Breastfeeding has been proven to be a very positive thing for both mother and baby, however there are many myths surrounding the subject. Here are some of them.

1. Some women produce poor quality milk and therefore the baby does not gain weight.

Even if you eat poorly and your diet is not completely balanced, you can rest assured that the cells that are responsible for making milk manage to extract from the mother’s reserves everything necessary for the baby to have everything he or she needs.

2. There are mothers who do not produce enough milk

The baby, like any mammalian offspring, controls the amount of milk to be produced by its mother. The baby’s demand must be respected, i.e., let him drink as many times as he needs, ensuring a correct position at the breast.

3. Breastfed babies do not sleep well at night

That babies sleep alone through the night is a culturally accepted pretense, which in reality differs from the nutritional and psychological needs of children. Babies grow at an accelerated rate, in most cases 25% of their milk consumption occurs during the night. On the other hand, being immature, babies have a shallow sleep, which is a protective mechanism for their sleep.

4. The breastfeeding mother should have a special diet and restrict certain foods to avoid gas and colic in infants.

We often hear that the breastfeeding mother should not drink sodas or certain foods that can change the taste of the milk, such as garlic or onions. It is true that a particular diet can influence the taste and color of the milk, but a breastfed baby gets used to feeding with milk of different flavors without any problem. What this means is that there are no food restrictions of any kind, unless otherwise directed by a doctor.

5. A woman has to drink milk to produce milk

It is very common to hear that the nursing mother must increase her milk intake to cope with the increased calcium demand due to lactation. However, calcium can be obtained from a variety of non-dairy sources such as green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts and fish such as sardines and salmon. In other words, calcium should be increased, not milk intake per se.

6. The infant should empty both breasts at each feeding.

It is best for the child to finish drinking from the first breast before offering the second breast. The milk at the end of the feeding is rich in fat (provides more calories) and is obtained gradually as the child empties the breast. If the infant is switched before the breast is empty, the baby will only consume the first milk and will not get the natural balance between the milk at the beginning and end of the feeding, reducing caloric intake.

7. Breast milk expression is a good way to know how much milk the mother has available.

It is not a reliable measure. The amount of milk expressed varies by many factors, but, in general, a well-fed baby will express more milk than its mother can artificially express.

8. Breastfeeding on demand leads to dependent children and couple disorders

Breastfeeding on demand is a necessity for babies. The baby must have a dependent relationship with its mother, because the human offspring is immature from the physiological and psychological point of view. The baby’s needs are very intense at first, but decrease over time.

9. Successful breastfeeding depends on the type of delivery, the shape of the nipples and the size of the breasts.

Successful breastfeeding is related to the information and support the mother receives, her self-confidence, and the frequent and efficient placement of the baby at the breast. It has nothing to do with nipple shape, breast size or type of delivery. Small breasts breastfeed just as well as larger breasts. The shape of the nipples generally does not affect lactation. Finally, the type of delivery, the medication the mother received or even postpartum complications may delay the initiation of breastfeeding somewhat, but have no influence once it has begun.

10. Low milk production is inherited

Milk production has nothing to do with luck or heredity, but has to do with the frequency with which the baby is breastfed, and the position of the baby when breastfeeding. However, it is important to recognize that the presence of another mother who has not had a good experience in a breastfeeding couple’s environment can affect the mother’s confidence, diminishing it through unfortunate comments. This will not happen if the mother is well informed.