Myths about breastfeeding

Some Myths About Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding must have started when the first child was born to a woman. We could have imagined the mother in panic when the child cried so hard - she knew that the baby was hungry, but she did not know what to do. The woman followed instincts, lifted her baby to give him warmth and comfort, pressed him against her breast and having found the perfect niche, began to suck the rich milk from his mother.

For generations, myths surrounding breastfeeding had shunned away some mothers and opted for infant formula. It is disappointing to note that despite efforts of the government to educate mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding, it has been continuously avoided because of the belief that breastfeeding are that harmful. Here at the Tips for New Parents blog (http://www.parentstips.blogspot.com), we present to you some of the myths about breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding is easy to do. New mothers have not foreseen that breastfeeding involves delicate handling of the baby and must consume most of their time sacrificing their other activities. Those who have other priorities than tying themselves to the care of their babies, have resorted to bottle fed their babies under the care of nannies.

Mothers who breast-fed had observed that breastfeeding countered the effects of depression. Breastfeeding mothers, especially those that are not gainfully employed, felt the pressure of staying at home in order to attend to the needs of their babies. They lose the chance of involving in activities that they are used to, cannot mingle with peers, and much more, feel the fang of being left behind while the rest of the crowd are moving on. But being near with their children had given them the strength to face all odds and positive outlooks in life.

There is not enough milk for the baby during the early days after birth. Some have opined that mothers have less milk at the start of the breastfeeding stage, while the baby, who has just started to suck, is ravenous for the mother’s milk. Studies have shown that the baby is hydrated while in the mother’s womb via the placenta, hence, mother’s milk is just enough to feed the infant while he adjusted himself.

There is no need to breastfeed if only to provide protection against infection. It is believed that an infant is fragile only during the first few months and can develop the needed immune system as it grows which can be supplemented by medicines. Although it is true that the infant has the greatest need for protection during its early months, its need will continue as he grows especially that full maturity of his immune system is attained at least 2-4 years, and a continues breastfeeding would provide the needed anti-infective factors and immunomodulators as long as breast milk is produced.

Breastfeeding causes over dependence on the mother, thereby forcing the mother to continuously spend more time to her child. Although the earliest time of weaning is about 2 ½ years, some mothers are afraid that they have to baby sit continuously after this period because their child does not want other’s care. On the contrary, experts in child care emphasized that breastfeeding tends to make the children more independent than their peers who are bottle-fed, and can therefore devote their times in other responsibilities.

Breastfeeding causes maternal sore nipples. This is alarming to mothers who are conscious of their looks and afraid to get hurt. Maternal sore nipples are caused by ignorance on proper latch-on, poor positioning, and use of unnecessary washing, lotions and creams.

The aforementioned are the myths about breastfeeding. Do bookmark this page from the tips for new parents blog (http://parentstips.blogspot.com) and don't hesitate to share it to your friends especially new mothers.