What Is The Most Popular Misconception About Breastfeeding?

Hi, everyone. 🙂

As a registered Lactation Professional working in New Jersey, I find that women, and families, have many misconceptions regarding breastfeeding.

It’s understandable.

Unless Your Mom Or Sis Breastfed, You Never Even Saw Someone Breastfeeding!

Breastfeeding just isn’t something that most women have had encounters with, unless their mother had other children when they were older, or a sibling or girl cousin had babies.

And, realistically, when Mom or sis is in the postnatal phase, as a daughter or sibling, the concern is not on breastfeeding, but rather how we can help out with aspects of life that we can handle.

Like making sure that the the three-year-old gets picked up from nursery school. And taking care of the parents’ prescriptions at the drug store.

Just stuff that the new Mom usually did, but can’t do right now.

 

The Number One Misconception About Breastfeeding

So, getting back to that great misconception, it’s really easy to guess. OK. Guess.

Did you actually take a guess?

It’s this:

Breastfeeding is natural and human, and women do this instinctively.

Is anyone out there among those who thought this actually was the case?

 

Instinct? More Like A Lot of Learning and Hard Work!

While breastfeeding is natural, and an intrinsically human activity,  I would be lying if I claimed that the skill-set necessary for successful breastfeeding is inborn.

That’s actually not giving women credit for doing something that actually take some degree of skill.

In fact, successful breastfeeding is not a natural process, but rather the result of learning to understand your baby’s cues and developing a good latch.

There’s more involved, but then we’re getting into  the details regarding feeding the baby and breastfeeding self-care. That’s best saved for a session with a LC.

Learning to breastfeed is a process, just like learning anything else that’s new for us.

 

Good Counsel On Breastfeeding Is Essential

Having someone counsel the postpartum mother on matters of breastfeeding is a sound idea.

After all, the goal is to exclusively breastfeed the infant, when at all possible.

This is so because breast milk contains many substances that are unique, compounds that help the baby’s immunity, regulate growth, and more.

 

Traditionally, A Female Elder Taught The Skills Associated With Breastfeeding

Traditionally, a woman’s mother, or elder female relative,  passed on the traditional wisdom associated with breastfeeding.

The new mom learned all about natural galactogugues, how to hold the baby while feeding, and tons more important lore.

This was valuable information a thousand years ago, and equally valuable today.

Whether derived from TCM, Ayurveda, or another tradition, the information our women-ancestors passed on kept us bringing up healthy babies, to this generation.

Some families still practice these traditions, others do not.

Families from India, China, and other Asian nations keep to these traditions more faithfully than many other cultures in the United States, and in New jersey, specifically, where I work.

Midwives also taught this skill in the United States to women who were not family members.

 

Registered Lactation Professionals Rely On Evidence-Based Practices

Unlike the midwives and wise elder women of yesteryear, Licensed Lactation Professionals  rely on modern science.

They do not shun traditional practices, but rather welcome women to explore their traditional cultures.

However, the LC deals with helping the dyad perfect the latch, and deal with any associated issues.

Research studies, as well as facts on physiology and medical science, comprise the backbone of what a Lactation Professional’s practice is based on.

And, breastfeeding is a topic that receives a great deal of attention, in terms of research dollars.

After all, every human needs nutrition while an infant, and breast milk provides this, superior to any substitute.

 

 

 

A Practitioner Providing Postpartum Massage in NJ

Good morning, afternoon, or evening! I work as a Prenatal and Postnatal Massage Therapist in New Jersey. My articles are my own opinion and are written from my point-of-view as a perinatal LMT, and an individual person with her own understanding, educational background, and interests. I hope that you enjoy my Postnatal-Focused Articles. Thank you.

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