Busting the myths on breastfeeding

MANILA, Philippines - At the recent Grand Baby Company Fair at SM Megamall, moms had the rare opportunity to listen to a breastfeeding expert at the Philips Avent booth: La Leche League leader Abigail Vernida-Yabot.

She talked mostly about the concerns of second-time moms who had trouble breastfeeding their first babies, and answered questions on how to continue breastfeeding while working full time.

No milk? Think again. According to the American journal Pediatrics, one of the top three reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding is because they feel that not enough milk is coming out of their breasts, and that their babies are starving.

This belief, Yabot says, rises from a misconception. Our babies do get enough milk from our breasts, but we think otherwise because the gauges we use are wrong. 

On the baby’s first days, the first milk that comes out — the colostrum — amounts to only about one teaspoon per feed. And this is quite enough because the baby’s stomach is just about the size of a cashew nut. So if you are able to give your baby just that much milk, you can be sure he’s getting everything he needs.

Breastfeeding while working? Another reason why mothers stop breastfeeding even when they want to continue doing so is because they need to go back to work. But there is a simple solution to this: the breast pump.

“If you’re going back to work,” Yabot advises, “you should get a pump that expresses milk from both breasts at the same time.” Such a pump will let you finish pumping within a 20-minute break, while a singular pump will require twice as much time.

You can safely reuse the pump later without washing because breast milk has antibacterial properties. Just shake the milk off the pump parts after using, put the parts in an airtight container, then keep it in the office refrigerator.

Avent offers pumps that are specifically designed to eliminate the pain that some mothers report when they are using their breast pumps. In fact, a common feedback of mothers who use the Avent breast pump is “it does not hurt.” This is because, like other Avent products, these pumps are scientifically designed and tested for ease and comfort of use. This standard of excellence is something the company has taken pride in from the time it was founded in 1984. Today, Philips Avent is the leading international brand for breast pumps and baby feeding products.

Learn more about breastfeeding and Philips Avent on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PhilipsAventPH  or e-mail avent@ljs.com.ph.