Debunking the Top 3 Breastfeeding Myths

Almost all medical personnel will agree that breastfeeding is by far the best way to nourish your new baby, and rightfully so. Not only does it create an immediate hormonal bond between mother and child, it also serves to protect the baby from infections and to help the mother recover from labor more quickly. There remain, however, certain myths about breastfeeding which, in some cases, dissuade new mothers from trying it, and almost always unnecessarily so.

Myth 1: Breastfeeding mothers need to eat extra in order to produce good-quality milk.

This one can be a tough sell to new mothers who may be feeling they need to drop the baby weight as soon as possible, and it's completely false. Over 90% of breastmilk is formed from the water the mother drinks, rather than the food she eats. Were it true that the amount of food the mother eats is proportional to the milk produced, children in undeveloped nations would all die from malnutrition virtually instantaneously. Women's bodies are engineered to put the baby first; all food the mother eats will go first to milk, and then to the mother. While it is a good idea to eat a bit more, in order for the mother to help her own recovery and inevitable recovery, the point of focus when it comes to milk production should be water. Specifically, a new mother will need to drink a minimum of 2 liters of water per day for optimum milk production.

Myth 2: Breastfeeding mothers need to watch what they eat, in case it upsets baby's tummy or flavors the milk.

This one can be paralyzing to a new mother, who will inevitable see her baby spit up many times a day. Trying to coordinate what has been eaten with what's coming up is an unnecessary use of energy, however, since the two have very little to do with one another (projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea excluded, of course, since those are symptoms of illness). Newborns spit up because their digestive system is not yet fully developed, not because of something the mother ate.
And, as far as badly-flavored milk goes, there are a few foods that will tend to flavor breastmilk (asparagus, garlic, onions), but the deciding factor on whether or not baby will turn up his or her nose at the flavors is their familiarity with it. If the mother subsisted on garlicky pasta or spicy curries during the pregnancy, chances are the baby will be accustomed to strong flavors, and won't think twice about similarly-flavored milk.

Myth 3: Breastfeeding mothers need to abstain from alcohol totally.

This one both true and untrue. While it is not true that your baby will get drunk if the mother has a glass of wine before nursing, since very little of what makes it into her bloodstream will wind up in her milk, the notion that alcohol has no effect on breastfeeding is false. For some mothers, a glass of wine or a beer can help them relax, and therefore help the let-down reflex (the process that produces milk). However, the latest studies show that the ingestion of any alcohol actually inhibits the let-down reflex and subsequent milk production by 80%. That said, the occasional drink will not hurt baby, and will help keep the mother from feeling deprived and resentful.