7 Breastfeeding Myths Debunked: What Every New Mum Should Know

Myth 2: Formula is evil and breast milk is a magical cure-all

 There are countless benefits of breast milk: fewer ear infections, fewer respiratory illnesses, fewer bouts with diarrhea, and a decreased risk of conditions like leukemia and diabetes, to name just a few.

That said, breast milk is only one part of a healthy lifestyle for your child. It has many long-term health advantages, but diet, exercise, and genetics all play a role in your baby’s health. Additionally, as any university student who survives on pizza and noodles can attest, humans are shockingly good at living on all types of food.

Formula will not ruin your baby. However, two things can both be true: 1) babies can thrive on formula, and 2) there will never be a formula that can come close to the complexity and elegance of human milk.

Breast milk is a living substance. It changes to meet the baby’s needs throughout the day. For example, in the evening, a lactating body will produce milk with more melatonin (a hormone that helps humans sleep).

Still, formula isn’t evil. In circumstances where formula is necessary or a choice, the bottom line is this: Formula is food. Formula will feed your baby. And fed is best.

Lisa, a mum who had to switch to formula, shared her story: “I was devastated when I had to switch to formula. But my baby thrived, and I realized that fed is best. It wasn’t about the method but the love and care I was giving.”

Myth 3: Pain is normal when breastfeeding

Pain is common, but never normal. As many new practices and sensations, breastfeeding can be uncomfortable for the first week or two. Beyond that, extremely painful lactation, bloody nipples, or damaged nipples are never normal and should be treated.

Many of these painful problems can be due to a common issue with a baby’s oral tissues; tongue-tie. If you suspect that your baby has tongue-tie, visit with a certified lactation consultant to assess the feeding function. Your baby might benefit from an ear, nose, and throat specialist or a paediatric dentist. These specialists are able to diagnose and treat tongue-tie. Remember, just like with adults, if one area of baby’s body has tightness, it is likely there are tight and sore spots elsewhere too. A specialised osteopath or a reflexologist may be able to help.

Some other causes of pain while breastfeeding are poor positioning of the baby while feeding, a vascular condition called vasospasm, or inverted nipples. Breastfeeding positions can help a lot, some mums swear by lanolin oil, and some use a nipple shield to save their breasts from overly eager baby teeth!

Mum Jess shared, “My nipples were cracked and sore, and I thought it was normal. A lactation consultant helped me fix the latch, and it made breastfeeding so much easier.”

If you think you may have one of these problems, again — contact an IBCLC, who can assess your specific situation and help make breastfeeding much less painful. You should also check out our Breastfeeding 101 guide!

Myth 4: All women will make enough milk if they work hard enough OR small breasts make little milk

This notion creates a culture of shame around mums who are unable to produce enough breast milk. Some healthcare providers even contribute; it’s often suggested that if you don’t make 100% of your baby’s milk, you should stop trying altogether. Mum shaming is disgraceful – every single mum is just doing the best they can.

“I pumped and pumped, for two weeks with nothing but a few ml’s to show for each time. It was painful, nursing didn’t work out… I called my midwife in tear, heartbroken that I couldn’t fulfil my baby’s needs. She told me to allow myself to ‘fail’ at this one tiny thing, that an upset mum was worse for my baby than a happy mum who feeds her formula” – Mum of 2 Erika recounted.

There are several factors that can make milk production challenging. Blood loss during birth, retained placenta, hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or being over the age of 35 are all potential causes. Your breast size has nothing to do with your ability to produce enough milk for your baby.

We have solutions to some of these problems. Feeding more frequently, "power pumping", or being prescribed the right medications and supplements can help your milk supply. Some mums swear by lactation teas full of fenugreek, blessed thistle, fennel, stinging nettle, goat's rue, moringa, and milk thistle. There are things you can do, and a lactation consultant can offer even more solutions to your specific challenges.

However, supplementing your own milk with formula or donor milk is not something to feel ashamed of! If you are interested in milk donation, check out Bonny’s story. It’s thought that as little as slightly less than 100ml of mums own breast milk can make a difference, so never feel ashamed to supplement your baby with other foods as your physical and emotional wellbeing, and arising situations require it.

Myth 5: How much you pump tells you how much milk you are making

The amount you can pump depends on the kind of pump, the proper fit of pump parts according to your nipple size, and the quality of the pump. With a good pump, we can get some information about how much milk you’re making, but even that isn’t the whole story.

Some people just don’t respond as well to pumping as others. Often, your baby is just better at eliciting milk from the breast than any pump.

Emma shared, “I could barely pump an ounce, but my baby was thriving. It took a while to trust my body and my baby’s cues over the pump.”

Learn more: Lola&Lykke Smart Electric Breast Pump, mum-voted as best breast pump of the year 7 times in a row.

Myth 6: Medications and alcohol are unsafe while breastfeeding

Most medications are perfectly compatible with breastfeeding. Some common medications prescribed post-birth are antibiotics, pain medication, and anaesthesia.

Antibiotics can upset baby’s tummy and change their poop temporarily, but this isn’t harmful. Most pain medications cross into breastmilk in such small quantities that they usually are not an issue. Anaesthesia clears out of your system quickly, so this isn’t a problem either.

It’s a good idea to always ask if medication, vitamins or other supplements are breastfeeding-safe.

While not drinking alcohol is the safest option for breastfeeding mothers, a moderate alcohol consumption (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant. You should wait at least 4 hours before you nurse or pump. It’s probably smarter to breastfeed first, and drink after. Alcohol does cross into breastmilk, but it immediately crosses back into your bloodstream and is metabolised.

Learn more: Can Your Diet Affect The Quality of Breast Milk?

Myth 7: Babies can be allergic to breast milk

Babies can’t really be allergic to the breast milk itself, but they can be intolerant to proteins mum is eating – dairy, eggs, tree nuts – and suffer from upset tummy or more spit-up. It’s rare, but baby could develop an allergy to something in your diet and develop eczema. To treat this, you’ll need to identify and eliminate the food from your diet. 

It’s a good idea to consult your paediatrician or your GP before starting to eliminate every potential allergen from your diet. Have a closer look at the things you are ingesting each day. A mum could drink a protein shake with pea powder and wonder why baby is gassy and uncomfortable. Well, if the pea powder is limited to a few shakes per week, or dropped entirely for the duration of breastfeeding, you should be good to go. It’s not necessarily complicated, but you may have to think about your foods quite differently!

Julia shared her experience: “My baby was fussy until I cut out dairy. It wasn’t easy, but it made a huge difference.” Consulting a pediatrician before making dietary changes is important to ensure the best approach for both mum and baby.

Learn more: Colic & Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding

The bottom line

Remember, the key is to find what works best for you and your baby, without feeling pressured by myths and misconceptions. Always seek support when needed and prioritize your and your baby’s well-being.