Breastfeeding Myths Busted – Can I Breastfeed If I Have…

Breastfeeding Myths Busted – Can I Breastfeed If I Have…

There’s so much breastfeeding advice and information out there and it can often be contradicting and sometimes completely wrong as people spread information that is simply not true. Breastfeeding myths can influence women’s decisions whether to give breastfeeding a go or not, so I think it’s important to clear up things. In this post, I’ll be looking at common questions starting with “Can I Breastfeed If I Have…” — read on to find out more.

Can I Breastfeed If I Have Small Breasts?

This is something I’ve heard a few elderly ladies say, that they couldn’t breastfeed as they’re breasts were too small. This is a myth! The amount of milk your breasts can produce haven’t got anything to do with the size of your breasts and small breasted women can produce plenty of milk. Breast size is completely insignificant when it comes to how good your breast milk production. I’ve got small breasts myself and have successfully breastfed three babies. As long as your breasts have developed properly during puberty, the size of them will not matter.

Can I Breastfeed If I Have Inverted Nipples?

Inverted nipples shouldn’t cause too much trouble as babies breastfeed, not nipplefeed, As long as your baby can get a good portion of breast into their mouth to latch on, most types of inverted or flat nipples do not cause any problems with breastfeeding. Just pay attention to the latch and positioning of your baby and you should be fine.

Often, one nipple is less inverted then the other, so can choose to feed from the easier one first, while trying to soften your other breast by hand. Using a breast pump can also help encourage the nipple to pop out — as soon as your nipple pops out, position your baby onto your breast for a feed. Hopefully this will help.

Can I Breastfeed If I Have Nipple Piercings?

Not much research has been done about this but a small study of breastfeeding women with nipple piercings showed that they may lead to a reduced milk supply. The reason for this is probably that the piercing may reduce how well the breastmilk can be removed from the breast. If the baby struggles to get as much milk as he or she wants, then the production will be affected as breastfeeding very much works on a supply and demand basis.

The best thing to do is to remove your nipple jewellery before feeding your baby as the jewellery might hurt your baby’s delicate mouth and also poses a choking risk for your baby if it were to come loose. Removing jewellery will also solve the issue discussed above as it should be easier for your baby to latch and get the milk he or she needs. This should make sure that your body produces enough milk for your baby.

If you think your piercing might be infected, contact your doctor for advice.

Can I Breastfeed If I Have Breast Implants?

If you’ve had a breast augmentation and are having a baby, you might be wondering if you can still breastfeed. The good news are that most women who have breast implants can still breastfeed as the surgery doesn’t usually involve the milk ducts or the areas of your breasts that are involved in milk production. It’s also good to know that the silicone in modern breast implants is very unlikely to leach into your milk.

The risk of a breast augmentation affecting breastfeeding depends on where the incision has been made and what kind of surgery you’ve had. The most common way of doing it, is to make an incision under the breast and place the implant behind the pectoral muscle which is behind the breast tissue. This should not affect breastfeeding at all.

Other types of breast augmentation involve making the incision in the armpit or around the areola (for the cosmetic reason that the scar will be less visible) and this might affect your supply as nipples can lose sensation and ducts might be damaged. You will not know for sure until you try.

If you’re interested in having breast surgery but know you want children in the future and want to breastfeed, make sure you tell your surgeon this and that you’re well-informed before you opt for the intervention.

For example, an Australian consumer advocacy group states that you should always go to an unbiased GP first if you want to get all the necessary information. Only after you’ve made sure you’re an apt candidate for the surgery, you can start looking for safe breast augmentation in Sydney, or any other city for that matter. It’s important to be informed in order to avoid possible further complications.

Can I Breastfeed If I Have A Cold?

When you have a cold or another common mild illness like flu, fever, diarrhoea and vomiting or mastitis, it’s best to keep breastfeeding as normal. Your baby will not catch your illness through the breast milk. Actually, breastfeeding your baby while you’re ill makes it less likely that your baby will catch the same bug as your milk will contain antibodies to reduce her risk of getting ill. Breastmilk is very clever!

Just make sure you look after yourself as you’ll be extra tired from being ill already. Make sure you drink enough, eat enough and get plenty of rest.

If you have a more serious illness and/or are on medication, ask your doctor for medical advice.

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