DG p20 Baby Babette Jul09.qxp 24/06/2009 14:26 Page 20
breastfeeding
Feeding…
the natural way
Being a mother is never easy – as any mother will tell you! – but with so much information now
available from so many sources, it can be daunting sorting fact from fiction in key areas of your
life. This issue, we dispel the many myths that have built up around breastfeeding.
breastfeeding cover why the mother should be shown
Baby Babette. from day one how to do so properly.”
“It is always important 2. A breastfed baby needs extra
to make sure that your water and vitamin D
baby is latching onto “Breastmilk contains all the water
your breast correctly as and vitamins that a child needs, so
this is where a lot of the this is a complete myth.”
myths about women not 3. If the mother is ill she should
producing enough milk stop breastfeeding
stem from. You also have “The baby needs to build up its own
to remember to do what immune system and the best
you feel is right for you protection for them is to continue
and your baby. If your breastfeeding,” advises Arabella.
baby feeds for 15 4. A nursing mother needs to eat
minutes on one breast more in order to breastfeed
but then won’t take the “The myth states that breastfeeding
other, this is fine. You will mothers should eat 500 more
soon get to know what calories a day in order to breastfeed.
their feeding habits are.” This is just not true,” says Arabella.
The many myths “Women can eat what they like, if
surrounding they feel they need to eat more, then
breastfeeding can be eat more. If they feel like eating less
extremely confusing for then eat slightly less. There is no
mothers and some do golden rule of what to eat in order to
blindly follow advice breastfeed you just need to do what
given to them by family feels right for you.”
and friends. 5. Breastfeeding completely ties the
Arabella continues: “It mother down
is important to listen to “This is complete rubbish! Mothers
Being a mum can be a very daunting professional lactation consultants who have complete freedom in where
task. Not only are mums expected to can advice you wholly on breastfeeding they breastfeed. Society has
be superwoman by catering for all of and suggest ways to improve feeding if changed as have attitudes. There is
their baby’s needs, but they also have you are finding nursing difficult.” now legislation stating that women
to wade through all the literature and However, if you are too busy to find a are able to breastfeed when they
advice given by everybody, including lactation consultant then Arabella busts want and where they want.”
strangers in the local supermarket! the top five breastfeeding myths:
Breastfeeding is one such activity that 1. Many women do not produce Of course, not all mothers necessarily
mums will receive a vast amount of enough milk feel comfortable breastfeeding in public
information about. From telling you how “This is completely untrue,” explains but thankfully Arabella has come to the
to hold the baby to what the baby Arabella. “The vast majority of rescue here too with the creation of the
should be doing to what the baby women produce more than enough Baby Babette, a pretty yet very
shouldn’t be doing and why you milk in order to nurse their baby. If functional breastfeeding cover that
shouldn’t breastfeed if you have certain the mother finds that the baby is secures around mum’s neck and
ailments. always hungry or losing weight it shields her and your baby from view
“A lot of advice passed on to could just simply be because the allowing her breastfeed in confidence.
breastfeeding mothers is completely baby cannot get to the milk. This is
exaggerated,” comments Arabella usually because the baby is not For more information on the Baby
Sargent, GP and founder of latching correctly and the reason Babette visit www.babybabette.co.uk
20 first link magazine | Dumfries and Galloway
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