It’s natural to have concerns if you’re breastfeeding for the first time. You may worry about…

 

1.5

1. It is normal for breastfeeding to be painful.

  • Breastfeeding should not be painful. For the first few days of breastfeeding, it’s natural to experience some tenderness, but this feeling should not persist, and mothers should not feel uncomfortable as to need to stop breastfeeding.
  • Furthermore, anything more than mild discomfort, such as sharp nipple pain and even nipple damage, is abnormal and normally due to baby latching on poorly. If the proper positions are adopted to breastfeed, pain should not be a major issue for mothers.
  • So, mastering the proper latching techniques and breastfeeding positions can help keep discomfort at bay.

2. Not every mother can produce enough milk

  • Actually, most women produce more than enough milk for their babies. Most of the time, when babies gain weight too slowly, or lose weight, it’s not because the mother isn’t producing enough milk. It’s because the milk isn’t getting to the babies.
  • The usual reason is that the baby is not properly latched on to the breast. So, it’s important for all mothers planning to breastfeed to learn about proper latching techniques from the start. If unsure, always ask the nurse to help.

3. Breastfeeding is not possible if the mother delivers her baby via C-section

  • That’s certainly not true. As long as there are no medical complications, a mother who has just had a C-section can still breastfeed. She will just need some assistance as she will be nursing on her back, and the movement of one or two of her arms may be limited due to the placement of intravenous lines.

4. Breastfeeding causes breast to sag

  • Breastfeeding does not cause sagging, and research has shown that it does not negatively affect breast shape or volume either. It is actually pregnancy that changes the shape of a woman’s breast. This will happen, whether or not she breastfeeds.
  • Wearing a good, supportive bra during pregnancy and while breastfeeding will help to hold the breasts up, and keep the ligaments from stretching.
  • To maintain the appearance of their breasts, women should also eat healthily, lose weight gradually after pregnancy, and exercise regularly.

5. Women with small breast produce less milk than those with large breast

  • No, absolutely not! The size of breasts indicates the amount of fat they contain. It has nothing to do with their capacity to produce milk.

 

Insert video: “Expert: Common Breastfeeding Concerns”

 

For further information on infant and child nutrition, please refer to

  1. MINISTRY OF HEALTH MALAYSIA (2013) Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents. Putrajaya: Technical Working Group on Nutritional Guidelines (for National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition).
  2. NUTRITION SOCIETY OF MALAYSIA (2011) Breastfeed with Confidence. Petaling Jaya: Mother’s Smart Choice.