I breastfeed my children. I breastfed my twins for 13 months. Currently I am exclusively breastfeeding my 10 month old son and plan to continue nursing him for several months still to come. And I love it! I think breastfeeding is better than formula (though I am not anti-formula at all. I supplemented my twins with formula), and love the close bond it allows with my children. I also love not having to deal with bottles! I hate bottles (said the women who supplemented twins without a dishwasher)!
However, I didn’t always love breastfeeding. Breastfeeding hurts! And it’s awkward at times. I struggled through the first several weeks of nursing twins, often being surprised that what I had heard and what I had read about breastfeeding wasn’t all true. I found that there are many lies, misconceptions, and breastfeeding myths floating around out there.
To see if I was alone or not in my breastfeeding surprises, I recently asked on my What’s up Fagans? Facebook fan page what nursing moms found the most surprising, what they thought they were lied about in regards to breastfeeding. I was surprised at the amount of engagements and comments I received on the matter! So, I decided to write this post, hoping to clear some of the air, and share the true (painful) reality of breastfeeding, from the mouths of nursing moms themselves (and not those well-intentioned medical professionals and groups).
The following are 11 breastfeeding myths and lies. However, because all women are different, as well as all babies, some may be true for you.
Breastfeeding Myths and Lies
1. If you are doing it right, it shouldn’t hurt.
This one is the biggest, fattest lies about breastfeeding for me and pretty much every nursing mom I know. Breastfeeding hurts! It hurts for a multiple of reasons: engorgement, mastitis, clogged ducts, poor latch, biting, chomping, and pumping. Even if you are doing it right, breastfeeding will hurt! As one of my friends put it “The people that say if shouldn’t hurt, probably never nursed…” One of my friends said that the pain of breastfeeding was worse than her three unmedicated births! She said “Breastfeeding will kick your butt” and cause you “tense up your whole body, make your toes curl kind of pain.”
While a poor latch from your child can cause extra pain and discomfort (one of my twins wouldn’t open her mouth very big and boy did it hurt even more when nursing her), that is only one of the reasons you will experience pain. The reality is, your nipples are not used to constant sucking, and until they toughen up, it will hurt. Nipple creams and things can help, but expect your nipples to be sore, raw, and/or bleeding for at least the first 6-10 weeks.
2. Engorgement only happens when your milk comes in.
In all my reading and breastfeeding courses I had heard that you will experience some engorgement when your milk comes in, but that it should stop after a day or two. What a lie! Engorgement can happen any time during your stint as a breastfeeding mother!
I was so unprepared for this reality of breastfeeding and what it would mean. If your child goes on a hunger strike or experiences an illness, and doesn’t nurse well for a day, expect engorgement.
If your child (blessedly) sleeps through the night (like my twins did, and my son used to ever so long ago), expect engorgement by the morning, and don’t expect to sleep yourself. Because the truth is your engorged breasts will cause you such discomforting, agonizing pain, often leaking milk all over yourself, your clothes, and your bed, that you cannot enjoy the 10-12 hour respite! Engorged breasts are swollen, tender to the touch, and worthy of an adult film. With a swollen chest, it is often hard to lift your arms, wear bras and T-shirts comfortably, and more. Engorged breasts are just another way that breastfeeding hurts!
Because the truth is your engorged breasts will cause you such discomforting, agonizing pain, often leaking milk all over yourself, your clothes, and your bed, that you cannot enjoy the 10-12 hour respite! Engorged breasts are swollen, tender to the touch, and worthy of an adult film. With a swollen chest, it is often hard to lift your arms, wear bras and T-shirts comfortably, and more. Engorged breasts are just another way that breastfeeding hurts!
My solution? Get a breast pump. Stat!
Engorgement is also very common when you are trying to stop breastfeedingbreastfeeding.
3. Breastfeeding comes naturally. It’s simple.
Just because breast milk is an all-natural way of feeding our offspring does not mean it comes naturally. It is not simple. You both have to figure it out. As one nursing mom said:
Nursing is promoted as natural and simple, and that ‘the breast is best!’ when in reality, nothing about nursing (twins especially) feels natural, or is simple, at first. It is embarrassing, awkward, messy, and it hurts. For weeks, not just the first day. And though my babies took to it quickly, a lot of babies don’t. Moms with the best intentions end up feeling inadequate, and often give up too soon.
Your tiny newborn babies can’t support themselves or their heads. They’re super sleepy at first and don’t often want to nurse. Sometimes women’s bodies don’t produce milk like it should, or your letdown is slow, or a host of other things that complicate this natural process. While it seems simple on paper (Bring baby to boob. Babe suckles for 5-30 minutes. Baby’s fed! All done!) it really isn’t for many women. Some never get their milk to come in. Some don’t produce enough milk. Some babies can’t suckle properly. Though breastfeeding is a natural, animalistic quality of human women, the reality is that it doesn’t necessarily come naturally, nor simply (why do you think you have to take breastfeeding classes?).
4. Breastfeeding moms lose that baby weight!
Many women are fed this breastfeeding myth. And many women get frustrated hearing it because it is a lie for them!
While nursing does mean you burn extra calories, it’s not that many calories (~300 a day). Even while nursing twins (and its extra caloric burn), it took me months and months to finally lose all of that baby weight. With my singleton, it took me 10 months to lose those last five pounds, and it was only through diet and exercise.
Breastfeeding is not a guaranteed weight loss tactic.
If you want to shed some weight while nursing, read this post with 11 ways how to lose weight breastfeeding.
5. Introducing a pacifier or a bottle at the hospital (or in the first two weeks) will give your baby nipple confusion.
Just like the last point, this is one of those things that may or may not happen, but tends to just freak out new parents. They are so afraid of nipple confusion, that they postpone introducing pacifiers, or using bottles, sometimes to the detriment of their sanity. I know plenty of nursing mothers who introduced a pacifier or bottle the first day and still successfully breastfed, without a lousy latch or poor sucking patterns later on.
6. Since milk is full of natural anti-bodies your baby won’t get sick.
This is one of the things that breastfeeding advocates love to talk about. It is quite amazing that our bodies create exactly what our babies need, when they need it. But, despite creating these great anti-bodies, breastfed babies will still get sick. My twins got sick. My 10-month old, exclusively breastfed, son has had pneumonia, runny noses, coughs, and the flu in his short life. Breast milk is not a cure-all and will not prevent your son or daughter from getting sick.
7. Breastfed babies will always wake up during the night to feed.
Despite the fact that breast milk is easier to digest than formula for baby’s little tummies, breastfed babies can sleep through the night without having to nurse. My twins slept the the night for months starting at around four months old. My son slept the night by about six weeks old (and then stopped, mostly, by about four months). There have been numerous studies done on the subject of new mom sleep and many prove this breastfeeding myth is indeed false. So, don’t let this breastfeeding lie deter you from nursing. You’ll likely get just as much sleep (or more) as your bottle-feeding counterparts.
8. Breastfed babies aren’t overweight or obese.
People love to look at statistics about obese babies and the higher percentage of them that are bottle-fed. But, just because one child is formula fed, doesn’t mean he will be obese. And just because a child is breastfed, it doesn’t mean they won’t be overweight. (Honestly, I think it’s ridiculous in any case to label a 10-month old as obese…). I have seen some skinny, tiny formula-fed babies, and some crazy chunky breastfed babies.
9. If you send your baby to the hospital nursery, they will never breastfeed well.
One nursing mom had a “well-intentioned” nurse at the hospital who kept telling her that sending her baby to the nursery would mean a poor start to breastfeeding. It didn’t. There are other lies similar to this one, like if you don’t hold and try to nurse your baby immediately after birth that breastfeeding will be difficult (I didn’t see Alison for hours after delivery, and she nursed perfectly the very first time). Then there are those nurses and doctors who insist you supplement at the hospital, especially if your child has jaundice (like two of my nursing friends had happen to them). But, both later didn’t feel like that was as necessary as they were pressured into believing.
10. Exclusively breastfeeding means your period won’t come back!
While I never actually heard of this while reading up on pregnancy and breastfeeding, it definitely seemed to be a popular topic among breastfeeding women themselves, and why some women don’t want to stop breastfeeding: they don’t want their period to come back! However, there is no guarantee that if you breastfeed, your period won’t come back. Some women, like my unlucky self, have their regular period come back by about three or four months postpartum, despite nursing exclusively and/or nursing twins. Other women may have a light period or spotting.
11. Breastfeeding is a natural birth control. You can’t get pregnant while nursing.
I don’t know many people who don’t know that this is a big, fat lie, but in case you don’t know, you absolutely CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is not a natural birth control. In fact, you can get pregnant very shortly after giving birth, even before your period returns (see the previous point on that…). So, be smart and careful if you don’t want your children born a year apart.
The Real Reality of Breastfeeding
Despite all of these breastfeeding “lies” and the surprises that come once you start breastfeeding, one of my fans beautifully said:
I was surprised about the bond I feel with my daughter and how much I look forward to nursing her. On the days I work, I really miss those nursing sessions.
Isn’t that a happy surprise of breastfeeding?
I also love nursing my children because of the one-on-one, motherly time it affords us. This was especially true when nursing my twins. I didn’t tandem feed (though check out this post on How do you do it? to learn more about tandem feeding twins) very often because I preferred the individual time with each of my twins, even if it meant listening to the other one cry in their crib the whole time.
Because, the real reality of breastfeeding is that it is a beautiful experience. Your body, your milk, is your child’s life force! You are, in a very powerful way, helping your tiny little babe grow into a not so tiny version of you (or your partner). It is while breastfeeding that I feel like a better mother, because I am personally giving life to my child, sustaining them, comforting them. And my child loves me even more for it. I love creating a unique, loving bond between me and my child.
Plus, after the first three months, breastfeeding doesn’t hurt very often, I develop my groove, my child develops their, and the whole breastfeeding process doesn’t take very long at all.
There a host of great reasons why I choose to breastfeed. So tell me, readers, what do you love about breastfeeding? But, what were some of the surprises you’ve had along the way?
As a follow-up of this post I share seven things I think lactation consultants should be teaching at breastfeeding classes. Please share this post and my other one so we can help empower women on their breastfeeding journey.
Michelle says
This was a great post! I am currently breastfeeding for the third time. It does not get easier or less painful. I knew from experience what the first few days and weeks would be like. Aside from the myths it is a great experience and I would do it for the bonding time alone.
Herchel S says
What I found crazy was that the breastfeeding experience is totally different from child to child. My oldest failed to latch and I had to trick him with a nipple shield to teach him how. My daughter latched fine and was such a ravenous eater that I was in constant pain for the first month.
Rachel says
As a breastfeeding mother of my 10-month old son (I also breastfed my daughter as well), I totally agree with all of these! I love breastfeeding and think it is 100% better than formula (though I understand why some people would choose to use formula and I am not judging), but it is not easy and even though it’s natural, it doesn’t always come naturally! Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I have pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board!
Mary says
You know what I hate? When people say you need to have good back support, so sit on a couch with a pillow behind you. And “bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby :B” as if somehow if you do that you child will magically latch on.
The only way I could EVER get my kids to learn to latch on was hunched over at the end of my bed with them in my lap bringing the breast to the baby. Sometimes I was standing. It can take a long time for your kid to learn to latch, hours sometimes. Your arms get tired and there’s only so long you can suspend your stiff, writhing newborn, while bringing him to the breast. Do what works even if it kills your back and neck for a few days!
Katelyn Fagan says
Ha ha ha! Great point Mary! I like having back support, because nursing can be a killer, leaning over to one side. But, I completely get bringing your breast to the baby! It’s just easier sometimes, and gives your arms a break!
Mary says
I think it’s because my boobs are so big. They’re like their own separate entities. Like having 3 newborns in your lap instead of one. Sort of terrifying when you think about it, but breast feeding is so fun once everyone gets the hang of it!
Tracy says
As a nurse who has never had children I appreciate reading things like this. I so often feel our lactation staff really sugar coat how great it’s supposed to be for parents and what I see with my patients doesn’t match up to that. Then again I only see them for the first 3 days! I’ll be using some of your information in my work with new parents.
Also, when thinking about hospital staff, please remember we see all types of parents – great and not so great. We suggest not using pacifiers partially because there ARE parents who would stuff it in their kid’s mouth and then not feed them for 8 hours. Take hospital advice with a grain of salt; we have to account for those other not so great parents.
Christa says
What a great post!! I can relate so much to these. I cried on the 7th day my nipples hurt so much. My hospital gave me a gel patch they often use on burn victims to help sooth the nipple ache. But those only lasted 5 days and I couldn’t fibd them again. Extended use hydrogel pads. Best thing ever!!!
Katelyn Fagan says
Ooh! Good tip! I used Lanolin, which helped somewhat, but I know some people used frozen cabbage leaves and all sorts of other things to numb the pain!!
Sarah says
I understand that some of these myths are indeed myths for some mothers; however, I’ve had a very different breastfeeding experience that I’d like to shed light on. We are going onto 8 months of exclusive breastfeeding. It has been pain free from the beginning-I believe the baby is created knowing exactly what to do and makes bf the easiest option for feeding while feeling entirely natural. I gained 12 pounds while pregnant by making good food choices and working out regularly. Since then, with limited exercise due to career and baby, I am at 110 lbs which is 14lbs less than my pre-baby weight. I appreciate the insight and the perspective on the sweet bonding that happens via breastfeeding, but different babies and different mothers create different results.
hannah says
great stuff. I only take slight issue with continuing to use the term ‘toughen up’. Nipples don’t toughen, like the soles of feet, they detach underneath. That’s why massage and tugging are recommended pre-nursing to help speed up that process. I only point it out bc I was under the mistaken belief that I had to callous my skin or my nerves to the pain and it resulted in pretty severe abrasion that took weeks to heal. Also, hormones can play a part, as I’ve noticed that when my hormones increase bc of pregnancy (I’ve nursed a half-way into two pregnancies) the sensitivity of my nipples triples, even though by then I have proper latch etc and am definitely painless until then. That’s two more helpful bits of info for your list. 🙂
Katelyn Fagan says
Definitely!! Thank you so much for commenting Hannah! I did not know about the nipples thing. Interesting! Totally makes sense though.
Rachel says
Thank you for posting these! I am a doula and learning about lactation. My own the babies were all premature. I pumped for them, but I know that even though it was breast milk, the process was a lot different. So thanks for telling me these things that they don’t teach!
Jessica Grove says
Well, like anything, I’m sure some of these myths ARE true for SOME (perhaps even Most) people. I had very little pain nursing. Other than adjusting to the sensations the first couple of days, I was fine. Despite having a daughter who literally wanted to stay latched 16-18 hrs/day, I had no bleeding or cracking. (My OB and her ped were Amazed!)
I also Only experienced engorgement when my milk first came in. I never experienced a let-down sensation, either.
MY dd was 26(!!!!) mos before she was night-weaned. I’ve had other nursing friends who struggled almost as long. I’ve seen it written, “If you went to bed every night with chocolate cake nearby, you’d probably wake up long enough for a bite or two a couple times per night, too!”
My dd was in the NICU for 13 days. During most of that she was either bottle-fed formula or pumped breast milk. We just couldn’t seem to “get it together” there with so much else going on. So, ABSOLUTELY!!! A pacifier and/or bottle does NOT undo your breastfeeding goals. Keep At It!!! Also, if you’re having trouble exclusively breastfeeding, continue working on it while you supplement!! There’s no reason you must do just One or The Other!!
(My dd is now 34 mos & still nursing. This was not a goal of mine or in my plans at all, but I still love it & so does she!)
leslie says
I love this!! And honestly the only this I would disagree with is your last bit, because for me nursing was never joyful or bonding. I Hated every minute of it. I Hated being stuck in a chair clinging to my wiggling son unable to do anything else for 6+hours a day. And I spent a long time feeling like a horrible mom because of it. But I stuck it out (for 8 months when he weened himself and went almost exclusively solids) because I knew that was the healthiest thing for him. And now that baby number two is less than 2weeks away I plan on nursing her to the year mark if she will let me. So I’m still a good mom… even if nursing didn’t give me the warm fuzzies. Baby wearing on the other hand totally did (see I’m not heartless) . I think moms need to know its okay to hate it and hate being tied to another person by your boob for months.
Also I Hated how the lactation consultants and Dr NEVER agreed on anything! maybe that was just my experience but when my son started losing weight like crazy even though he was getting plenty of milk all my Dr and lactation consultant did was have a battle through me over if it was a problem and if so what the problem was and how to solve it. For the record my Dr was the correct one my son was sick, he was allergic to everything I ate and so it shot straight through him, and so I had to cut pretty much everything out of my diet and then experiment adding stuff back one at a time.
Niki says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! I am a mom of two kids(one formula fed and one breastfed). I was only 18 when I had my first child and I thought(stupidly) that I was fully prepared to breastfeed, because the healthcare professionals I talked to all told me about how easy and natural it was. The pain from birth itself was very hard for me to handle, so I thought well at least feeding will be easy. The first night home, the pain from feeding was too much and I just gave up and felt like a complete failure because I had to formula feed and couldn’t do it “the natural way”. I wish someone would have just told me that breastfeeding would hurt in the beginning, or that its ok to formula feed and you aren’t a bad parent if you choose that.
Two years later, when I was preparing for my second child I said I will attempt to breastfeed but may formula feed. In the hospital after giving birth, a lactation consultant told me I should start doing “three point feedings”. She explained that this meant breastfeeding my daughter then offering formula and then pumping, all to help produce more milk. I respectfully listened to her advice. After a few three point feedings I was thinking about what she said, and I realized if I breastfeed, formula feed and pump at each feeding that I would be doing just those three things repetitively FOREVER. So I decided I would go with my gut and ONLY breastfeed at each feeding… what a surprise, she successfully breastfed until she weaned at 15 months, no three point feedings! As for the whole “breastfed babies weigh less” topic, my formula fed son(now almost 4) is skinny and always has been, and my breastfed daughter(now almost 2) is chunky and always has been also 🙂 Its just funny how life is different than theory, and sometimes we Mom’s know what’s best for our babies. I think if more people knew the truth from experienced Moms they could know what to expect and be more prepared to breastfeed. Thank you again and the contributors for this post! :):)
Katelyn Fagan says
You are so welcome! Thank you for sharing your experiences! And I have never heard of this “Three point feedings” method before! It sounds strange to be coming from a lactation consultant, especially while still in the hospital. But, good job listening to your mommy instincts. You can never go wrong following them. 🙂
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
I loved this article! My baby just turned one and is showing no signs of wanting to wean. Sometimes it’s tiring, but there really is no reason to stop if she’s not ready. Very encouraging to see other moms out there who did it too and aren’t shy to say it!
Carolyn @ Raspberries in the Rough says
These are such great points! Mastitis is the disease from ****. The only time I’ve actually fainted is when I had mastitis the first time, as I was at the clinic, picking up my prescription from the pharmacist. I was standing at the counter, feeling nauseous, and the next thing I knew, I was seeing people walking in and out of doors and down the halls of the Enterprise. Haha.
Does anyone else experience extreme hunger when nursing? Like, I have to eat at 3 in the morning or be sick kind of hunger? I actually struggled to get enough to eat, especially with my first, and that combined with the stress of going to school caused me to lose weight like crazy and dry up in spite of pumping. I actually regret using a pacifier with him because it masked the fact that once I went back to school full time, he wasn’t getting enough to eat. He would just sleep and suck on the pacifier. Once I started giving him formula, he didn’t want the pacifier at all anymore.
Second baby I nursed to 13 months though and only had problems in the beginning, with oversupply making it difficult for her. I would add to the list of myths that pumping is easy and makes it so you can go to work/school and still nurse. I tried so hard; I even bought one of those supplemental nursing systems, to no avail. There are just so many factors that play into breastfeeding. But, I think it is completely worth it, and in the long run, I find it much more easy and convenient than bottlefeeding. Thanks for sharing some of the hard realities with those who are learning about nursing.
Katelyn Fagan says
Oh no! I’m sorry you fainted and had mastistis! I have avoided it so far… (*knock on wood*) And YES. Extreme hunger is SO real! Definitely experienced it when I was nursing twins. And I agree that pumping is easy is a myth! I hated pumping. Such a pain. I wrote more about that “myth” or really how they don’t really teach you how to pump in lactation classes in my follow-up post: http://homecleaningfamily.com/2014/03/lactation-consultants-teaching-breastfeeding-classes/ I do agree that breastfeeding is easier than bottlefeeding.
Amber P. says
That nipple confusion thing had really confused me. I was told up, down, left and right to not dare give my child a pacifier or a bottle her first month. But the thing is she wouldn’t latch. The lactation consultant decided that she wasn’t holding her tongue right from when they stuck stuff down her throat (she had pooped in the womb). So she advised me to use pumping to train her tongue by bringing her to me after pumping long enough to make my nipples protrude waaay out. Well…. we gave in and gave her the bottles of my pumped milk while still frequently trying to switch her to nursing. I had been convinced that for the entire time I breastfeed her (6 months – 1 year) that I’ll just be an extreme pumper. I was able to keep it up. But then suddenly one evening between 4-5 weeks of age she was laying on top of me sucking my arm. So I moved her and she was practically biting my breast! So I tried nursing her and whamo! She went to town! She had her fill. She’s 4 1/2 months old now and still nursing strong. I was shocked because of everyone saying that babies don’t latch to the breast after being given a bottle. But she did!
Sure, we had to work out a few kinks like over-production in the beginning of nursing and learning to cut milk completely out of my diet due to an allergy to milk protein. But other than that it’s gone very smoothly. She’s usually done now within 10 minutes.
P.S. Breastfeeding is totally being a natural birth control for me…I haven’t had a period for months.
Katelyn Fagan says
Ahhh, one of those lucky women who don’t get their periods while nursing. 🙂 And I’m so glad you trusted your instincts and tried nursing her anyway!! What a great story! Pumping is not my favorite pasttime so I’m glad it’s worked out this way for you.
TwoPlusCute says
Fantastic post and very well written!
AR says
Regarding #7, the goal is not necessarily to have babies sleeping through the night. I know for a tired parent that must seem counterintuitive but babies have tiny stomachs, especially breastfed ones. Night feeding can be important to your feeding rhythm.
Please review the discussion of this topic from Mayo Clinic below. Most IBCLCs will tell you the same thing.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/newborn/faq-20057752
Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids says
Your 11 Lies can all be easily debunked by finding an experienced lactation consultant. You do every mother a disservice by your half-answers and not suggesting that she seek help or more information. Your observations are based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence, not fact. Each ‘lie’ you describe has a solution if you just ask an expert. And calling them ‘lies’ just adds to the negativity and mommy wars.
1. Breastfeeding should not hurt. If it does, there could be a multitude of reasons that are probably not your fault. You don’t have to grit your teeth and bear it. SEEK HELP!
2. Engorgement after the first few weeks is usually due to insufficient emptying of the breasts and/or high milk production. It is fairly easy to solve. Adding a daily pumping will just make the problem worse. SEEK HELP.
3. Breastfeeding comes naturally to some but not others. We are all different. If it does not come naturally, SEEK HELP.
4. Breastfeeding burns ~300-500 calories per day so many mothers will lose weight faster than if they did not breastfeed. Not all mothers experience this of course. We are all different and have different circumstances. A good nutritionist can help.
5. Introducing a pacifier or bottle in the hospital can interfere with breastfeeding in some babies but not all. Unless there is a medical reason, it is best to wait until breastfeeding is well established (3-4 weeks) until a bottle or pacifier is given. For some, that first bottle is the beginning of weaning. Excessive pacifier use in the early weeks has been implicated in slow weight gain. Why risk it?
6. Mother’s milk is full of natural antibodies that CAN actually prevent or minimize some illnesses in some babies but nothing, of course, is guaranteed. Babies can and do get sick despite breastfeeding. The research shows that illnesses occur less often in breastfed babies.
7. In the early months, exclusively breastfed babies SHOULD wake at night to feed or they risk growth problems. It is a rare exclusively breastfed baby who sleeps 12 hours through the night at 4 months, unless they have been sleep trained. Some do naturally, but the large majority need those calories in the middle of the night. Those who sleep for prolonged times without waking are also at higher risk for SIDS.
8. Breastfeeding is protective from becoming overweight or obese but again, it is not guaranteed. Genetics plays a role in baby’s height and weight as well as feeding. Breastfed babies tend to be better self regulators when they feed and have lower rates of overweight and obesity.
9. What matters here is not IF you send your baby to the hospital nursery but HOW OFTEN. Rooming in will help you learn about your baby, including his early hunger cues. Babies are often swaddled tightly in the nursery to prevent them from crying so they tend to sleep longer and miss their feedings, or they wail until they fall asleep from exhaustion, or they get mistakenly bottle fed (believe me, I worked in a nursery). Doing it here and there is not going to do much harm but doing it all the time can pose a problem.
10. Most exclusively breastfeeding women do not have their menses until 6-9months after birth. Notice the words MOST and EXCLUSIVELY. Any birth control method has a failure rate. Some mothers can menstruate before this but it is a small percentage. According to the WHO, breastfeeding can be used as a reliable method of birth control (98%) IF baby is younger than 6 months old, menses has not returned, baby nurses on demand (no schedules or sleep training), and does not receive anything other than mother’s milk FROM THE BREAST. That is more effective than a male condom or a diaphragm. The most common reasons for women resuming menses early is if baby starts sleeping for more than 8 hours at a time (see #7) or baby is supplemented with formula or baby food.
11. See #10
Please, let’s not talk about lies. Just HELP mothers by giving them the right information or directing them to a reliable website.
Katelyn Fagan says
Thanks for sharing your information! The point of the post was really to get people talking and realizing that what is true for one is not always true for another.
Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids says
That is absolutely correct: what is true for one is not always true for another. But when your experience does not go the way you expect it, calling researched-based recommendations ‘lies’ and giving out inaccurate information is not helpful. I was just browsing for new material for my prenatal breastfeeding class when I came across your website. While I understand that there are many myths about breastfeeding, most of the ones listed here (or the way they are interpreted) are not among them.
Honestly, this page has a very negative vibe and could be discouraging to would-be breastfeeders or mothers on the edge. If through this page you could just encourage struggling mothers to find the right help and information when things go wrong, you will be doing them a great service.