Top 5 Baby Nursing Myths Exposed

It's information like this that can make the difference between a fantastic or frustrating nursing experience.

Give yourself a breastfeeding boost: Read (or at least skim) these articles. The information here is succinct and well-researched. The breastfeeding articles combine medical journals, research, and experience to easily convey all you need to know about breastfeeding.

You can see a list of these sources here. Of course, if you have your heart set on purchasing breastfeeding books, I've compiled a list of the best books for you to browse.

Top 5 Baby Nursing Myths

• Breastfeeding Just Happens
• I Don't Produce Enough Milk
• Breastfeeding is to be Endured, not Enjoyed
• Breastfeeding is the Same with All Babies
• Not Breastfeeding Makes Me a Bad Mother

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Thanks for your patience!

{by Hoover Family Photos}

The typical picture of the serene breastfeeding mother is assume to have happened naturally, with an "Open-Bra, Attach-Mouth" simplicity.

It is vital to understand, when looking towards your breastfeeding experience (or perhaps already struggling in it), that baby nursing is a skill that must be mastered.

Even though breast feeding is the natural form of feeding your baby, it doesn't come naturally.

Of course, there is always an exception to this rule. I'm sure there are mothers out there who (with their infant) take to breastfeeding like a fish out of water. (Those are also probably the moms who left the hospital in skinny jeans and enjoyed a 20 minute delivery).

However, for most of us, it takes practice, practice, practice and knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. The articles found below are intended to give you a solid understanding on what you can expect as you begin your breastfeeding journey. They will also serve you when you stumble upon the inevitable breastfeeding bump-in-the-road.

Additional Articles to Help

• How to Breastfeed: a Step-by-Step Guide
• The Simple Benefits of Breastfeeding
• Helpful Breastfeeding Videos
• Your Breastfeeding Info for the First 6 Months

Sadly, believing this myth can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Consider this scenario:

Your baby seems irritable, impatient, and unhappy on the breast (which may be because of his personality). You think it means he's not getting enough milk so you begin to supplement early on (in the first 3-4 days).

He drinks an ounce of formula and settles down. This leads you to assume he is not getting enough milk from you, so you begin supplementing every time he gets frustrated at the breast. The more you supplement, the less breast stimulation you will receive, the less breast milk you will produce.

Breastmilk quantity is determined by a simple equation: More Demand = More Supply. The more he is on your breast, the more your mammary glands will be stimulated to make more milk.

If your baby has a gotta-have-it-now nursing personality, (find out here) you may find a supplemental nurser to be helpful. This amazing device will provide supplemental formula to him while he is on the breast. It's a win-win! He gets his food NOW, and you get the stimulation you need to make supplementing later unnecessary.

Additional Articles to Help

• Kick Up Your Breast Milk Production: Tried and True Secrets
• Finding the Perfect Breastfeeding Position
• Buying and Selling Breast Milk

If there is sustained pain, or if your nipples are cracked or bleeding, your baby has not latched on correctly. She will need to be repositioned. (Nursing with bruised or cracked nipples is extremely painful. < Here are some tips to help you heal faster.

If you find your breasts are tender after baby nursing, apply an ice pack or crushed ice in a towel for a few minutes. This soreness will pass as your breasts become used to their new routine.

Other times you may feel brief pain or ache are...

• when let-down occurs
• when the breast begins to refill with milk
• if the breasts become engorged.

Additional Articles to Help

• 5 Breastfeeding Challenges You CAN Overcome
• Finding the Perfect Breastfeeding Position
• Do I Have a Breast Feeding Infection?

{Photo by timtom.ch}

This was not a kitten, puppy, or little doll. This was a person who had OPINIONS. In Lauren's case, the fact she had to wait 3-4 days for the REAL milk to come in was infuriating to her (who wants that colostrum stuff, anyway?).

In hindsight, I wish I had the use of a supplemental nurser! I'm sure it would have helped a lot in those early frustrating days.

Every baby nurses differently. Your baby nursing skills will need to be adjusted after every birth. No more comparing yourself to the Nursing Queen down the street!

Learn how to identify your baby's nursing temperament. It will help you understand, early on, why he's screaming - lowering your frustration, which will help your milk flow faster.

Additional Articles to Help

• What Newborn Nursing Personality is Your Infant?
• Breastfeeding Questions About Health Issues
• Finding a Good Breastfeeding Position

Setting up your breastmilk supply requires a large up-front time commitment. You have to be willing to be a human pacifier for the first week or so. Some life-situations can make that level of commitment difficult, if not impossible. If you have multiple children and don't feel you can "own" all the feedings by yourself, breastfeeding may not be for you. Unless you decide to pump, you are the bottle and every feeding will be yours.

You may go back to work in an environment that isn't supportive of breastfeeding. Or perhaps you're dealing with cancer or some other disease that leaves you weak and fatigued. Breastfeeding could wipe you out even further, hurting your ability to care for your infant in other ways.

In some health situations it is better for the mother not to breastfeed.

• Serious infections: tuberculosis, HIV, AIDS or hepatitis in the mother
• Serious illnesses such as kidney or heart problems in the mother
• Certain medications taken by the mother for chronic conditions

The decision to breastfeed or not is your choice. Breastfeeding has a learning curve that takes time to get over. In the crazy-life of the 21st Century, it may not be possible for you. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding what's best for you.

Additional Articles to Help

• Conquer Your Breastfeeding Guilt
• Breastfeeding Tips for Working Moms
• Breastfeeding vs Bottle Feeding: A Fair Analysis

By knowing more, you will fear less. Less fear translates into more confidence. Confidence you will use to coast past those first difficult weeks and sail you into a comfortable breastfeeding routine.

Signing up for the Essential Infant Blog will notify you when the articles are available for viewing. Or, you can subscribe to The Merry Mother and receive a notice at the beginning of the month of what pages were added that month.

Thanks for your patience!

• Your Breastfeeding Stories and Help Center
• Public Breastfeeding: What do YOU Think?
• The Best Breast Pumps: Your Pump Ratings

General Newborn Nursing Information

• Common Breastfeeding Questions and Answers
• A FREE Breastfeeding Diary (PDF Download)
• Conquer Your Breastfeeding Guilt
• Breastfeeding vs Bottle Feeding: A Fair Analysis
• The Simple Benefits of Breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding and Weight Loss
• Do I Have a Breast Feeding Infection?
• What Newborn Nursing Personality is Your Infant?

Baby Breast Feeding Steps and Tips

• How to Breastfeed: a Step-by-Step Guide
• Your Breastfeeding Info for the First 6 Months
• Finding the Perfect Breastfeeding Position
• Breastfeeding Challenges You CAN Overcome
• How to Stop Breast Feeding
• When to Stop Breastfeeding
• Foods to Avoid While Breastfeeding
• Helpful Breastfeeding Videos
• Further Breast Feeding Resources

All About Breastmilk

• Kick Up Your Breast Milk Production: Tried and True Secrets
• Breast Milk Composition: The Elixir of Life
• Buying and Selling Breast Milk
• Safe Breast Milk Storage Tips
• Pumping Breastmilk at Work (Without Everyone Knowing)
• Pumping Breast Milk: Your Go-To Guide
• Expressing Breast Milk Efficiently

Breastfeeding Situations

• Breastfeeding Questions About Health Issues
• Breastfeeding Tips for Working Moms
• Breastfeeding While Pregnant
• Birth Control and Breastfeeding: Do's and Don'ts
• Is Smoking While Breastfeeding Okay?
• Is Drinking Alcohol While Breastfeeding Okay?
• Mixing Breast Feeding and Medication: The Rules
• Breast Feeding with Implants

Baby Nursing Equipment

• The Perfect Breast Feeding Pump for You
• The Ideal Baby Nursing Pillow (and other Helpful Breast Feeding Accessories)
• A Breastfeeding Style All Your Own: Classy yet Comfy

Research Sources

Complete Book of Pregnancy, and Baby's First Year, Mayo Clinic.

Complete Book of Baby and Child Care, Focus on the Family

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, The American Academy of Pediatrics

An Easy Guide to Breastfeeding, US Department of Health and Human Services

"Is Your Baby Getting Enough Breastmilk?" by Jan Barger and Marsha Walker

Beyond Birth, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Breastfeeding: A Guide to Nourishing Your Baby, The StayWell Company

A Woman's Guide to Breastfeeding, The American Academy of Pediatrics