7 Facts You Didn’t Know about Breastfeeding

It's a well-known fact that breastfeeding is best for babies and their mothers -- but did you know that there are other reasons why breastfeeding rocks? Read on for these not-so-famous facts about breastfeeding!

In honor of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we've compiled a list of not-so-commonly known things about breastfeeding -- stuff you wouldn't normally find in most "what to expect" or breastfeeding-related books. Read on and be inspired and amazed at how breastfeeding is truly designed to benefit both mom and baby!


Fact #1: It is possible to breastfeed your baby even if you've stopped altogether — or never tried to before. This is commonly referred to as relactation.
Lan Perez, who recently decided to be a fulltime mom to homeschool her two children, shares her relactation story with us:

"After giving birth to my second child, though I had no intention of breastfeeding,I joined the Breastfeeding Pinays (BFP) Facebook group. Out of curiosity, I educated myself about the benefits of breastfeeding.

"When my formula-fed child turned 2 months old, he got sick and was given antibiotics. I remembered a post I read that said breastmilk has antibodies that help infants to have stronger immunity and antibiotics should be avoided if possible, and that was my turning point. I got in touch with friends and started the relactation process the next day.

"I stayed in Arugaan Creche (located in Quezon City) for 2 weeks. Relactation is not a walk in the park. I had a hard time because my milk had dried up, so I literally had no milk to start with.

"We threw away all bottles and strictly implemented cup feeding (to address nipple confusion) and cross nursed with other moms in Arugaan. I learned that both mom and baby benefit from cross nursing: the mom’s milk production is triggered, while the baby learns how to properly latch.

"Now, Jaden is 15 months old and still continues to breastfeed; he's never been sick since then. All the hard work is paying off, he's one happy and healthy boy.


Fact #2: Nearly 75% of mothers produce more milk in their right breast, no matter if they are left- or right-handed.
Joyce Martinez, RN, MSN, CLC, the in-house U.S.-certified lactation counselor for Best for Families Inc., says that breasts are often asymmetric, so the fact that most moms produce milk in their right breast may be "because of anatomical (structural) differences of each side -- but it doesn’t mean that the physiological (functional) attributes are poor if one side is smaller."

Nonetheless, many moms claim that their babies seem to "favor" one breast over the other, and it's usually the right one!


Fact #3: Babies usually eat until they are full, not until their moms' breasts are emptied. In numerical terms, this is around 67% of Mama's available milk.
Martinez affirms this: "Baby feeds until fullness and sometimes for comfort. Breastfeeding in the early months is like external gestation.  

"For 9 months, while in the womb, the baby feeds through the placenta and swallows amniotic fluid (which is known to have the same scent as colostrum). Breastfeeding usually entices the baby to stay at the breast for nourishment and comfort, much like being inside the womb, hence the term 'external gestation.'"
 
Martinez emphasizes, too, that the breast "is not a bottle or milk container; it is an active organ where milk is continuously produced."

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Fact #4: A mother’s breasts can sense even a 1-degree change in her baby’s body temperature and heats up or cools down according to the baby's needs.
This is partly why skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby is very important in the early days.

Martinez adds, "The mother’s chest serves as a 'human incubator'. It can change its temperature based on baby’s needs; this is the maternal-thermal synchrony mechanism of the mother’s body. In fact, a mother of multiples can accommodate the thermal needs of all her babies simultaneously."


Fact #5: Your breast size has nothing to do with the amount of milk you can produce. Similarly, it doesn't matter if you have inverted nipples.
"The capacity to produce milk is not based on breast size,"  Martinez says.

"Similarly,having inverted nipples is not a reason not to initiate breastfeeding because the baby attaches to the breast and not the nipple alone."

Ting Valdepenas-Patriarca, mom to 5.2-year-old Tong and 3.2 year old Teng, shares: "I consider my breasts small because I am only size 32. Still, I did not encounter any difficulty at all breastfeeding my two kids. I do not have a special diet either. I just drank a little more water than I normally do.

"My daughter is 3.2 years old now and still breastfeeding. There is no sign of her weaning yet and I don’t plan to stop since I am all for child-led weaning. I don’t have any qualms breastfeeding until now because, aside from the nutritional benefits, the mother-daughter bonding brings about a positive psychological long-term effect."

Ting currently manages a school for children with special needs, andis alsofinishing her dissertation for her doctorate in UP Diliman. "I have a busy schedule but I make breastfeeding work for me... even with 'small breasts'!" she quips.


Fact #6: You can (and should!) breastfeed your baby if you have a cold or cough.
Martinez explains: "Mother’s milk provides antibodies to fight infection. It protects the baby from any organism he or she is exposed to, thus triggering your baby’s immune system.

"In cases when a breastfeeding mother is severely ill, it is very important to note the following: the mode of transmission (of the disease), precautions, the medication's effect on lactation and baby.

"For example, a mom who has herpes simplex with breast lesions only on the right breast can still breastfeed on the left breast because herpes simplex may only be passed through direct contact with the lesion.

"Another example is a mom with cough and colds -- she can still breastfeed, provided that she wears a face mask, since cough and colds may be communicated through droplets."


Fact #7: You can nurse another mom's baby and vice versa, i.e.your baby can feed from another mother's breasts. This is more commonly known as wet nursing.
Tin Cervantes is a child educator and breastfeeding counselor at Arugaan, and a mom of 4. The youngest is 5 years old and still breastfeeds, which is why Tin still has milk -- and also why she can be a wet nurse to other moms' babies.

Tin shares, "It's really amazing to breastfeed. Ang wetnursing ay challenging pero fulfilling." She has been a wet nurse for five years now, and is trained to help other moms who want to return to breastfeeding, i.e.undergo relactation.


These are just a few of the many amazing facts about breastfeeding. For our babies’ well-being, let us strive to learn more and practice breastfeeding, even beyond Breastfeeding Awareness Month.

Sources:
http://pregnant.thebump.com/new-mom-new-dad/breastfeeding/articles/11-things-you-didnt-know-about-breastfeeding.aspx
http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/articles.asp?id=742
http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2010/12/20-incredible-facts-about-breast-milk/
http://healthfoundationsbirthcenter.com/2013/11/19/15-cool-facts-about-breastfeeding/

Image by Raphael Goetter from flickr creative commons