12 Breastfeeding Myths Every New Mother Should Stop Believing
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Becoming a new mother is a bit like signing up for a job where everyone suddenly thinks they're your manager. Your aunt has advice. Someone on Instagram has advice. Even the lady standing behind you in the supermarket somehow has advice. By the end of the day, you've heard that your milk is "too thin," your baby is "too hungry," and apparently eating mangoes may or may not change the Earth's orbit. However, science is a lot less dramatic.
Don't let myths make your journey harder than it already is. If you're unsure about milk supply, feeding patterns, pain or your baby's growth, speak to your paediatrician or a qualified lactation consultant. Good information can be just as nourishing as good nutrition, for both mother and baby.
To mark World Breastfeeding Week, doctors and lactation experts separate fact from fiction and bust some of the most common myths that continue to confuse new mothers.
Myth 1: Small breasts produce less milk
Reality: Your bra size has absolutely nothing to do with your milk supply.
Dr. Avi Sanghavi, Pediatrician and Neonatologist at Zynova Shalby Hospital, Mumbai, says milk production depends on how often your baby feeds and how effectively the breast is emptied, not breast size. Whether your breasts are small, large or somewhere in between, they are capable of supporting healthy breastfeeding.
Myth 2: If you catch a cold, you should stop breastfeeding
Reality: Unless your doctor specifically advises otherwise, keep feeding.
In fact, breast milk contains antibodies that help protect your baby from many common infections. "A simple cold or fever is usually not a reason to stop breastfeeding," says Dr. Sanghavi. Continuing to breastfeed is often beneficial for both mother and baby.
Myth 3: My baby cries all the time. I must not be making enough milk.
Reality: Babies cry because... they're babies.
cry when they're hungry, sleepy, because the diaper is wet, or just because life is confusing when you're six weeks old!
“Crying doesn't automatically mean low milk supply,” says Dr. Dhivya R, Senior Consultant – Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Electronic City in Bengaluru. Frequent feeding is often completely normal especially during growth spurts when babies naturally want more milk.
Myth 4: Babies need water, especially in hot weather
Reality: Not if they are exclusively breastfed.
Dt. Nisha Mandal, Consultant - Lactation & Dietetics, Motherhood Hospitals in Gurgaon says, “Breast milk provides all the fluids a healthy baby needs during the first six months, even during India's scorching summers.”
Myth 5: Breastfeeding is supposed to hurt
Reality: Some tenderness in the first few days is common. Ongoing pain is not. If breastfeeding continues to be painful, the problem is often an incorrect latch or feeding position, not breastfeeding itself. Dr. Dhivya recommends consulting a lactation specialist rather than assuming pain is something every mother must simply tolerate.
Myth 6: You have to eat special foods to make enough milk
Reality: There is no magical "milk-producing" superfood.
Dr. Sanghavi says most mothers can enjoy a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses and protein-rich foods. Dt. Nisha Mandal adds that while good nutrition and hydration support breastfeeding, no single food guarantees a larger milk supply.
Myth 7: You have a low milk supply if you feed often
Reality: The opposite is true.
Frequent feedings stimulate the breasts to make more milk. According to Dr. Sanghavi, babies often feed more often during growth spurts, and this is nature's way of increasing milk production. Think of it as your baby's enthusiastic way of placing another order.
Myth 8: Once babies start teething, breastfeeding should stop
Reality: Teeth are not a retirement notice.
Most babies quickly learn to breastfeed without biting. Teething is not a reason to stop breastfeeding, says Dr. Sanghavi.
Myth 9: Working moms can't continue to breastfeed
Reality: Thousands of women do just that every day
Expressing and safely storing breast milk allows many moms to continue breastfeeding even after returning to work. Planning ahead, having family support and learning proper storage techniques can make a huge difference
Myth 10: You have to stop breastfeeding after 6 months
Reality: 6 months is the start of complementary foods, not the end of breastfeeding. Doctors recommend starting solid foods around 6 months, while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or more, depending on the needs of the mother and child.
Myth 11: Breastfeeding makes your breasts sag
Reality: Breastfeeding is not the culprit of a sagging bust.
Dr. Dhivya explains that breast changes are mainly linked to pregnancy hormones, weight changes, ageing and genetics, not breastfeeding itself. So if you're looking for someone to blame, Mother Nature has been running this department all along.
Myth 12: “I had breast surgery, so I can't breastfeed.”
Reality: Not necessarily.
Lots of women who have had breast surgery still manage to breastfeed successfully, says Dhivya. A lactation consultant can help you monitor your milk supply and ensure the baby is feeding well and growing.