Breast-feeding myths and legends: Part I

Some of the myths and legends surrounding breast-feeding are unexplained, far-fetched and sometimes even counter-productive. You’ll hear more than a few… but almost all of them are untrue.

"Drinking beer increases your milk production"

You’ve perhaps already heard this, or will do.  Not only is this statement false, but it could mean passing a dangerous dose of alcohol to your baby. Alcohol reaches similar concentration levels in both your blood and breast milk, but your baby’s liver takes more time to eliminate it. If you have the slightest doubt, smell your breast milk a little while after drinking a glass of wine or other alcohol, you’ll be surprised by the smell of alcohol.

Also be aware that alcohol consumption will trigger bouts of somnolence in your baby as well as a drop in appetite and the quantity of breast milk taken.

This “beer” legend is one of the most frequently heard. While barley does in fact increase prolactin levels – the hormone that regulates milk production – this increase is lower than when a baby sucks on the breast (sucking is 20 times more effective).

In fact, no study has been carried out which proves that any particular food stimulates breast milk production. What is known however, is that drinking 8 to 10 glasses of liquid a day (preferably water) and eating every 3 hours are great habits to have when breast-feeding.

Drinking large amounts of herbal teas (another well-known myth), shows no significant increase in milk production and could even be hazardous for your baby.

"Smaller breasts produce less milk"

The only difference between small and large breasts is the amount of fatty tissue they contain, and this has nothing to do with breast milk production.

Breast size has nothing to do with the ability to breast-feed or the amount of milk produced. The amount of milk produced is a biological response triggered by the baby. It’s very simple: the more a baby suckles, the more milk you produce!

Babies have growth spurts and need more milk during these short phases; they cry until they get what they need! This can of course be quite overwhelming for a new mother (“I’ve just fed her, she can’t be hungry again !”). Let yourself be guided by your child – if he’s hungry, feed him! (feeding routines are an adult invention, not babies’). A baby may also find it easier to feed from a smaller breast than a larger one.

"Breast milk production can be stopped by a fright or… a cold bath”

Given that breast milk production is regulated by hormonal processes managed by the pituitary gland (in the brain), very intense emotions can – temporarily – inhibit lactogenesis. A baby that is still hungry after a feed and can sense her mother’s anxiety, may cry. The mother should therefore momentarily increase the number of feeds and try to regain her calm. The situation should stabilise in 2 to 3 days at worst. There’s your answer for breast milk production and frights.

As for cold baths, they cause no harm to the mother if she was used to taking them before her pregnancy.

"It’s normal for breasts to be painful during breast-feeding"

Correct breast-feeding does not cause pain. On the contrary, it’s a veritable pleasure. If the mother feels the slightest pain, she should try and find out the cause (wrong position, baby’s inadequate sucking, cracked nipples… or mastitis).

Some of the symptoms of mastitis include high fever (39-40°C) for more than 24 hours, reddening, hardening and intense localised pain in a specific part of the breast or all over the breast, sometimes including pus secretions from the nipple. These symptoms can appear in the first months of breast-feeding and affects first-time mothers more frequently than others.

Mastitis is caused by bacterial contamination. These microbes most usually enter the body through cracks in the nipple. The first measure to take is to prevent cracked nipples in the first place, but how? By following these two important tips:  make sure your baby is positioned correctly when feeding (baby’s mouth should cover the entire areola, not just the nipple) and maintain the highest levels of hygiene in the breast area (after feeding, clean off baby’s saliva with a sterile compress and clean up the last drops of milk, allow your breasts to dry off naturally).

If you already have mastitis, you need to see your doctor.  He or she will prescribe anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics, advise you to apply cold compresses to your breasts to reduce inflammation and pain and also hot compresses to promote milk let down. If you are not breast-feeding your baby, you will need to empty your breasts using a breast pump.

"You shouldn’t eat asparagus, oranges, artichokes or drink fizzy drinks while breast-feeding"

Some foods can change the flavour of your breast milk – asparagus, onions, artichokes, etc. - but that does not mean you should simply eliminate them from your diet. Give it a try for a feed, if your baby feeds as usual, carry on eating these items. Be aware that the more varied your own diet, the easier baby will accept new tastes later on. As for fizzy drinks, breast milk does not transmit any fizzy gas to your baby.

However, some foods can cause colic. If you notice your baby suffers from colic after you have eaten cabbage, cauliflower or oranges, you will know that you need to cut them out of your diet for the time being.

Laurent Juillet

Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo

Posted 10.11.2010

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