What to Know First
From "it should be natural and easy" to "you need to drink a gallon of water a day" – let's bust the myths that make feeding harder than it needs to be.
As an IBCLC, I hear the same myths repeated constantly—by well-meaning family members, outdated pediatricians, and even in parenting groups. These myths don't just spread misinformation; they make feeding harder, create unnecessary stress, and sometimes lead parents to give up when support could have helped.
You are the expert on your baby. Trust your instincts, but don't be afraid to arm yourself with evidence-based truth.
Let's clear up the most common ones.
The Truth: Breastfeeding is natural, yes—but so is learning to walk, and we don't expect babies to do that perfectly on day one.
Breastfeeding is a learned skill for both you and your baby. Your baby is learning to latch, coordinate sucking and swallowing, and regulate their intake. You're learning to learn to read hunger cues, find comfortable positions, and understand what's normal.
Many parents experience challenges in the first few weeks: sore nipples, latch difficulties, cluster feeding confusion, or supply concerns. None of this means you're failing. It means you're in the learning phase, and that's completely normal.
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What helps: Early support from an IBCLC can address small issues before they become bigger struggles. If feeding is painful or your baby isn't gaining weight well, reach out sooner rather than later.
The Truth: Hydration is important, but your body is smart. It will prioritize milk production even if you're not perfectly hydrated.
Drinking to thirst is usually enough. Yes, you might be thirstier than usual (especially during letdown), but you don't need to force yourself to chug water constantly. In fact, overhydration doesn't increase supply—it just means more bathroom trips.
What actually matters: Eating enough, resting when you can, and frequent milk removal (either by baby or pump). Those are the things that support your supply.
The Truth: Supply is about demand. If you replace nursing sessions with formula without pumping, yes, your supply may decrease. But strategic supplementation—with pumping to maintain demand—won't ruin your supply.
Sometimes supplementation is medically necessary. Sometimes it's what keeps you sane and allows you to continue breastfeeding longer term. The idea that any formula use means "giving up" on breastfeeding is harmful and not based in reality.
Combination feeding is a valid choice. Many parents successfully breastfeed and supplement, and their babies thrive.
The Truth: This one's tricky because it's partially true but often misunderstood.
Newborns do need to eat frequently—usually 8-12 times in 24 hours. That's not a schedule; that's responsive feeding based on hunger cues. But "feeding on demand" doesn't mean waiting until your baby is screaming. It means learning early hunger cues (rooting, hand-to-mouth, fussiness) and offering the breast before they're too upset to latch well.
And in some cases—like if a baby isn't gaining weight well or is very sleepy—you might need to wake them to feed on a more structured schedule. Every situation is different.
The Truth: Some initial tenderness is normal, especially in the first week as your nipples adjust. But sharp, lasting, or worsening pain is not normal and is a sign that something needs to be addressed.
Common causes of pain include:
All of these are fixable, but not without help. You don't need to tough it out or assume pain is just part of breastfeeding. It's not.
Whether you're breastfeeding, pumping, formula feeding, or doing a combination—our team supports all feeding journeys. Choose your membership for unlimited text support with certified IBCLCs.
The reality? Most feeding challenges have solutions. Most parents who stop breastfeeding earlier than they wanted to say they didn't get the support they needed.
Iza is an IBCLC, postpartum doula, and mom of three. She founded Clementina Health to give parents the kind of support she wished every family had.
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