Breastfeeding fact or fiction

When it comes to breastfeeding, everyone seems to have advice and opinions to offer. But how much is true? Test your breastfeeding knowledge and decide whether the following statements are true or false:

Most women can breastfeed

True. Most women are physically capable of breastfeeding. There are some rare exceptions where women may not have enough of the right kind of breast tissue to produce milk. And if you’re on certain medications or drugs it may not be recommended.

Bigger boobs are better for breastfeeding

False. Size really doesn’t matter when you’re breastfeeding. Most women experience breasts getting bigger during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but everyone is different.

Breastfeeding will make my boobs saggy

False. It’s pregnancy and all those pregnancy hormones that cause your breasts to change size and shape. Your breasts don’t contain any muscle. They’re attached to your chest by thin ligaments which will stretch as your breasts increase in size. It’s this stretching that may lead to slightly saggier breasts, but this can happen whether or not you breastfeed your baby.

Breastfeeding can help you lose weight

The jury’s out on this one. In theory breastfeeding uses around 500 kcal/day, but whether you lose weigh or not will depend on other factors such as the amount of exercise, food and sleep you’re getting. Famously Serena Williams recently said that she struggled to lose her pregnancy weight while breastfeeding her daughter, and she’s hardly inactive or eating an unhealthy diet!

You can’t get pregnant when you’re breastfeeding

False. Only breastfeeding and not supplementing with other milk or food will suppress ovulation for most women. But that’s not guaranteed and it is possible to become pregnant again while you’re breastfeeding.

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