Breastfeeding Myths

General Myths

*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. It is imperative that the mother is shown how to remove and latch her baby correctly, to avoid further nipple trauma.
Limiting feeding time does not prevent soreness. Taking the baby off the breast (i.e. not feeding from that breast) for the nipples to heal should be a last resort only.
A new onset of pain when things have been going well for a while may be due to a yeast infection (thrush) of the nipples.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Physicians know a lot about breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

Obviously, there are exceptions. However, very few physicians trained in North America, Europe or South Africa, learned anything at all about breastfeeding in medical school. Even fewer learned about the practical aspects of helping mothers start breastfeeding and helping them maintain breastfeeding. After medical school, most of the information physicians get regarding infant feeding comes from formula company representatives
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Paediatricians know a lot about breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

Obviously, there are exceptions. However, in their post-medical school training (residency), most paediatricians learned nothing formally about breastfeeding, and what they picked up in passing was often wrong. To many trainees in paediatrics, breastfeeding is seen as an “obstacle to the good medical care” of hospitalized babies.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Formula company literature and formula samples do not influence how long a mother breastfeeds -REALLY?

So why do the formula companies work so hard to make sure that new mothers are given these samples, their company’s samples? Are these samples and the literature given out to encourage breastfeeding? Do formula companies take on the cost of the samples and booklets so that mothers will be encouraged to breastfeed longer? The companies often argue that, if the mother does give formula, they want the mother to use their brand. But in competing with each other, the formula companies also compete with breastfeeding. Did you believe that argument when the cigarette companies used it?
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Breastmilk given with formula may cause problems for the baby – NOT TRUE!

Most breastfeeding mothers do not need to use formula and when problems arise that seem to require artificial milk, often the problems can be resolved without resorting to formula. However, when the baby may require formula, there is no reason that breastmilk and formula cannot be given together.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*There is no such thing as nipple confusion – NOT TRUE!

The baby is not confused, though, the baby knows exactly what he wants. A baby who is getting slow flow from the breast and then gets rapid flow from a bottle, will figure that one out pretty quickly. A baby who has had only the breast for three or four months is unlikely to take the bottle. Some babies prefer the right or left breast to the other. Bottle fed babies often prefer one artificial nipple to another. So there is such a thing as preferring one nipple to another. The only question is how quickly it can occur. Given the right set of circumstances, the preference can occur after one or two bottles. The baby having difficulties latching on may never have had an artificial nipple, but the introduction of an artificial nipple rarely improves the situation, and often makes it much worse. Note that many who say there is no such thing as nipple confusion also advise the mother to start a bottle early so that the baby will not refuse it.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*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.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Nipples must be prepared for breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

Nipple preparation is unnecessary.
No ‘toughening up’ of nipples is needed – if anything, it is detrimental to breastfeeding and certainly brings no benefits. Ensuring a good latch is what prevents nipple soreness.
Your baby will be satisfied with your nipples, regardless of what they look like, and will latch and suckle if put to the breast as soon as possible after a birth.
Please note that flat and inverted nipples as well as the size and shape of the nipple are not a contra-indication to breastfeeding. Babies need to latch onto the breast not the nipple.
At around 37 weeks of pregnancy it may be useful to learn how to express colostrum. Expect no more than a drop or two and do not be concerned if you don’t see any.

Breastfeeding twins is too difficult to manage. Not true!

Breastfeeding twins is easier than bottle feeding twins, if breastfeeding is going well. This is why it is so important that a special effort should be made to get breastfeeding started right when the mother has had twins (See Information Sheets Breastfeeding—Starting Out Right and The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact). Some women have breastfed triplets exclusively. This obviously takes a lot of work and time, but twins and triplets take a lot of work and time no matter how the infants are fed.

Myths About the Breastfeeding Mother

After exercise a mother should not breastfeed. Not true!

There is absolutely no reason why a mother would not be able to breastfeed after exercising. The study that purported to show that babies were fussy feeding after mother exercising was poorly done and contradicts the everyday experience of millions of mothers.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Women with flat or inverted nipples cannot breastfeed. Not true!

Babies do not breastfeed on nipples, they breastfeed on the breast. Though it may be easier for a baby to latch on to a breast with a prominent nipple, it is not necessary for nipples to stick out. A proper start will usually prevent problems and mothers with any shaped nipples can breastfeed perfectly adequately. In the past, a nipple shield was frequently suggested to get the baby to take the breast. This gadget should not be used, especially in the first two weeks! Though it may seem a solution, its use can result in poor feeding and severe weight loss, and makes it even more difficult to get the baby to take the breast. (See Information Sheet Finger and Cup Feeding). If the baby does not take the breast at first, with proper help, he will often take the breast later. Breasts also change in the first few weeks, and as long as the mother maintains a good milk supply, the baby will usually latch on by 8 weeks of age no matter what, but get help and the baby may latch on before. See Information Sheet When a Baby Does not yet Latch.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Only breastfeeding mothers experience the “blues” -NOT TRUE!

Up to 80% of all new mothers whether breast or bottle feeding have the “baby blues” shortly after birth. For a few days you may feel anxious, tearful, tired and irritable.
Caring for a new baby is hard, unrelenting work. No matter how well prepared you are or how much you looked forward to the arrival of your baby, you will find it difficult at times. You will probably experience a wide range of feelings, from joy to excitement to frustration, resentment, guilt and anxiety. This is quite normal, and you will need help, support and understanding from the people around you.
Sometimes, however, these prolonged unhappy feelings become so intense that you feel overwhelmed, and out of control. If this happens, you may be suffering from postnatal depression and anxiety.
PNDSA (Post Natal Depression Support Association) is a non-profit-making association started by a group of women who have recovered from postnatal depression. They are dedicated to supporting other women who may be going through the same experience and to making it easier for them to find help. They can be contacted on 082 882 0072 or 021 823 7333 or info@pndsa.org.za.

*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.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Mothers who receive immunizations (tetanus, rubella, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, etc.) should stop breastfeeding for a period of time – NOT TRUE!

Why should they? There is no risk for the baby, and he may even benefit. The rare exception is the baby who has an immune deficiency. In that case the mother should not receive an immunization with a weakened live virus (e.g. oral, but not injectable polio, or measles, mumps, rubella) even if the baby is being fed artificially.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A woman who becomes pregnant must stop breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

If the mother and child desire, breastfeeding can continue. Some continue nursing the older child even after delivery of the new baby – tandem feeding. Many women do decide to stop nursing when they become pregnant because their nipples are sore, or for other reasons, but there is no rush or medical necessity to do so. In fact, there are often good reasons to continue. The milk supply will likely decrease during pregnancy, but if the baby is taking other foods, this is not a usually a problem. However, some babies will stop breastfeeding if the milk supply is low.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Breastfeeding women cannot take the birth control pill – NOT TRUE!

The question is not exposure to female hormones, to which the baby is exposed anyway through breastfeeding. The baby gets only a tiny bit more from the pill. However, some women who take the pill, even the progestin pill, find that their milk supply decreases. Estrogen containing pills are more likely to decrease the milk supply.
Because so many women produce more than enough, this often does not matter, but sometimes it does even in the presence of an abundant supply, and the baby becomes fussy and is not satisfied by nursing. Babies respond to rate of flow of milk, not what’s “in the breast”, so that even a very good milk supply may seem to cause the baby who is used to faster flow to be fussy. Stopping the pill often brings things back to normal.
If the pill must be used, it is preferable to use the progestin only pill (without estrogen).
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Breastfeeding does not provide any protection against becoming pregnant – NOT TRUE!

It is not a foolproof method, but no method is. In fact, breastfeeding is not a bad method of child spacing, and gives reliable protection especially during the first six months after birth. It almost as good as the pill if the baby is under six months of age, if breastfeeding is exclusive, and if the mother has not yet had a normal menstrual period after giving birth. After the first six months, the protection is less, but still present, and on average, women breastfeeding into the second year of life will have a baby every two to three years even without any artificial method of contraception.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

If your baby burps or breaks a wind while breastfeeding, you will get milk-fever – NOT TRUE!

There is no possibility of your baby giving you any kind of milk fever or breast infection by burping while feeding at the breast.

*A mother with an infection 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, diarrhoea, rash, etc.) she has or could have 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, 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.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A mother should not drink alcohol while breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

Reasonable alcohol intake (e.g. a glass of wine) need not be discouraged. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A mother who smokes is better off not breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

A mother who cannot stop smoking should breastfeed. Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the negative effects of cigarette smoke on the baby’s lungs, for example. Breastfeeding confers great health benefits on both mother and baby. It would be better if the mother not smoke, but if she cannot stop or cut down, then it is better she smoke and breastfeed than smoke and formula feed.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A breastfeeding mother has to drink lots of fluids -NOT TRUE!

The mother should drink according to her thirst. Some mothers feel they are thirsty all the time, but many others do not drink more than usual. The mother’s body knows if she needs more fluids, and tells her by making her feel thirsty. Do not believe that you have to drink at least a certain number of glasses a day. Rules about drinking just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A breastfeeding mother has to be obsessive about what she eats – NOT TRUE!

A breastfeeding mother should try to eat a balanced diet, but neither needs to eat any special foods nor avoid certain foods. A breastfeeding mother does not need to drink milk in order to make milk. A breastfeeding mother does not need to avoid spicy foods, garlic, cabbage or alcohol. A breastfeeding mother should eat a normal healthful diet. Although there are situations when something the mother eats may affect the baby, this is unusual. Most commonly, “colic”, “gassiness” and crying can be improved by changing breastfeeding techniques, rather than changing the mother’s diet.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*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. It is imperative that the mother is shown how to remove and latch her baby correctly, to avoid further nipple trauma.
Limiting feeding time does not prevent soreness. Taking the baby off the breast (i.e. not feeding from that breast) for the nipples to heal should be a last resort only.
A new onset of pain when things have been going well for a while may be due to a yeast infection (thrush) of the nipples.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

* A mother should wash her nipples before feeding her 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.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Breastfeeding is tiring for mothers – NOT TRUE!

It is not breastfeeding that tires mothers, but the adjustment to a new lifestyle as well as the demands of the baby. Many breastfeeding mothers make use of feeding times to relax with a book on a comfortable chair or lie on the bed.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Nipples must be prepared for breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

Nipple preparation is unnecessary.
No ‘toughening up’ of nipples is needed – if anything, it is detrimental to breastfeeding and certainly brings no benefits. Ensuring a good latch is what prevents nipple soreness.
Your baby will be satisfied with your nipples, regardless of what they look like, and will latch and suckle if put to the breast as soon as possible after a birth.
Please note that flat and inverted nipples as well as the size and shape of the nipple are not a contra-indication to breastfeeding. Babies need to latch onto the breast not the nipple.
At around 37 weeks of pregnancy it may be useful to learn how to express colostrum. Expect no more than a drop or two and do not be concerned if you don’t see any.

Myths About the Newborn

A ‘good routine” at the start means always a ‘good routine’ – NOT TRUE!

When newborn babies happen to have regular breastfeeding and sleeping times it is NOT an indication that they have a routine. These times are likely to vary substantially in the weeks and months ahead.
For more information see Demand Feeding on our Breastfeeding Basics page.

A baby becomes spoiled if he is demand fed – NOT TRUE!

Feeding a small baby on demand is simply meeting his needs – giving him what he needs, when he needs it. This does not spoil the baby.
A small baby is totally dependent on his mother. When hungry, he has an overwhelming need to be fed. A baby gets food and comfort at the breast and should not be made to always wait for these basic needs.

When a newborn baby turns or pushes away from the breast, he does not want to breastfeed – NOT TRUE!

All babies want to breastfeed – it is a natural instinct. When they are ready to breastfeed for the first time varies. Not all babies want to breastfeed immediately after birth, although most will breastfeed within the first hour.
Healthy babies who stay with their mothers, preferably skin to skin, and whose mothers have not had pain relieving drugs during labour, are most likely to breastfeed within this first hour.
If your baby is still very young, and he cries or pulls away when you try and breastfeed him, it is most likely that you and your baby need help with positioning and latching. Get help from an experienced nurse or, if possible, a lactation consultant.
Never try and force a crying baby to breastfeed. Always calm him down first, express a little milk onto your nipple and try again.

Babies must be bathed at birth or soon after birth -NOT TRUE!

It is in fact detrimental to bath a baby too soon after birth.
Healthy, towel dried un-medicated newborn babies when left skin to skin on their mother’s chest will instinctively move towards the nipple to breastfeed. This instinct is partially driven by sight and smell. The darker areola (dark area around the nipple) is easier to see and the baby’s hands and his mother’s areola have a similar smell. Thus the familiar smell on his hands, also present on the areola leads him in the right direction. Bathing changes the smell of his hands and he consequently looses one of his clues.
Not separating mothers and babies at this crucial time has been shown to play an important role in early successful breastfeeding.
What’s more the vernix (fatty substance on a new born baby’s skin) is not dirty. It protected his skin for months while he was swimming in the amniotic fluid and will continue to keep his skin soft and supple until it is gradually absorbed or washed off.
Besides, babies are likely to get cold when bathed – the right place for a newborn baby is skin to skin on his mother’s chest, at least until his first successful breastfeed.

The first milk is ‘dirty milk’ – NOT TRUE!

Sadly there are cultures all over the world who believe this myth, and consequently many babies do not benefit from nature’s wonder-food the first milk, called colostrum.
Colostrum is present in small amounts but packed with the antibodies and nutrients that your baby needs. It is like giving your baby his first immunization and he loves it.
If your baby does not breastfeed within the first hour or two of birth it would be hugely beneficial to express a few drops or more, if you can, onto a clean teaspoon and offer it to him.
Should your baby be born premature it is even more essential that he gets his colostrum.

*Premature babies need to learn to take bottles before they can start breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

Premature babies are less stressed by breastfeeding than by bottle feeding.
A baby as small as 1200 grams and even smaller can start being put at the breast as soon as he is stable, even though he may not latch on for several weeks. Still, he is learning and he is being held which is important for his well-being and his mother’s.
Actually, weight or gestational age do not matter as much as the baby’s readiness to suck, as determined by his making sucking movements.
There is no more reason to give bottles to premature babies than to full term babies. Any supplementation can be given by cup.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Kangaroo mother or father care (skin-to-skin care) is only for premature babies – NOT TRUE!

Full term babies reap all the same benefits of Kangaroo Mother Care as premature babies do. Studies show that it is a misconception to think only premature babies need skin to skin care.
On his website Kangaroo Mother Care, Dr Nils Bergman says
‘What studies from psychology, zoology and psychiatry now show is that skin-to-skin contact from birth is vital to start all of the baby’s physical and emotional regulation, and should be the right of every baby at birth.’

‘Being with mother on her chest at birth should be the normal situation for every baby at birth.’
Also speaking about Kangaroo Mother Care:
‘This is defined as immediate skin to skin contact following the birth of a healthy infant. Before birth, hormones prime and trigger the mother. After birth, events are determined not by hormones and not by the mother but by the newborn stimulating the mother.’ – Rosenblatt 1994

*There is no such thing as nipple confusion – NOT TRUE!

The baby is not confused, though, the baby knows exactly what he wants. A baby who is getting slow flow from the breast and then gets rapid flow from a bottle, will figure that one out pretty quickly. A baby who has had only the breast for three or four months is unlikely to take the bottle. Some babies prefer the right or left breast to the other. Bottle fed babies often prefer one artificial nipple to another. So there is such a thing as preferring one nipple to another. The only question is how quickly it can occur. Given the right set of circumstances, the preference can occur after one or two bottles. The baby having difficulties latching on may never have had an artificial nipple, but the introduction of an artificial nipple rarely improves the situation, and often makes it much worse. Note that many who say there is no such thing as nipple confusion also advise the mother to start a bottle early so that the baby will not refuse it.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Myths About the Baby’s Health

*Babies will stay on the breast for two hours because they like to suck. Not true!

Babies need and like to suck, but how much do they need? Most babies who stay at the breast for such a long time are probably hungry, even though they may be gaining well. Being on the breast is not the same as drinking at the breast. Latching the baby better onto the breast allows the baby to breastfeed more effectively, and thus spend more time actually drinking. You can also help the baby to drink more by expressing milk into his mouth when he no longer swallows on his own (See Information Sheet Breast Compression). Babies younger than 5-6 weeks often fall asleep at the breast because the flow of milk is slow, not necessarily because they have had enough to eat. See videos at nbci.ca.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Babies with cleft lip and/or palate cannot breastfeed – NOT TRUE!

Some do very well. Babies with a cleft lip only usually manage fine. But many babies with cleft palate do indeed find it impossible to latch on. There is no doubt, however, that if breastfeeding is not even tried, for sure the baby won’t breastfeed. The baby’s ability to breastfeed does not always seem to depend on the severity of the cleft. Breastfeeding should be started, as much as possible, using the principles of proper establishment of breastfeeding. If bottles are given, they will undermine the baby’s ability to breastfeed.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Babies must be trained to have a routine – NOT TRUE!

Allow your baby to develop his own routine rather than forcing him into a routine. It is far gentler and teaches your baby about trusting those that care for him. And trust lays down a firm foundation for when your child needs to learn about discipline.
It is true that having a baby is a life changing experience. Mothers, fathers, families all have a new role to play. One of the most challenging is learning to cope with night time feeds.
However if you follow your baby’s feeding cues and he feeds more often during the day, he is more likely to stretch the time between his night time feeds. For example many babies want to ‘cluster-feed’ in the late afternoons and evenings, if allowed to do so they are more likely to sleep for a longer stretches at night. Consequently your baby will develop his own ‘routine’.

Holding or carrying your baby too much will spoil him – NOT TRUE!

Spending time holding and cuddling your baby does not spoil him. Babies need to be held and comforted. Ignore attempts by others to prescribe to you and your partner how you should handle your baby. Do what feels right to you.
It is true that some babies are more demanding than others. However by responding to their needs they learn about security and trust. In the long run it is far more beneficial to carry your baby and get family members and others to help, rather than to leave your baby crying on his own.

All babies must break a wind after every feed – NOT TRUE!

Too many mothers spend too much time burping their babies. Many babies also get unnecessary medication to ‘help them break their winds’.
The truth is that many babies don’t need much ‘winding’ time.
Once relaxed after a feed a baby could be winded for 5 minutes and whether he has broken a wind in that time or not, he could be put down to sleep. He may break a wind ‘top or bottom’ later while sleeping. Should he then become restless, he may need a few little pats to settle him down again.
Some babies fall asleep at the breast but as soon as they are put down they wake up. Often this is interpreted as a wind that has woken the baby. It is more likely that he in fact hadn’t quite finished his feed and needs a bit more time at the breast.

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.

*A breastfeeding baby needs extra water in hot weather – NOT TRUE!

Breastmilk contains all the water a baby needs.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*If the baby is off the breast for a few days, the mother should not restart breastfeeding because the milk sours – NOT TRUE!

Your milk is as good as it ever was. Breastmilk in the breast is not milk or formula in a bottle.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Sometimes breastmilk tastes salty – NOT TRUE!

Breastmilk does not taste salty. If your baby is refusing or drinking less than before, the most likely reason is that he has had enough and is cutting back at the time spent at the breast.
Should he appear to be in pain, running a temperature or passing urine that is dark and strong smelling, he is not well and you would need to see your clinic sister or doctor.
It is however true that the taste of strongly flavoured foods that you eat may be present in your milk. Your baby will enjoy this variation in flavour as it tantalises his taste buds in preparation for the family foods that he will enjoy with the family when he is ready.

Breastmilk can be too weak – NOT TRUE!

Your breastmilk is always perfect for your baby.
The first milk (colostrum) may look watery or as bright yellow as butter, to mention only two variations, but is always packed with the nutrients and anti-bodies that your baby needs for the first few days.
Breastmilk’s colour changes over the first few days and weeks. By the time your baby is 2 months old it may look quite watery and have a bluish tinge when you express a little. This is absolutely normal and remains perfect for your baby.

*Babies who are breastfed on demand are likely to be “colicky” – NOT TRUE!

“Colicky” breastfed babies often gain weight very quickly and sometimes are feeding frequently. However, many are colicky not because they are feeding frequently, but because they do not take the high fat milk as well as they should. Typically, the baby drinks very well for the first few minutes, then nibbles or sleeps. When the baby is offered the other side, he will drink well again for a short while and then nibble or sleep. The baby will fill up with relatively low fat milk and thus feed frequently. The taking in of mostly low fat milk may also result in gas, crying and explosive watery bowel movements. The mother can urge the baby to breastfeed longer on the first side, and thus get more high fat milk.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Breastfeeding babies need other types of milk after six months – NOT TRUE!

Breastmilk gives the baby everything there is in other milks and more. Babies older than six months should be started on solids mainly so that they learn how to eat and so that they begin to get another source of iron, which by 7-9 months, is not supplied in sufficient quantities from breastmilk alone. Thus cow’s milk or formula will not be necessary as long as the baby is breastfeeding. However, if the mother wishes to give milk after 6 months, there is no reason that the baby cannot get a little other milk, as long as the baby is still breastfeeding a few times a day, and is also getting a wide variety of solid foods in more than minimal amounts.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A baby with diarrhea should not breastfeed – NOT TRUE!

The best treatment for a gut infection (gastroenteritis) is breastfeeding.
Furthermore, it is very unusual for the baby to require fluids other than breastmilk.
Lactose intolerance due to gastroenteritis will disappear with time. Lactose free formula is not better than breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is better than any formula.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*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 baby is comforted by the breastfeeding, and the mother is comforted by the baby’s breastfeeding.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A mother who smokes is better off not breastfeeding – NOT TRUE!

A mother who cannot stop smoking should breastfeed. Breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the negative effects of cigarette smoke on the baby’s lungs, for example. Breastfeeding confers great health benefits on both mother and baby. It would be better if the mother not smoke, but if she cannot stop or cut down, then it is better she smoke and breastfeed than smoke and formula feed.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Myths About “Enough Milk”

A mother whose breasts do not seem full has little milk in the breast. Not true!

Breasts do not have to feel full to produce plenty of milk. It is normal that a breastfeeding woman’s breasts feel less full as her body adjusts to her baby’s milk intake. This can happen suddenly and may occur as early as two weeks after birth or even earlier. The breast is never “empty” and also produces milk as the baby breastfeeds. Is the baby getting milk from the breast? That’s what’s important, not how full the breast feels. Look skeptically upon anyone who squeezes your breasts to make a determination of milk sufficiency or insufficiency. See videos at nbci.ca.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

You cannot breastfeed from one side only – NOT TRUE!

Many mothers successfully feed their babies from one breast only. Breastmilk supply is dependent on the demand, in other words, the more a baby drinks the more milk his mother will produce. That is why twins can also be successfully breastfed.
However the most common reason given for wanting to feed on one side only, is that the baby does not like the other side, when in fact the mom is uncomfortable feeding on the other side. Get help on positioning your baby from an experienced person such as a lactation consultant .
Should you feed from one side only, for whatever reason, it would be a good idea to express a little to relieve the other side if it gets full and uncomfortable. That breast will slowly produce less and less milk as time goes by. The ‘breastfeeding’ breast will produce enough if your baby is allowed to suckle when ever and as often as he wants to.

Exercising while breastfeeding can dry up your milk – NOT TRUE!

Research indicates that the opposite is in fact true. Moderate exercise enhances your milk supply. Your level of fitness would determine the intensity of any exercise that you partake in. As always it is important to drink plenty of water when exercising, becoming dehydrated is always bad for your health.

*Expressing is a good way of knowing how much milk you have – NOT TRUE!

How much milk can be expressed 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. Expressing only tells you have much you can express.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

* Breastfeeding mothers’ milk can dry up “just like that” – NOT TRUE!

Or if this can occur, it must be a rare occurrence. Aside from day to day and morning to evening variations, milk production does not change suddenly. There are changes which occur which may make it seem as if milk production is suddenly much less:
An increase in the needs of the baby, the so-called growth spurt. If this is the reason for the seemingly insufficient milk, a few days of more frequent nursing will bring things back to normal. Try compressing the breast with your hand to help the baby get milk. (See article by Dr Jack Newman’s on breast compression)
A change in the baby’s behaviour. At about five to six weeks of age, more or less, babies who would fall asleep at the breast when the flow of milk slowed down, tend to start pulling at the breast or crying when the milk flow slows. The milk has not dried up, but the baby has changed. Try using breast compression to help the baby get more milk. See article on Breast Compression
The mother’s breasts do not seem full or are soft. It is normal after a few weeks for the mother no longer to have engorgement, or even fullness of the breasts. As long as the baby is drinking at the breast, do not be concerned
The baby breastfeeds less well. This is often due to the baby being given bottles or dummies and thus learning an inappropriate way of breastfeeding.
The birth control pill may decrease your milk supply. Think about stopping the pill or changing to a progesterone only pill. Or use other methods. Other drugs that can decrease milk supply are pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), some antihistamines, and perhaps diuretics.
If the baby truly seems not to be getting enough, get help, but do not introduce a bottle that may only make things worse. If absolutely necessary, the baby can be supplemented, using a lactation aid that will not interfere with breastfeeding. However, lots can be done before giving supplements. Get help. Try compressing the breast with your hand to help the baby get milk
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk – NOT TRUE!

Women on even very low calorie diets usually make enough milk, at least until the mother’s calorie intake becomes critically low for a prolonged period of time. Generally, the baby will get what he needs.
Some women worry that if they eat poorly for a few days this also will affect their milk. There is no need for concern. Such variations will not affect milk supply or quality.
It is commonly said that women need to eat 500 extra calories a day in order to breastfeed. This is not true. Some women do eat more when they breastfeed, but others do not, and some even eat less, without any harm done to the mother or baby or the milk supply. The mother should eat a balanced diet dictated by her appetite. Rules about eating just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Women with small breasts produce less milk than those with large breasts – NONSENSE!

*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*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.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*Women who’s breasts do not enlarge, or enlarge only a little during pregnancy will not produce enough milk – NOT TRUE!

There are a very few women who cannot produce enough milk (though they can continue to breastfeed by supplementing with a lactation aid). Some of these women say that their breasts did not enlarge during pregnancy. However, the vast majority of women whose breasts do not seem to enlarge during pregnancy produce more than enough milk.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*There is no (or 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. But unfortunately her milk supply is likely to dwindle unless the latch is corrected.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

Myths About Surgery

*If a mother has surgery, she has to wait a day before restarting nursing – NOT TRUE!

The mother can breastfeed immediately after surgery, as soon as she is awake and up to it. Neither the medications used during anesthesia, nor pain medications nor antibiotics used after surgery, require the mother to interrupt breastfeeding, except under exceptional circumstances. Enlightened hospitals will accommodate breastfeeding mothers and babies when either the mother or the baby needs to be admitted to the hospital, so that breastfeeding can continue. Many rules that restrict breastfeeding are more for the convenience of staff than for the benefit of mothers and babies.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A woman who has had breast reduction surgery cannot breastfeed – NOT TRUE!

Breast reduction surgery does decrease the mother’s capacity to produce milk, but since many mothers produce more than enough milk, some mothers who have had breast reduction surgery can breastfeed exclusively. In such a situation, the establishment of breastfeeding should be done with special care to the principles of good breastfeeding techniques. However, if the mother seems not to produce enough, she can still breastfeed, supplementing with a lactation aid. (Artificial nipples/teats could interfere with breastfeeding).
Further information about lactation aids contact La Leche League or a lactation consultant – see useful contacts.
*Myths by Dr Jack Newman

*A woman who has had breast augmentation surgery cannot breastfeed – NOT TRUE!