer if the mother compresses
the breast to keep the flow of milk going,
once he no longer swallows on his own (Handout
#15 Breast
Compression). Thus it is obvious that
the rule of thumb that "the baby gets
90% of the milk in the breast in the first
10 minutes" is equally hopelessly wrong.
To see how to know a baby is getting milk
see our videos.
5. A breastfeeding baby
needs extra water in hot weather. Not
true! Breastmilk contains all the water
a baby needs.
6. Breastfeeding babies
need extra vitamin D. Not true! Everyone
needs vitamin D. Formula has it added at
the factory. But the baby is born with a
liver full of vitamin D, and outside exposure
allows the baby to get the vitamin D from
ultraviolet light even in winter. The baby
does not need a lot of outside exposure
and does not need outside exposure every
day. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin
and is stored in the body. In some circumstances
(for example, if the mother herself was
vitamin D deficient during the pregnancy)
it may be prudent to supplement the baby
with vitamin D. Exposing the baby to sunlight
through a closed window does not work to
get the baby more vitamin D.
7. A mother should wash
her nipples each time before feeding the
baby. Not true! Formula feeding requires
careful attention to cleanliness because
formula not only does not protect the baby
against infection, but also is actually
a good breeding ground for bacteria and
can also be easily contaminated. On the
other hand, breastmilk protects the baby
against infection. Washing nipples before
each feeding makes breastfeeding unnecessarily
complicated and washes away protective oils
from the nipple.
8. Pumping is a good
way of knowing how much milk the mother
has. Not true! How much milk can be
pumped depends on many factors, including
the mother's stress level. The baby who
nurses well can get much more milk than
his mother can pump. Pumping only tells
you have much you can pump.
9. Breastmilk does not
contain enough iron for the baby's needs.
Not true! Breastmilk contains just enough
iron for the baby's needs. If the baby is
full term he will get enough iron from breastmilk
to last him at least the first six months.
Formulas contain too much iron, but this
quantity may be necessary to ensure the
baby absorbs enough to prevent iron deficiency.
The iron in formula is poorly absorbed,
and the baby poops out most of it. Generally,
there is no need to add other foods to breastmilk
before about 6 months of age.
10. It is easier to
bottle feed than to breastfeed. Not
true! Or, this should not be true. However,
breastfeeding is made difficult because
women often do not receive the help they
should to get started properly. A poor start
can indeed make breastfeeding difficult.
But a poor start can also be overcome. Breastfeeding
is often more difficult at first, due to
a poor start, but usually becomes easier
later.
11. Breastfeeding ties
the mother down. Not true! But it depends
how you look at it. A baby can be nursed
anywhere, anytime, and thus breastfeeding
is liberating for the mother. No need to
drag around bottles or formula. No need
to worry about where to warm up the milk.
No need to worry about sterility. No need
to worry about how your baby is, because
he is with you.
12.
There is no way to know how much breastmilk
the baby is getting. Not true! There
is no easy way to measure how much the baby
is getting, but this does not mean that
you cannot know if the baby is getting enough.
The best way to know is that the baby actually
drinks at the breast for several minutes
at each feeding (open mouth wide—pause—close
mouth type of suck). Other ways also help
show that the baby is getting plenty (Handout
#4 Is my Baby
Getting Enough Milk?). See also our
videos.
13. Modern formulas
are almost the same as breastmilk. Not
true! The same claim was made in 1900 and
before. Modern formulas are only superficially
similar to breastmilk. Every correction
of a deficiency in formulas is advertised
as an advance. Fundamentally, formulas are
inexact copies based on outdated and incomplete
knowledge of what breastmilk is. Formulas
contain no antibodies, no living cells,
no enzymes, no hormones. They contain much
more aluminum, manganese, cadmium, lead
and iron than breastmilk. They contain significantly
more protein than breastmilk. The proteins
and fats are fundamentally different from
those in breastmilk. Formulas do not vary
from the beginning of the feed to the end
of the feed, or from day 1 to day 7 to day
30, or from woman to woman, or from baby
to baby. Your breastmilk is made as required
to suit your baby. Formulas are made to
suit every baby, and thus no baby. Formulas
succeed only at making babies grow well,
usually, but there is more to breastfeeding
than nutrients.
14.
If the mother has an infection she should
stop breastfeeding. Not true! With very,
very few exceptions, the mother’s continuing
to breastfeed will actually protect the
baby. By the time the mother has fever (or
cough, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, etc) she
has already given the baby the infection,
since she has been infectious for several
days before she even knew she was sick.
The baby's best protection against getting
the infection is for the mother to continue
breastfeeding. If the baby does get sick,
he will be less sick if the mother continues
breastfeeding. Besides, maybe it was the
baby who gave the infection to the mother,
but the baby did not show signs of illness
because he was breastfeeding. Also, breast
infections, including breast abscess, though
painful, are not reasons to stop breastfeeding.
Indeed, the infection is likely to settle
more quickly if the mother continues breastfeeding
on the affected side. (Handouts #9a
and #9b
You Should Continue Breastfeeding).
15. If the baby
has diarrhea or vomiting, the mother should
stop breastfeeding. Not true! The best
medicine for a baby's gut infection is breastfeeding.
Stop other foods for a short time, but continue
breastfeeding. Breastmilk is the only fluid
your baby requires when he has diarrhea
and/or vomiting, except under exceptional
circumstances. The push to use "oral
rehydrating solutions" is mainly a
push by the formula manufacturers (who also
make oral rehydrating solutions) to make
even more money. The baby is comforted by
the breastfeeding, and the mother is comforted
by the baby's breastfeeding. (Handouts #9a
and #9b
You Should Continue Breastfeeding).
16. If the mother
is taking medicine she should not breastfeed.
Not true! There are very very few medicines
that a mother cannot take safely while breastfeeding.
A very small amount of most medicines appears
in the milk, but usually in such small quantities
that there is no concern. If a medicine
is truly of concern, there are usually equally
effective, alternative medicines that are
safe. The risks of artificial feeding for
both the mother and the baby must be taken
into account when weighing if breastfeeding
should be continued (Handouts #9a
and #9b
You Should Continue Breastfeeding).
Questions? (416) 813-5757
(option 3) or drjacknewman@sympatico.ca
or my book Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide
to Breastfeeding (called The Ultimate Breastfeeding
Book of Answers in the USA)
Handout #11 Some 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
1. Breastfeeding:
Starting out right
a) The
importance of Skin-to-Skin contact
2. Colic in the Breastfed Baby
3. a) Sore Nipples
b) Treatments
for Sore Nipple and Sore Breasts
4. Is my baby getting enough?
5. Using a Lactation Aid
6. Using Gentian Violet
7. Breastfeeding and Jaundice
8. Finger Feeding
9. a) You should continue breastfeeding
(Medications and breastfeeding)
b) You
should continue breastfeeding (Illness in the mother or baby)
10. Breastfeeding and other foods
11. Some breastfeeding myths
12. More breastfeeding myths
13. Still more breastfeeding
myths
14. More and more breastfeeding
myths
15. Breast compression
16. Starting solid foods
17. What to feed the baby when
the mother is working outside the home
18. How to know a health professional
is not supportive of breastfeeding
19. a) Domperidone 1
b) Domperidone
2
20. Fluconazole
21. Breastfeed a toddler –
Why on earth?
22. Blocked ducts and
mastitis
23. Breastfeeding your adopted baby
24. Miscellaneous treatments for problems
25. Slow weight gain after
the first few months
26. When the Baby refuses to
latch on
27. Expressing Milk
28. Toxins and Infant Feeding
How breastmilk protects Newborns
Risks of formula feeding
Breastfeeding and guilt
Candida protocol
Protocol to increase the intake
of Breastmilk by the Baby ("Not enough milk")
When latching
Protocols for Induced Lactation
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