Myths About Breastfeeding That Are Still Believed Today

Ilustrasi (StefaNikolic/Istockphoto)

JAKARTA - There are many myths and facts about exclusive breastfeeding circulating in the community, one of which is that there are still people who think that breast milk is not filling enough for babies.

Utami Roesli, SpA.,MBA, FABM., a pediatrician who graduated from Padjadjaran University explained that there are many misleading myths that are believed by parents, especially grandmothers and grandfathers.

According to dr. Utami, education or providing information to grandmothers plays an important role as a form of support so that babies can get exclusive breastfeeding.

The myth that is most often circulated in the community is that breast milk alone is not enough, so it must be supplemented with foods such as bananas and formula milk at the age of the first 6 months.

"The fact is that the production of breast milk is in accordance with the production of breast milk, demand and supply. So the more it is released, the more it is produced. Increase milk production also by breastfeeding and expressing breast milk, not by drinking breast milk," said dr. Utami in the webinar as quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, May 28.

This myth is also reinforced by the assumption that when a baby cries after feeding, it means that it is still hungry and lacks nutrition, so it needs to be supplemented with other foods.

According to dr. Utami, babies cry not always because they are hungry, there could be other factors such as uncomfortable diapers, wanting to be carried and others.

"Pay attention to the signs that the baby is hungry, he will stick out his tongue as if he were smacking, tasting, his head is like looking for a nipple. So if you cry after feeding it is not because you are hungry," explained dr. Utami.

The next myth is that babies need to be trained to drink with a pacifier before the mother goes to work. The fact is that introducing a pacifier in the first month can cause breastfeeding difficulties or nipple confusion.

Another misguided thing that is believed by mothers and parents is to avoid drinking coffee, seafood and spicy foods. Mothers are also required to drink special milk for breastfeeding mothers so that there is a lot of milk production.

"What should not be alcohol and cigarettes, for what reason? It is said that the baby's amniotic fluid tastes like its mother's food. Simply put, cow's amniotic fluid tastes like grass, it tastes like meat," said dr. Utami.

"So we have been accustomed to eating the same food as the mother. For example, if we breastfeed a Caucasian baby, we eat chili sauce, a Caucasian baby will have diarrhea," he continued.

Another myth that is also believed by the community is that on the first day after the baby is born and the milk has not come out, it is necessary to add formula milk so that the baby is not dehydrated or yellow.

In fact, newborns can survive without breast milk for 48-72 hours because they are provided in the womb. Condition, breastfed immediately after birth and often breastfed in the first days, a little colustrum is needed to mature the intestines.

"That's why it is necessary to have an IMD (early breastfeeding initiation) at least 1 hour after birth, placed on the mother's chest. A drop of colostrum and two drops of colostrum is needed at birth, not for food but for ripening the intestines," explained dr. Utami.