We all know that breast milk is the best food for infants, and breast-feeding is not without benefits for mothers and infants. However, there are still many legends about breast-feeding, which often bring many troubles to nursing mothers and their families.
You must have heard the following 8 rumors about breast milk more or less.
Rumor 1: When the mother is angry, sad or in a bad mood, harmful ingredients will appear in breast milk, which will affect the baby’s health.
Truth: Mothers’ emotional changes will not change the composition of milk.
When you are in a bad mood, the amount of milk may decrease, but the quality of the milk itself will not be a problem. It is good for your body and mind for nursing mothers to keep relaxed and happy mood, but even if you are in a bad mood, you should still keep breastfeeding.
Rumor 2: Mothers cannot breastfeed when they are ill, because pathogens will be transmitted to their children along with milk.
Truth: If the mother is ill, whether she can continue breast-feeding is related to the disease and cannot be generalized.
When the mother is ill, the body will produce antibodies. These antibodies will also enter the milk, so the baby can be protected accordingly and the impact is not as great as everyone thinks.
Cold, fever and other minor diseases, can continue breast milk. However, serious diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and so on, should not be breast-fed. If medication is needed, when seeing a doctor, be sure to tell the doctor that he is breast-feeding and consult relevant precautions.
Rumor 3: XX food is needed during lactation.
Truth: So far, there is no reliable evidence that specific foods in what can be [milked].
The legendary “milk foods”, such as various milky white soups, are just emulsions of fat wrapped in protein and are no more valuable than milk. As long as the mother’s diet can provide comprehensive and balanced nutrition, it will not affect the production of milk.
Rumor 4: XX food cannot be eaten during lactation.
Truth: Apart from food and alcohol that may cause baby allergy, there is no what food that nursing mothers need to avoid.
Some foods contain allergens. Allergens are protein fragments, some of which can be digested and absorbed into breast milk. Common allergen foods include peanuts, nuts, milk, eggs, fish, soybeans, wheat, shellfish, etc. If the child is allergic to a certain allergen, the mother should [avoid] this food. If the child is not allergic, it doesn’t matter.
The harm of alcohol to the baby is self-evident, so it is best not to drink alcohol during lactation. If inevitable, only drink a small amount (the amount of alcohol should not exceed 0.5 g per kilogram of body weight), and breastfeed at least 2 hours after drinking.
In addition, certain foods, such as chili, spices and some vegetables and fruits (such as onions, broccoli, oranges and strawberries), may affect the taste of breast milk and make babies dislike it. If this happens, it is also recommended to avoid these foods.
Rumor 5: Some mothers’ breast milk cannot provide comprehensive nutrition for their babies and needs to be supplemented with milk powder.
Truth: Breast milk is easy to digest, the newborn’s stomach is very small, and the calories, nutrients and fat contained in breast milk can fully meet the growth needs of the baby.
The nutritional composition of breast milk from different mothers is not exactly the same. The so-called [breast milk composition] is the average value of a large number of samples, which does not mean that breast milk with different indicators is deficient. The so-called [breast milk test] promoted by milk powder manufacturers is to fool consumers into buying milk powder by secretly changing concepts.
Infants with insufficient sunlight can be properly supplemented with vitamin D. After six months, the stored iron in the infant’s body is exhausted, and iron-containing supplementary foods can be added to supplement it. As long as breast milk is sufficient, milk powder is not needed at all.
Rumor 6: Breast milk after six months is not nutritious.
Truth: This is the deception and intimidation of breast-feeding mothers by the milk powder industry. If possible, it is recommended to continue breast-feeding until the baby is two years old.
After six months, breast milk is not enough to provide enough iron and needs to be obtained from supplementary foods, so it is necessary to introduce iron-containing supplementary foods, but breast milk is still the best food for infants.
The introduction of complementary foods is not only to ensure nutrition, but also to help children gradually transition to conventional foods. The gradual introduction of diversified complementary foods can greatly help children adapt to various foods and lay a good foundation for avoiding picky eating and partial eating in the future.
Rumor 7: Before lactation, nipples should be cleaned with alcohol or soap to ensure hygiene.
Truth: No need. Mothers only need to wash their breasts with clean water once a day.
Moderate contact with bacteria on the mother’s nipples is actually helpful to promote the maturity of the child’s immune system and prevent various allergic diseases.
Soap and alcohol are irritating to nipples, and their residues also bring unnecessary risks to children, so they should be avoided.
Rumor 8: In addition to breast milk, babies should also be fed water.
Truth: Within 4-6 months after delivery, exclusively breast-fed babies do not need extra water.
Breast milk contains about 87% water, which can fully meet the needs of the baby’s body. Even in the desert, exclusively breast-fed babies do not need extra water.