Comments on: Breastfeeding hurts!: Uncovering 11 Breastfeeding Myths and Lies

By: Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids

Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 14:48:06 +0000

In reply to Katelyn Fagan. 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.

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 04:15:49 +0000

In reply to Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids. 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.

By: Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids

Annie, Family Nurse Practitioner, IBCLC, mother of 4 painlessly breastfed kids — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 03:38:28 +0000

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.

By: AR

AR — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 04:38:27 +0000

In reply to TwoPlusCute.

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

By: TwoPlusCute

TwoPlusCute — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 20:38:41 +0000

Fantastic post and very well written!

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 02:44:24 +0000

In reply to Amber P.. 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.

By: Amber P.

Amber P. — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:04:17 +0000

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.

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 14:29:21 +0000

In reply to Carolyn @ Raspberries in the Rough.

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.

By: Carolyn @ Raspberries in the Rough

Carolyn @ Raspberries in the Rough — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 03:38:36 +0000

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.

By: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Stacey aka the Soccer Mom — Fri, 22 May 2015 05:41:29 +0000

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!

By: Katelyn Fagan

Katelyn Fagan — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 21:35:18 +0000

In reply to Niki. 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. :)

By: Niki

Niki — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 20:38:12 +0000

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! :):)

By: leslie

leslie — Thu, 01 May 2014 03:43:41 +0000

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.

By: Jessica Grove

Jessica Grove — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 18:04:29 +0000

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!)

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 03:32:01 +0000

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!