​Is it true that many women do not produce enough milk? Ms Cynthia Pang from the Lactation Clinic at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) sheds some light on the myths of breastfeeding.

“Breast is best", new mothers are told, while they are encouraged to breastfeed their newborn baby as long as possible. Breastfeeding is not only considered highly beneficial for a baby's growth and development, it has numerous advantages for the mother's health too.

But this highly recommended practice is surrounded by myths such as: “Many women don't produce enough milk" or “It is not safe to breastfeed if you are sick". Ms Cynthia Pang, Assistant Director of Nursing and Senior Lactation Consultant at the Lactation Clinic, KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), a member of the SingHealth group, dispels some of these false notions about breastfeeding and presents the facts.

Myth 1: It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt.

Fact: Mild tenderness during the first few days of breastfeeding is common. Any pain that is more than mild is abnormal and is almost always due to the baby latching on poorly. If nipple pain does not get better by day three or four, or lasts beyond five or six days, you should seek a doctor's or lactation consultant's advice. A new onset of pain after a period of normal breastfeeding may be due to a yeast infection of the nipples and requires treatment.

Read on for more myths you might have heard about breastfeeding.

Contributed by:
HealthXchange​