Myths About Breastfeeding - Indraprastha Apollo Hospital

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(Free-Press-Release.com) June 15, 2011 -- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Neonatology Unit has come up with a number of information sources regarding the myths about breastfeeding lead to beliefs which need to be dispelled. These myths are primarily spread through the social vehicles. Women continue to have, hear and share these myths with each other, regardless of their validity. They want to believe what people share with them. Doctors, nurses, even mothers and grandmothers are always there to offer their advice and keep breastfeeding women informed. So, how can a woman know what's true and what's not ?

The most important question which arises is that why do these myths occur rather than where they come from. While there are a number of social myths associated with Breastfeeding, below are the most commonly believed myths and the contradicting facts.

• Breastfed babies become dependent: This is not true as breastfeeding leads to the emotional bonding between the mother and the child which is very essential for a healthy development of the baby.
• Exercising should be avoided: Doctors discard this myth and recommend normal aerobic exercise like dancing and jogging to all the new mothers. Normal exercise does not raise lactic acid levels in the milk and also milk production is not affected.

• Eat more to produce more milk: This is not true. Mothers produce sufficient amount of milk for the baby even if they are on a low calorie diet. Commonly, women just need to consume 500 extra calories a day to breastfeed properly.
• Bottle Feeding is easier: Experts say that even though bottle feeding requires less work for a baby to suck from the bottle but these babies are said to experience more feeding problems than breastfeeding babies.
• Formula is as good as breast milk: There are a lot of nutrients, enzymes and disease fighting components in human milk in the appropriate ratio to meet a baby’s needs. Formula can never be compared to the nutrient value of breast milk.

• A mother must drink milk to produce milk: It is not necessary for a mother to drink more milk in order to produce more. A healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins is all that a mother needs to provide the proper nutrients to produce milk. Calcium can be obtained from other sources than milk also.
• Frequent nursing can lead to postpartum depression: This is has nothing to do with breastfeeding. Postpartum depression occurs in women mostly with a history of problems prior to pregnancy.
• Frequent nursing causes a child to be obese in later years of life: Studies show that breastfed babies who control their own feeding patterns and intake tend to take just the right amount of milk for them. Formula feeding and early introduction of solids, not breastfeeding on demand, have been implicated in risk of obesity later in life.

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