What bfing myth have you debunked?

[onthefly]

I thought of one more - Can't breastfeed and do IVF.

[Ryatha]

oh and you can't take AD's when BF - happy mum = happy baby

[Indadhanu]

YES! Oh so many!

Well I've debunked the whole "you can't breastfeed after a c/s" myth. Oh yeah, the "you can't breastfeed once they have teeth" myth. the "breastfeeding makes children clingy and over-attached" myth... quite the opposite, Jazz has a healthy attachment in that she hasn't yet screamed when we've left her at home or at someone elses house without us.
I had 10AA boobs before pregnancy, and heard a lot of times that I wouldn't have enough milk to feed Jazz because of my small size. LMFAO at my biggest, when my millk came in, I was a 14DD. I'm going down now, last check I was 12B (but am also losing weight, unintentionally unfortunately), and we're still feeding once a day.
That you can still have milk when only feeding once a day.
Oh, that you can't extended breastfeed your first child.
That my breastmilk wasn't enough for her, and that she needed more milk as a baby (4-6 months) because she was so unsettled, she must have been STARVING. Um, no. She's gained 1kg a month between birth and 7 months old, it's obviously NOT my milk If anyone has seen photos of Jazz as a baby, you would KNOW she wasn't going hungry

I might just have some severely misinformed friends/family

[Little Chicken]

That the size of your breasts determines if you can produce enough milk...you know small breasts no milk, big whoppers, an oversupply. So not true. Looked after mum's who have next to no breasts so think they wont be able to produce enough produce heaps, and mum's who have an abundance of breast tissue produce next to none.

[roses]

Here is a couple:

You won't have AF return while you breastfeed. Wrong! AF returned at 3 months.

You can't fall pregnant while breastfeeding. Wrong again!

[UntoldAngel]

Here is a couple:

You won't have AF return while you breastfeed. Wrong! AF returned at 3 months.

You can't fall pregnant while breastfeeding. Wrong again!

Yep my mum disproved those - she had three under the age of 2... breastfed me, fell pregnant, continued to bf, had bub, bf, fell pregnant, had bub and bf

[Indadhanu]

OH YEAH! Breastfeeding stops your menstrual cycle! PFFT WHATEVER! I got my bleed back at 8 weeks. I felt TOTALLY RIPPED OFF! Especially since I was exclusively breastfeeding, and demand feeding every 2-3ish hours.

[Loula]

OH YEAH! Breastfeeding stops your menstrual cycle! PFFT WHATEVER! I got my bleed back at 8 weeks. I felt TOTALLY RIPPED OFF! Especially since I was exclusively breastfeeding, and demand feeding every 2-3ish hours.

Mmmmmmmm well I'm just over 6 weeks and have not stopped spotting since birth and now it's getting heavy again. Might be af but might be an infection.

Another one I've heard is it's harder to bf after having a C section. - not here

[HotI]

You can't breastfeed without showing your boobs.

I am a more private person and have so far been able to breastfeed in many situations and locations without exposing much skin (and without wearing a poncho!). Breastfeeding tops and a so far co-operative child have made this a lot easier.

[Indadhanu]

LOL yeah Loula, I bled heavy for 4 weeks, spotted for two, had a two week break, and then got my cycle back regular as ever. Even moreso, in fact! I was so annoyed, since I had heard the myth that it'd keep my menstrual cycle away for at least months if I kept breastfeeding!

[RoyaUK]

Breastfeeding your toddler will harm your unborn child - said to me by my GP care provider for my pregnancy care. That relationship didn't last long. Shame such an uninformed comment came from a medical professional who claims to be specialised in womens health & care.

Can't get pregnant when breastfeeding - well, conceived DD2 & DD3 and have been BF everyday for the last 4.5yrs!! Still no AF and it's been 5 years now.....

[kelebek]

AF stays away - not here, I also spotted for about 8 weeks and AF came back after 4 mnths and I was bf 2/3 hrly all day exclusively.

Another one that didn't loose weight while bf.

I also had a c/section, never had engorged breasts, milk didn't come in until day 5 and still exclusively fed until 5 and 1/2 mnths.



I was also told to try formula to help DS sleep or at least give me a break but I didn't want to compromise my supply if it didn't work and he seemed to have silent reflux and was worried formulae would just cause more problems.

[black_rose]

Another one for af not coming back or getting pregnant. Af was back at 6 weeks each time while still breastfeeding. I got pg with ds while still feeding dd2, she wasn't interested in solids until after she weaned and I fell pregnant when she was 9 months.

[AnyDream]

The one about extended breastfeeding protecting you from breast cancer. *sigh*

[MrsFabuloso]

I debunked several here too...

AF won't return whilst bfing
Can't fall pg whilst bfing
You lose weight from bfing (I'm bigger than ever and only stopped bfing DS about 3months ago, so fed him for almost 2yrs without dropping a kg! In fact I gain a fair bit and found it so difficult to lose)
Can't bf whilst pg (I fell pg when DS was 19mths old and he self weaned at just under 23mths)
BM alone isn't enough for big babies (DS was 4.2kg's when born and was exclusively bf until he was 6 1/2mths old. By that time he was about 8kg!!)

[Gigi]

Myths i debunked whilst bf-ing (about bf-ing)

- i managed to breastfeed in public discreetly (thanks to bfing clothing, where access is from below, and the front of the tops are double layer).

- i bf standing up when necessary (like in supermarket queue)

- who knew that a breastfeed could trump a dose of Panadol for a crying toddler (fallen over etc)

- breastfeeding to sleep, did not damage my child

- GP's and hospital medical people knew very little about BF-ing, lactation consultants, aba people that's who were the most helpful to me.

- a baby getting teeth is not total reason to wean. it was a reason for me to get advice on positioning. we had a problem, we solved it with education for me. problem went away.

- the paed dietician who told me there was NOTHING beneficial in my breastmilk for bilby (when she was 19 months old) - was SO wrong, her immune system has been very very strong against all kind of common kid ailments

- i kept bf-ing bilbs when i had bad gastro (lose 3kg in one night, hard to stand up type gastro) AND SHE DIDN"T GET GASTRO

- we're down to one feed a day, most days (she's nearly four) and the milk is still there (to my amazement)

- and the major one - she only started talking at three - but i never felt anything but happy and content at hearing my child ask for her "mummy booby". and telling me "i uv mummy booby". (her words for breastmilk). I was told it would be repulsive, to hear her ask for breastmilk. Nothing could be further from our reality.

- and on the weight thang, my baby weight came off by 8 months post birth. Breasts stopped leaking milk then too.

- and the one about "feeding on demand will make your child too dependant on you" - hmmm, that one sure got disproved. Bilby is socially confident, she will "read" a story book to a group of ten kids! "now, is everyone listening?" LOL.

- her teeth are excellent, so breastfeeding in bed did not give her cavities (we visit dentist six monthly).

- that i COULD breastfeed after 29 hours of waterbirth labour, 7 hours of medical intervention, two epidurals and sundry other drugs and a 2.5 hour gap between her traumatic non breathing arrival and her first breastfeed (with her father standing guard in ICU nursery to make sure no medical staff gave her formula against my wishes). I was convinced (by believers of the myths) that i would not be able to feed her, after a birth involved drugs.

will stop now, i'm sure that's enough to send you all to sleep

[Gigi]

hugs Marydean.

[PollyA]

I proudly debunked the "I need to wean to go back to full time work" myth. I went back to work at 4 months with DD and full tiime work at 9 month including 15 hour shifts and 60 hour weeks. I fed her 3 times a day until about 1 year and morning and night until about 21 months (when my morning sickness from DS became too much).
I was teh only full time worker in my Mothers group and the longest feeder. I think it helped me cope with my complicated guilt from working, It was a wonderful time with each other, great for our blossoming relationship, and it was good for my beautiful daughters health!

And I am another who most defiitley does not dropweight from bereast feeding