Common Myths About Breastfeeding

Exercising Changes How Breastfeeding Milk Tastes

The first myth that we want to consider here is the fact that exercise causes the taste of a mother’s breast milk to change. There are quite a number of publications that have made such claims. To date, no scientific evidence has been presented that proofs this to be true. In fact, exercise is important for the human body – even after a woman has given birth, there might be much more benefits to be experienced when it comes to looking at exercise while the woman is breastfeeding her baby. 

When A Mother Is Sick, She Should Avoid Breastfeeding Completely

We have also seen many publications stating that a woman should avoid breastfeeding her child if she is sick. While there are some diseases that could implicate breastfeeding, common illnesses like the flu should not have a significant effect on the baby. In fact, when a mother has the flu or another condition, the antibodies that are created in response to the illness in her body may pass on to her baby – this can help to strengthen the baby’s immune system and make them stronger when it comes to fighting against such conditions. 

Breastfeeding Mothers Should Not Use Any Type Of Medication

We often hear that mothers should never use medications if they are breastfeeding. This particular pointer is part myth and part true, however. A woman is able to use certain types of medications and even some herbal supplements when they are breastfeeding, but not everything is considered safe while lactating. There are certain drugs on the market, as well as some supplements, that may not be completely safe for a woman to utilize when they are in the process of breastfeeding their baby. For this reason, when breastfeeding, a woman will be best off discussing the use of medications and herbal supplements with their healthcare provider. This will help them understand what is safe and what could be harmful to the baby. 

A Baby Will Be Clingy When They Are Breastfed

We have also seen some publications claiming that babies who are breastfed tend to be clingier than those babies who are provided with formula instead of breastfed. Once again, we should note here that no scientific evidence has been provided to prove that this is a valid fact. It is usually not the fact that a baby is breastfed that makes the baby clingier than usual. It is known that some babies tend to be clingy, while others are not as clingy – babies can be clingy whether or not they are breastfed. 

A Woman Needs To Wean Her Baby Before She Goes Back To Work

The woman only gets a certain amount of leave after they have had a baby – they then have to go back to work. This means the mother would not be home all the time to feed the baby throughout the day. For this reason, some people state that a woman needs to wean her baby off breastmilk and start putting them on formula before they have to go back to work. This is not true, however. There are millions of women who tend to continue providing their baby with breastmilk even once they have returned to the workplace. Some countries have more open policies when it comes to public breastfeeding. In such a case, it would be great if someone could bring the baby to the woman’s workplace so she can breastfeed her baby during working hours. A substitute can also be provided to the baby during the day, and then the mother can breastfeed the baby after she gets home from work. 

Breastfeeding Is An Easy Task

One last thing that we want to look at – there are some publications that might make it sound like breastfeeding is really easy. We’re not saying that its an exceptionally hard task that you will be doing, but breastfeeding does take some getting used to. During the first few days, the mother is likely going to experience some discomfort. This is especially the case among women who have had their first baby. Breastfeeding eventually takes strategy. The woman has to learn how to position her baby to provide them with adequate support. The baby also needs to attach to the woman’s breast in the right way. Over time, however, breastfeeding does tend to become an easier task – but many women do have some difficulty in the beginning. 

Conclusion

Even though studies have determined that breastfeeding has a large number of benefits to contribute to a baby, the many myths that are often spread about breastfeeding can make things confusing. We looked at some of these myths in this post and provided details to help you better understand the truth.