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For the first six months after the baby is born, mother’s milk provides the baby with all the required nutrients. It is considered a complete nourishing diet for the baby and therefore, all mothers must breast feed their baby. However, breastfeeding is a topic of discussion all around the globe and several misconceptions are related to it. Here we will discuss the common myths related to breastfeeding and the extent to which they are justified.
Myth 1: Breast milk does not have sufficient iron needed for baby’s development.
Reality: This is completely false. Mother’s milk is the ideal food for the baby and contains all the nutrients in just the right amount. It even has modifications as the baby grows. In addition, the baby gets iron from mother’s milk better than from formula foods.
Myth 2: Women should not drink alcohol if they opt for breastfeeding.
Reality: This is another misconception that scares away new mothers. As long as the alcohol intake is reasonable, it causes no problem at all. There is an extremely little amount of alcohol that comes out in milk, and is considered fine.
Myth 3: Women having medicines should not breastfeed their child.
Reality: This is not completely true. In most cases, there is no problem in having any sort of medication. There are only a few medicines that are not allowable and one’s doctor can be consulted to know these medicines in case of any doubt.
Myth 4: Breastfeeding mothers should wash their nipples each time before feeding the child.
Reality: This will only make the breastfeeding an irritating and tiring process for the mother. There is no need to do so as it will only cause the nipples to eventually lose their essential oils.
Myth 5: Pregnant mothers must stop breastfeeding.
Reality: once again, this is not true. It is entirely up to the mother as to when she stops feeding her child, depending on her comfort. When one cannot maintain an appropriate posture during the last few months of pregnancy, one can stop breastfeeding their child.
Myth 6: The babies get confused between mother’s breast and bottles.
Reality: Actually, nipple confusion does exist. There are many mothers who opt for breast pumping because their babies prefer bottles instead of breastfeeding. To avoid this problem, the mother must not make the baby habituated to bottles in the first place. After breastfeeding is comfortable with the baby, one can introduce a milk bottle or pacifier, if required.
Myth 7: Breast feeding causes the breast to sag.
Reality: Well this is not true in entirety. There are some mothers who do not nurse their child as they are extremely figure conscious, which is really bad for the baby’s overall growth. Breasts can sag due to a number of different facts and breastfeeding is not a contributor in that process.
Myth 8: Pain during breastfeeding is absolutely normal.
Reality: Some mothers may experience tenderness during the initial days of breastfeeding, but there must not be any pain. Mild pain that lasts for a day or two is acceptable, but if a mother has severe pain for a few days, immediate medical consultation is required.
Myth 9: There is not sufficient milk in the breasts for the baby during the first few days.
Reality: This is a total myth. There may be a problem in latching the baby to the breast during the first few days, but milk is always sufficient for the baby.
Myth 10: If the baby does not consume mother’s milk for the first few days, the milk must have turned sour. So the mother must abandon breastfeeding totally.
Reality: This is an extremely foolish misconception among some people. Mother’s milk always remains fresh, regardless of whether the baby is fed or not.
Credit : CuteParents
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