JaeByrd’s Nest

A few myths that were going around 10 years ago and that are still going around today:

I have inverted nipples so I couldn’t.
http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/invertednipples.html - Women BREASTfeed, not NIPPLEfeed. With knowledge and help most women can go on to breastfeed and many do. For some the problem corrects itself as the pregnancy progresses and for other there are things you can do while still pregnant to prepare for breastfeeding when the baby is born. http://www.breastfeeding.org/articles/beforebaby.html

I got sick so I couldn’t.
http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/mom-illness.html - Short of a few serious illnesses you can and should continue to breastfeed. Your milk won’t make the baby sick, BUT it does give him antibodies to your cold/flu etc. Just be sure any medications you may take are safe while breastfeeding.

I didn’t have enough milk/a little supplementing won’t hurt/he only wanted a bottle.
http://www.kidsnutrition.org/consumer/archives/supply.htm
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/supppit.asp
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t023200.asp - Most people don’t understand the system of supply and demand. (Just look at the debt issues in our country today…) Breastfeeding is very much a matter of supply and demand… or actually baby demands and your body supplies! When you introduce bottles the demand on you falls and your body gets the message and your supply drops. Continue this trend and soon you’re not making enough.

Yeah, I know some people do fall into the small minority of women that are UNABLE to breastfeed because of a real problem. But, the majority of those that I’ve seen that have claimed an “inability” to breastfeed were because of a failure to seek out/be provided knowledge and support, not a failure of their body.

You know it has been almost a decade since I’ve read up on the whole breastfeeding scene. What amazes me is that with all the time that has passed the lack of understanding that is still out there.

With as big as the Organic craze has gotten you have people who will shop at the natural foods store while pregnant, so baby has the best, but still have no qualms about giving their baby a bottle of formula. It doesn’t make any sense to me.

Not only does it show a lack of understanding of the supply and demand nature of breastfeeding, but if organics are good enough for your unborn baby and yourself why isn’t it good enough once the baby is born? After all what is more organic than breastmilk? Human milk for human babies.

Yes, yes… “babies do just fine on formula,” but breastfed babies do so much better. It’s the optimum best you can give your baby. Who actually does the optimum and best these days? They say formula is good enough. No it’s not! Saying breastfed babies do better is saying Formula is the norm and breastfeeding is better. (See my rant: Breast is Norm - Bottle is inferior for list of reasons.)

We need to reset our meters as to what is normal. What is organic? What is the God given and natural way to feed a baby? How were babies fed before formula? Why Breast of course. Which means that Formula fed babies aren’t as healthy as breastfed ones. Formula fed babies have more problems than breastfed babies. Formula fed babies aren’t as smart as breastfed babies.

What if you can’t? From what I’ve seen over the past 10 years is that only a very small amount of women can’t breastfeed given the proper knowledge and support. I’ve seen women overcome amazing obstacles to breastfeed.

If you really are in that minority of those truly unable to breastfeed, then that is what Formula should be for. To feed babies who aren’t able to get breastmilk who would otherwise starve. It should be a substitute for when the natural process doesn’t work. It should NOT be the default choice.

My Pregnancy and Early Parenting page has some more links for Breastfeeding info.

Cases of Kill the Messenger:

I don’t like the message. Ignore the message. Kill the messenger.
I don’t like the messenger. Who cares about the message. Kill the messenger.
I like the message, but don’t like the messenger. Miss all further messages. Kill the messenger.
I like the message and this messenger best. Accept only these messages. Kill all other messengers.
I like this messenger. Who cares what the message is. Kill all other messengers.

Which category do you fall under?

There is of course the option to take the message as delivered. Study the merits of the message yourself. And who cares how tall or short the messenger is. What color clothing he is wearing. His shoe size. His tone of voice or eye color. After all, he is just the messenger…