Common Breastfeeding Myths

Yes! Breastfeeding Myths! This means that not all you have read or been told about breastfeeding is true. This means that you are not alone in having to wonder if some of the things you have been told about breastfeeding is the truth or not.
So, yes, here are some common myths and my reaction to it:

Myth 1: Breastfeeding is supposed to be painful!

This is simply not true. Many women find that breastfeeding does hurt, but that's not the way it's supposed to be. If breastfeeding is still hurting your nipples after the first three or four days, it's probably because your baby isn't latching on properly to your breast. There could also be other reasons related to your babies oral cavity or your breast and nipple anatomy. Painful breastfeeding shouldn't be ignored or accepted, it can be overcome - speak to your local IBCLC>

Myth 2: Many women don't produce enough milk. Not true! Most women are capable of producing even more milk than their baby actually needs. The problem is most likely not with milk production but with the baby getting access to the milk. He may not be latching on properly or something else is not right - are you holding him in the correct position, for example? Some other common reasons for low milk supply is that perhaps a mother is taking medication that is interfering in her ability to produce a fully supply. Perhaps she has had breast surgery that has an impact on her milk production. A Board Certified Lactation Consultant ( IBCLC), will provide a complete evaluation to help get to the bottom of this!

Myth 3: If babies feed a lot, that means they aren't getting enough milk.

Because breast milk is so easy to digest, babies generally get hungrier sooner than if they are formula-fed. It's appropriate for your breastfeeding newborn baby to eat every two to three hours. If everything else is going well with your babies output, weight gain, contentness after feeds, feeding frequency alone is not a sign of breastfeeding problems or low milk supply.

Myth 4: A breastfeeding baby needs extra water in hot weather.

This is a great myth I would love to debunk! Especially for those of us living here in Arizona. I meet many mothers who report they are being pushed by family members to give their well fed babies some water in a bottle, largely because it is to hot here in Arizona. This is not necessary as breastmilk contains all the water a baby needs. This also serves as a gentle reminder to feed babies whenever they show hunger cues as frequent breastfeeding ensures that your baby will stay well hydrated.

These are just a few of the many myths that I encounter on a daily basis in my private practice. Check back again as I will be adding more to this list in future posts.

Stephanie and Sadie - Part 3 - conclusion

Each and every time I work with a mom, it confirms to me the importance of taking the time to hear her story and asking and receiving answers to some very specific questions. Mothers have different medical backgrounds and babies can also come with different problems that they bring to the breastfeeding situation.

NOTE: If you are new to this blog, you will want to first read my December 28th post as that is the beginning of this story, which has 3 parts.

The facts surrounding what happened after Stephanie's pediatric visit is what is most interesting to note.

Stephanie had not been pumping to increase her supply and was relying solely on her baby to remove the milk and increase her supply. Sadie had a very shallow latch which tends to reduce the amount of milk transfer. She also was a baby that seemed okay to be pacifying at breast without getting a good feeding. Sadies output decreased gradually which made the changes less noticeable. As the days went on, Sadie became labeled as a "good sleeper." Stephanie and her family were grateful for this. While her energy level was gradually picking up after the birth, she was still quite tired.

Once I ruled out any anatomical issue in Sadie's mouth that might be causing a problem with her achieving an excellent latch, I worked closely with Stephanie in teaching her proper position and latch. I wanted to be sure that by the time this consult was over, Stephanie could latch her baby on well and was comfortable doing so. I also discussed the importance of helping her increase her milk production as quickly as possible, however, until then, it would be necessary for Stephanie to begin supplementing baby again. While Stephanie was not happy about this, she understood that a poorly fed baby has a lack of energy and will make it more difficult to become a good breastfeeder. She understood this as she could relate with regards to her own fatigue issues.

Stephanies care plan was very specific to her and her babies situation.

1. She was to breastfeed with an excellent latch every feeding and be careful to keep baby at breast during nutritive suckling activity. This is the period when baby is actually transferring milk from the breast into the baby's mouth.

2. Once baby tired and was no longer suckling effectively, she was given a bottle of milk, while Stephanie could then put her efforts into pumping.

3. She agreed to rent the hospital grade pump from me and was fitted with the correct size flanges, given detailed pumping instructions as well as offered herbs to help increase her supply.

4. Since her baby was 4 weeks old, I was realistic with Stephanie and stated that this could easily take several weeks or more until she has a full supply. There was also a chance that she might not gain a full supply and always need to be supplemented. The best she could do was stay on this care plan and check in with me every few days. Based on her feedback, I would help her moniter her progress and make changes as needed.

I am happy to report that it took about 3 weeks for Stephanie to have a full supply and no longer need to supplement baby with any milk in a bottle. She slowly weaned from her regular pumping, however, will continue to take a small amount of herbs on a regular basis at least for the next month or so as we continue to moniter her progress.

I wanted to share this story so my readers could see how a breastfeeding challenge that to some might seem hopeless, can be turned around into a successful breastfeeding experience.

I also wanted to share a few other important aspects of this story as I have found that sometimes mothers who are searching for answers can read a story and if it sounds like their problem, they begin to follow the care plan stated.

It is important to note that there are frequently variables in each mother/baby couple. There could be variations in mothers medical history, her breast and nipple tissue as well as something different with babies oral cavity that needs to be addressed. For all these reasons, I continue to fully support and encourage mothers who are suffering with breastfeeding challenges to seek the help and expert guidance of their local IBCLC. This is how we can assure that there are no missing pieces to the puzzle and all avenues have been pursued, before giving advise and suggesting a care plan.

I wish all my website and blog visitors and clients a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Lori

Leslie and baby Sadie - Part 2

As a lactation consultant, I like to spend some time with mothers asking them questions that are directly related to the breastfeeding challenges that they are presenting with. After about 30 minutes of specific questions, here is what I learned.

Leslie lost enough blood after her birth that she needed a transfusion. Leslie and Sadie came home at 5 days postpartum. Sadie had lost 10 oz in her first two days of life and needed to be supplemented. Her feeding routine was to breastfeed first and drink milk from a bottle afterwards. This worked great as Sadie seemed happy and satisfied after feedings, had the appropriate amount of diaper count and was sleeping well. Stephanie slowly began to wean baby from the bottle until baby was receiving no supplements by the time she attended her first pediatric appointment. This appointment was actually when baby was 10 days old, rather than the initial thought of 2 week appointment. I would agree with her pediatrician that given her initial weight loss, a 5 oz weight gain between discharge and appointment was appropriate. At this point, Sadie was 5 oz less than birthweight but not yet two weeks old.

I surmised that Sadie was probably weight appropriate at that appointment because of her supplements. In talking further with Leslie, she states never having felt full in her breast tissue, but she attributed this to her baby feeding so frequently and so long each time that she never had enough time to really "fill up."

It is common for new mothers who have never breastfed, to not necessarily know what a baby with a good latch looks like when they are nutritively sucking, as well as what it should feel like. Stephanie made an assumption that since breastfeeding did not hurt her, that the latch was good and baby was getting enough milk per feeding.

spent time showing pictures and videos of a well latched baby who is actually drinking milk from the breast. I talked about what a good latch should look and feel like and with Sadie at her breast, demonstrated to Stephanie how to help her come onto the breast with an excellent latch. Stephanie now understands that her baby was doing very little suckling ( milk removal) at breast and that the feather like sucks did not cause her nipple pain.

It was helpful for Stephanie to learn that when mothers have severe blood loss that requires a transfusion, this can cause a delay in their milk volume increasing. Stephanie was given appropriate advise to supplement her baby and this is why Sadie looked and behaved normally at her 10 day appointment.

Now that you have been given a window into what Stephanies breastfeeding history has been, please check in tomorrow to read the conclusion and find out how Stephanie turned her situation around and reached a happy place of a great milk supply and exclusive breastfeeding in a relatively short period of time.

Please note again: While this is a true story, certain parts of the information has been changed to assure anonymity.