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Myths about breastfeeding
Vakarė Kisieliūtė
6 years ago
Myths about breastfeeding

          Breastfeeding is one of the most important parts of the parenthood and childhood. If you are a mother who is nursing, it might seem like your little one is always attached to your chest. That is why it may be quite worrying that the things you are doing to take care of yourself might have any negative affect on your child’s growth and development. To let you sleep peacefully, we found these few myths you should know about breastfeeding quality.

          Antiperspirants are no good

Yes, you may have heard that aluminum, the sweat-stopping ingredient in antiperspirants, is toxic for your breast milk. But you can always choose an aluminum-free deodorant, so calm down because the precaution is not necessary. Also, there is no evidence to suggest that a nursing mother should not use antiperspirant. Aluminum is naturally commonly found in the environment, therefore most of your exposure comes from food, not skin products. Even so, you should think about switching to a fragrance-free one, since newborns latch by smell and using heavily perfumed products on or near your nipples might create quite a confusion for them.

          Do not take any pain relievers

If you are in pain, trust me, there is no need to suffer. Pain relievers and fever reducers are generally fine for breastfeeding moms. But you should be aware of a fact that every medicine has its benefits and risks. There are a few of OTCs that it is best to avoid. For example, decongestants might lower your milk production, antihistamines can make you drowsy and impair your abilities. So be sure to avoid those. For anything you take, it is the best to check with your doctor about it first. Even when a medication is considered safe to use while breastfeeding, it surely will not be worse if you will check on the side of any caution. Use the lowest effective dose of the medication for the shortest amount of time possible. This way you will be able to notice if there is any side effect on you and you will be able to stop using them quickly.

          Stop drinking coffee

If you have just experienced quite a rough night, do not be afraid to pour yourself a cup of coffee. There will not be any negative affect if you will go for a refill too. The amount of caffeine your baby gets is only a very small percentage of what you actually drink. But just to be safe, stick from one to three servings of caffeine per day. If you will have higher doses, caffeine from breast milk might accumulate in your little one’s body, which will make him restless and irritable, and I believe you do not want it to happen.

          Cutting the calories to drop the baby weight is the best way

If you did not know, breastfeeding itself burns about 500 calories per day. That is truly enough to help women get back to their pre-pregnancy body. Even if you wish to lose it as fast as possible, be smart enough to make sure you are eating at least 1,800 calories per day and well-balanced meals. By the way, it is best to wait to diet until after two months have passed after the labor, when your milk supply is well established and you have already physically recovered from giving a birth. The best way to know if you are consuming the right amount is to listen to your body and eat according to your hunger. So do not cut the calories, at least not immediately after newborn came to this world.

          Drink alcohol is okay if you are pumping and dumping

Of course, rarely parent wants to give up wine, especially when there is so much stress with the little one, but even a small amount of alcohol does pass into breast milk and this might change the flavor of your milk, familiarizing your infant with the taste of alcohol. By the way, alcohol intake might also reduce milk production. Even worse, alcohol is a neurotoxin which impacts infant brain development. That is the main reason why you should not drink if you are breastfeeding.

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