|
Click here, or on the picture, to feel
warm and fuzzy!
"I like Mike!" Gravel '08...
End the Corruption!
End the
war!
Save the planet!
http://www.allthingsgravel.us/
A
few of our designs available on various products at cafepress:
Do you like organic stuff? Is your baby a fan too? Get
this cute organic, hand-painted tee for your little sprout (or choose a custom
slogan of your own). Click on the pictures for more information.
| |
Breastfeeding Myths
You may be surprised to learn there are still many old myths circulating that
undermine a modern mother’s breastfeeding experience. To save you some
uncertainty, we’ve debunked the most common ones…
Myth:
Artificial formulas
are as good as breast milk.
Fact:
Don’t be fooled
by marketing! Modern formulas are only superficially similar to breast milk and
an “advance” is really only the correction of a deficiency in formulations.
Breast milk is the perfect “elixir”, full of essential antibodies, enzymes, and
hormones – and it never spoils or gets recalled.
Myth:
Many women do
not produce enough milk.
Fact: The vast
majority of women can produce more than enough milk for one or more babies.
Babies that gain too slowly (or lose weight) usually do so because the baby is
not nursing often enough or is not removing enough milk due to a poor latch.
These are temporary problems that can usually be resolved with trained support
as soon as a problem arises.
Myth:
Women with small
breasts/large breasts can’t produce enough milk.
Fact:
Breast size does not determine lactation success. Milk production is primarily
related to feeding frequency requirements and breast storage capacity (which
varies) and effective milk removal by baby.
Myth:
My baby
must not be getting enough or my milk is “weak” – he’s hungry again already!
Fact:
Breast milk
quality is quite reliable - even malnourished mothers can produce balanced,
nutritious milk. However, breastfed babies digest their meal more quickly than
formula formula-fed babies due to the smaller size of the protein molecules in
human milk. Research shows this pattern is ideal for proper infant nutrition
and growth.
Myth:
It’s day two – my baby
needs formula until my milk is “in”.
Fact:
A newborn baby
is receiving colostrum during the first few days of breastfeeding. The small
amounts of colostrum are full of antibodies and other essential benefits. At
birth a newborn’s tummy is about the size of a marble so the small, frequent
feedings are just right until the mature milk arrives a few days later.
Myth:
It is normal for
breastfeeding to hurt.
Fact:
Some tenderness
during the first few days is relatively common but this should resolve within a
few days. Any pain beyond that is almost always due to poor latch-on. Seek a
trained breastfeeding educator sooner than later.
Myth:
There is no way to
know how much breast milk the baby is getting.
Fact:
Daily diaper counts (six to eight wet cloth diapers - paper diapers may be fewer
due to higher absorbency - and three to four dirty diapers for a newborn) are a
great way to see that baby is getting enough breast milk.
Myth: Pumping is a
good way to measure your milk supply.
Fact:
Pumping only tells you
have much you can pump – and even that depends on the type and quality of the
pump you are using. A baby who nurses well can remove much more milk than his
mother can pump.
Myth:
Breastfeeding
is hard and ties the mother down.
Fact:
Caring for
your baby is hard work, no matter how you feed him. But breastfeeding actually
reduces the stress hormone cortisol in nursing moms. And when breastfeeding
there is no need to drag around bottles, or worry about water quality, sterility
or warming the milk. If traveling you have no feeding concerns during delays and
in the event of an emergency breast milk is safe, clean & comforting.
Myth:
Breastfeeding twins is too difficult.
Fact:
Actually,
breastfeeding twins can be much easier than bottle feeding twins, but you need
good support.
Myth:
Babies only need to nurse
“X” amount of minutes.
Fact:
Newborns are
learning to nurse, and tire easily, so they often need more time to feed well.
It is best to allow baby to suck until he shows signs of fullness such as
self-detachment from the breast and relaxed hands and arms. Seek help if baby
isn’t sucking regularly and swallowing audibly-these are signs of effective milk
removal.
Myth:
Mothers must always
use both breasts at each feeding.
Fact:
It is more
important to let baby finish the first breast first, even if that means that he
doesn't take the second breast at that time. Calorie-rich hindmilk is accessed
gradually as the breast is drained. If switched to the second breast too soon,
baby may fill up only on the lower-calorie foremilk from both breasts rather
than getting enough hindmilk, resulting in infant dissatisfaction and reduced
weight gain.
Myth:
Babies
need to be on feeding schedules.
Fact:
A breastfed
baby's frequency of feeding will vary according to the mother's milk supply and
storage capacity, as well as baby's developmental needs and even the baby's
individual nursing style, latch or suck patterns. Growth spurts and illnesses
can temporarily change a baby's feeding patterns so scheduled feedings can
negatively impact infant growth and mother’s supply.
Myth:
Never
wake a sleeping baby.
Fact:
Some newborns may not wake up often enough on their own and need to be
awakened to ingest adequate calories.
Myth:
Giving my baby formula or
rice cereal will make him sleep through the night.
Fact: Research
disputes this myth and these practices may upset baby’s stomach and cause
distress. Additionally, the lighter sleep cycles in breastfed babies seem to
help prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Myth:
There is no
such thing as nipple confusion.
Fact:
It’s more of a
preference - a baby who is working to get milk from the breast and then gets
easy, rapid flow from a bottle may decide it prefers the easiest meal. All
artificial nipples should be delayed until breastfeeding is going well (at four
weeks) but there is no reason a baby must learn how to use one.
Myth:
It is
important that other family members get to feed baby so that they can bond, too.
Fact:
Feeding is not
the only method by which other family members can bond with the baby; holding,
cuddling, bathing and playing with the infant are all equally effective way to
bond with each other and they don’t interfere with breastfeeding.
Myth:
A mother
must drink milk to make milk.
Fact:
A well-balanced diet of
nutritious foods is all that a mother needs to provide the proper nutrients to
produce milk. No other mammal drinks milk to make milk.
Myth:
Some babies are allergic
to their mother's milk.
Fact:
If a baby shows
sensitivities to feedings, it’s typically an irritating protein in mother’s
diet- not the milk itself. This is resolved by removing the offending food from
mother's diet for a time.
Myth:
Mothers
who nurse or hold their babies too much will spoil them.
Fact:
Babies who are
nursed on “demand” gain weight well, and those who are held often cry less each
day and exhibit more security as they mature. It is natural for a helpless
infant to desire comforting contact to feel secure and safe in their
environment.
Myth:
The mother should not be a
human pacifier.
Fact:
Comforting and meeting
sucking needs at the breast is nature's original design. Pacifier use has
documented risks so it’s healthiest to comfort a baby primarily at the breast
when they are tired, stressed, or in pain.
Myth:
If the baby
has diarrhea or vomiting, the mother should stop breastfeeding.
Fact:
Breast milk 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 will get better more quickly.
Myth:
Breast milk does
not contain enough iron for the baby's needs.
Fact:
The iron in breast
milk is easily digested so a full term baby gets enough from exclusive nursing
in the first six months.
Myth:
If the mother
is sick or has an infection she should stop breastfeeding.
Fact:
With very few
exceptions, the mother’s continuing to breastfeed will actually protect the baby
by providing immunities to the infection. Also, breast infections are not
reasons to stop breastfeeding. Baby will not get sick and nursing helps keep the
breasts functioning properly so healing can occur.
Myth:
If the mother is taking
medicine she should not breastfeed.
Fact:
There are
very few medicines that a mother cannot take safely while breastfeeding. The
risks of weaning and formula use usually exceed those of the small exposure to
the medicine through milk.
Myth:
Breast milk can "dry up" -
just like that.
Fact:
There are
situations which may make it seem as if milk production is suddenly less: Baby
is in a growth spurt and eating more; formula use or frequent pacifier use has
reduced frequency of feedings; birth control pills may have decreased milk
supply- use a progesterone only pill; or a cold or allergy medication with
decongestants (like pseudoephedrine) has impaired supply.
Myth:
Nursing
a baby after six months has no benefits
Fact:
Breast milk
provided such superior nutrition that the American Academy of Pediatrics and
World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding a minimum of one year, adding
complementary solids around six months.
Myth:
Health care
providers know a lot about breastfeeding.
Fact:
Breastfeeding
education in medical schools has been very limited until recently. Ask your
doctor or nursing staff if they’ve had specific lactation training or if there
is a Board-Certified consultant on staff to assist you. A breastfeeding
evaluation, not formula, should be the first step in solving a breastfeeding
issue to help prevent milk supply complications.
Sources: La Leche League International and Dr. Jack Newman
|
