3 myths about breastfeeding you have to stop believing
Breastfeeding is more than the means of feeding the newborn and the infant, it is a mother-child binomial, where the mother represents everything for this new creature.
However, there are an infinite number of myths surrounding breastfeeding, that all they do is delay the breastfeeding of the child.
In this sense, know the 3 most frequent myths about breastfeeding.
Myths about the mother's diet
This belief has always been present, many think that the mother must carry out a series of steps at the time of feeding so that she has a good milk production, but the reality is different.
The first myth within this category is that the mother must consume milk to produce more milk. This is totally untrue. The mother does not need to consume milk for her body to produce it.
What is true is that you should have a balanced and varied diet, including each macronutrient in your meals.
The second myth is that the mother must overeat and select special foods to produce more milk. Like the previous one, this behavior is in error.
It is not necessary for a woman to double her food servings, as long as her diet meets her energy requirements for the day.
In addition, there is no single food that increases the production of breast milk.
In conclusion, the mother can eat absolutely everything, with some exceptions for those women who are allergic to certain foods.
Myths about the health and aesthetics of the mother
When you are a new mother, it is common for you to have thousands of doubts in relation to breastfeeding. What's more, you can come to believe myths that are totally false.
It follows from the above that a very popular myth among women is that breastfeeding makes the breasts "sag." This belief is wrong in every way.
The breasts are not going to lose aesthetics because you are breastfeeding, but because of other factors that depend on your age, how lax your skin is, genetics, among others.
In the same way, they tend to believe that women who had a natural birth will be able to produce more milk, unlike women who had a cesarean section.
The truth is that the cesarean section will not prevent the milk from coming down, what does happen in the body is that the production of oxytocin is lower in mothers who had a cesarean section, but this does not represent any type of problems.
On the other hand, that the mother receives some type of medication during postpartum is seen as a catastrophic act, because it is believed that the drug reaches breast milk.
Scientifically, it has been proven that the drugs are excreted in small amounts in breast milk, which is not a problem for the baby. The exception to this rule is drugs to treat neoplasms.
Myths about mother's milk
Have you ever heard that milk does not fill the baby and that is why he cries? Surely, the answer is yes.
The reason for this is that the baby not only cries for food, remember that crying is the means of communication that he has to express what he feels and, not only when he is hungry.
Now, milk has all the nutrients it needs for its development and growth.
What can often happen is that you have not finished emptying one breast when you are already breastfeeding with the other.
A fact that many moms do not know is that the last seconds of breastfeeding is when the baby manages to ingest a part of the composition of the milk that satisfies him.
Additionally, another belief is to add cow's milk or another type of formula to the feeding of the newborn and infant, to complement the feeding of the baby.
It should be noted that breastfeeding has to be exclusive and on demand until six months of age, it is not necessary to offer cow's milk, serum or water to the baby before that time.
Importance of breastfeeding techniques
Breastfeeding technique is the key to a more enjoyable breastfeeding. As mentioned above, breastfeeding is on demand, which means that it is when the baby wants it.
Understanding this point, there is no schedule to breastfeed. It is essential to mention this, because many mothers are stressed with the schedule, resulting in poor breastfeeding technique.
The first thing you have to consider is that for each feeding you must first empty one breast.
At the same time, the basis for a correct technique is that you can have information about breastfeeding. Next, be sure of what you are doing.
Likewise, with a good technique you reduce discomfort and the process is easier for you.
Recommendations for breastfeeding
Keep these tips in mind when breastfeeding.
Posture: The position you take is vital. Find the one that is most comfortable for you and your baby. However, the positions that the mother can adopt is lying down or sitting down.
Hygiene: Remember that you are going to feed your baby, you need to be careful with washing your hands, as well as wash your nipples with plenty of water.
In addition to the above, do not use soap to clean the nipples, preferably, only water.
Another recommendation is that you can rely on tutorials or videos on YouTube. Besides, there are face-to-face workshops where they teach mothers the correct techniques.
Contraindications to breastfeeding
There are contraindications for the child, for example, suffering from metabolic problems such as galactosemia or phenylketonuria.
In addition to this, you have a congenital defect such as a cleft palate or cleft lip.
Moreover, some contraindications on the part of the mother are.
AIDS
Severe malnutrition
Neoplasms
Anomalies in the configuration of the nipple
Mastitis