Breastfeeding Mythbusters: 5 Common Misconceptions

Myth 1: Breastfeeding is easy

I feel like this misconception is everywhere.  It’s implied in books and in new mom pamphlets.  “Breast is best” they tout and “Breastfeeding is natural!”  Many women, myself included, incorrectly read between the lines and think “oh, breastfeeding must be easy.  I was made to do this.”  Yes, your body was built for this special purpose but… that does not mean that it is easy.  Your body was built to carry and deliver a baby too but ask any pregnant mama and she will tell you that growing a baby is no walk in the park.  Breastfeeding can BECOME easy over time, but in the beginning both mama and newborn baby have a lot to learn. Mama and baby have to get to know each other and both need to learn nursing mechanics.  Baby needs to work to get a good latch and mama needs to learn how to support her newborn and in some cases facilitate baby’s latch too.  Mamas who are led to believe that breastfeeding should be easy often get frustrated when it isn’t and without the proper support and encouragement might be tempted to quit.  Don’t give up mamas!  Take a deep breath and seek support from a qualified lactation consultant.  But that said, do not feel bad if you cannot make breastfeeding work.  Breastfeeding is HARD and not for everyone.  We do the best we can and that means taking care of our babies no matter what.

Myth 2: You need to limit nursing sessions so babies do not overeat

I think this myth stems from the difference between breast and formula feeding.  When an infant is formula fed, he/she generally will eat on a prescribed schedule and parents are cautioned not to stray from that because infants can overeat or eat too fast – not knowing that they are full.  Sometimes moms assume that breastfeeding is the same but it’s not.  Breastmilk works like supply and demand and babies can comfort nurse without actually “eating” anything.  Breastmilk is also easier to digest than formula so babies may need to eat more frequently.  The more that a baby nurses, the more milk that mom makes.  Breastfed babies should be encouraged to nurse as much as they want – although sometimes to mom it can seem like they live on the boob!

Myth 3: If you are breastfeeding you have to watch what you eat

Another common misconception is that when you are breastfeeding, you have to be careful what you eat.  This is true in the respect of medications since some can pass to baby through your milk but it is not necessary to limit your diet.  Studies have shown that babies actually experience different subtle flavors in breastmilk depending on what mom has eaten and this helps them to develop their taste buds later in life.  That said, breastmilk is also unique in that it is perfectly engineered by your body for baby’s nutrition.  You can actually eat a ton of junk food and your body is able to turn it into healthy, nutritious milk – not that I would recommend this.  Your body will take whatever it needs to make the milk from your body to give to baby.  While you CAN eat whatever you want, it’s a good idea to eat a healthy diet because whatever is missing will get pulled from your own stores to make up the difference and then you could become deficient in certain vitamins/minerals.  You can even enjoy wine while breastfeeding.  There is no need to pump and dump within reason.  The general rule of thumb is that if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to safely breastfeed.  Don’t be afraid to enjoy a little champagne and chocolate cake mama.  You deserve it!

Myth 4: You cannot combine breastfeeding with formula feeding

This one is just flat-out not true.  While many moms do exclusively breastfeed, or pump and bottle feed, there is absolutely no reason that you cannot supplement with formula no matter what your reasons are.  Formula can be used for supplementation and is sometimes recommended if babies do not gain weight fast enough.  The only thing to keep in mind is that if you use formula to replace a feeding you will need to pump or your body may begin to make less milk – remember breastmilk supply is based on the demand that the baby provides so if you are not nursing but want to keep your supply up, you will need to provide some other kind of stimulation.

Myth 5: If you give your baby a pacifier he/she will never latch properly

This myth really drives me crazy because it gave me tons of anxiety when I had my first son.  I had read several breastfeeding books that all talked about how terrible pacifiers are and how they cause “nipple confusion” making breastfeeding harder.  When my baby arrived he needed to spend a day in the special care unit and the nurses there gave him a pacifier to soothe him because he was fussy and couldn’t be with me.  When I found out that he was given one I panicked thinking my breastfeeding journey was totally over before it had even begun.  Turns out both of my boys were addicted to their pacifiers and both have breastfed beautifully.  If you want or need to use a pacifier you do not need to worry about it destroying your chance to breastfeed.  Most babies will latch on to both and will not have much difficulty switching between the two.  Pacifiers can be a really helpful tool.  In my house, we call them the “magic shusher.”  Don’t decide not to use them because of fear.

Have you been told any other crazy breastfeeding myths? Post in the comments and we will debunk them together!!  Nurse on mamas.