Things Doctors need to stop telling Breastfeeding Mothers
A lot of new mothers get confused when they get conflicting information. Everyone assumes because something came from a doctor that it must be true. Tell me this, would you go to a Foot doctor if you needed your wisdom tooth pulled? I think not. Same goes for nutrition and breastfeeding. You want to get your information from someone who specializes in that area. Such as, a Lactation consultant or Nutritionist. The things I will be discussing in this article is things doctors need to stop recommending so freely. In some cases, these recommendations may be needed, but done so in specific, unique situations to the mom and child. A lot of the time Breastfeeding & Nutrition is not so black & white, but some doctors treat it like it is.
1.) Stop telling breastfeeding mothers to supplement with formula.
Over time it will deplete the mothers supply to the point that she will no longer be able to nurse. Every bottle of formula that is given is one less feeding from the breast and that much less milk that the mother will produce.
2.) Stop giving nipple shields for no reason.
They are hard to wean off of and because it creates a barrier between baby and breast it means baby gets less milk and can cause slow weight gain and lowered supply.
3.) Stop recommending rice cereal.
It is void of all nutritional value and is a bland but sweet flavor that could lead to bad eating habits in the future. Baby's tummy is not developed enough digest grains until the 2 year molars are in.
4.) Stop recommending ANY solids before 4 months at the very earliest.
A baby's gut is not ready to digest anything other than breast milk or formula before that and can cause intestinal issues when they are older.
5.) Stop telling moms to schedule feeds.
A baby is a human and their stomachs do not have a clock. Forcing a baby to wait to nurse until a certain time will not only cause a very upset baby it will cause the mothers supply to decrease.
6.)Stop pushing birth control at 6 weeks.
The 6th week is usually one of the worst. Your hormones are transitioning, baby is fussy due to the new hormones, 6 weeks is one of the biggest growth spurts, all of that by itself is daunting then they want you to add in a new BC pill (hopefully estrogen free) that can throw off your hormones and production cause moms to panic and think that their milk is going down which then causes them to supplement or just give up all together. I personally think BC should not be prescribed until 8 weeks.
7.) Stop telling breastfeeding mothers to stop breastfeeding due to Medications or for other Medical reasons because most of the time it isn't necessary.
Did your doctor or pharmacist tell you to "pump and dump" because of a prescribed medication?
More than 80% of medications are safe for breastfeeding. Check the LactMed database!
Were you told to 'pump and dump' after surgery? Most anesthesia and pain medication is safe for breastfeeding. Check kellymom or LactMed!
Were you told to 'pump and dump' because of a CT scan, MRI, X-ray, or other radiological test? Most testing is safe for breastfeeding. Call the Infant Risk Center!
Did your physician suggest you wean your child so she can prescribe medication to you? Over 80% of medications are breastfeeding safe! Tell your doctor to check the LactMed database!
Did your doctor tell you that your baby is "too small" or not gaining weight "fast enough? Check to make sure your doctor is using the WHO growth charts for breastfed babies, not the CDC charts for formula babies.
8.) Stop telling breastfeeding moms they NEED to wean sooner than they wanted.
The WHO recommends breastfeeding until age two OR beyond. Some doctors insist that moms start the weaning process right when their baby reaches one. There is no scientific evidence backing that up , but there is loads of research backing up the benefits of natural term breastfeeding.
9.) Stop telling breastfeeding moms that nursing to sleep causes cavities.
It's often said that breastfeeding (particularly while lying down at night) will cause tooth decay, just like letting a baby sleep with a bottle of milk can cause “baby bottle mouth.” Essentially, a valid link has not been made between breastfeeding (nighttime or otherwise) and cavities.
10.) Stop telling breastfeeding moms that nursing their baby to sleep is a bad habit.
Nursing a baby to sleep is not a bad habit it's the biological norm.
