Myths About Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is not only good for infants. Mothers will benefit from this practice as well. But before we go to that, let's take a look at some of the myths about breast¬feeding that persist to this day.

First and foremost among these is the belief that breastfeeding will cause breast cancer. Some women are reluctant to nurse their babies thinking that they will acquire this dreaded disease later. The truth is, this belief has no scientific basis.

"The serious charge that breastfeeding increases a woman's chance of developing cancer of the breast is absolutely untrue. Extensive studies have shown that breastfeeding mothers do not get any more cancers of the breast than bottle-feeding mothers. Therefore, fear of contracting cancer is no reason not to breastfeed," accord¬ing to Dr. Myron Winick in The Columbia Encyclopedia of Nutrition.

Neither is there any truth in the belief that breastfeed¬ing will deform the breasts or cause them to sag. Winick, director of the Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University College of Physicians, said no responsible study has demonstrated this.

Milk production is not related to breast size but it is stimulated by repeated suckling. The more you breastfeed, the more milk is produced regardless of the size of the breasts.

"Some people have said that women with small breasts may not be able to nurse their infant adequately. Ability to nurse does not depend on breast size. With few exceptions, every woman has more than enough active breast tissue to nurse her infant adequately," Winick explained.

The only ones who can't breastfeed are those who take medicines that may affect children. Even then, there are exceptions to the rule.

"There are very few physical conditions that would make breastfeeding inadvisable. If a woman has a condition for which a drug is prescribed, she should ask her physician or pharmacist whether the drug(s) in question are transferred to breast milk or will have an effect on the baby. Maternal medication is not necessarily a reason to discontinue breastfeeding if the physician can determine the degree to which the medication enters breast milk," said Dr. Susan Baker of the Boston Children's Hospital in Parents' Guide to Nutrition.

So you see, there's really no reason why you shouldn't breastfeed your baby. On the contrary, there's a lot to be gained from this practice.

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