Le Leche League Myths

Yup, this is a biological argument against some of the breastfeeding myths that Le Leche League publishes and perpetuates with women world wide.

1. Breastfeeding keeps your period away.

This is completely false.  My period started immediately after giving birth and continues every month regardless of the feeding schedule I keep with my baby.  (and just for the record, I pump or breastfeed for 20 minutes 10-12 times a day.)  I confirmed this with several OB/GYNs in the local medical system- the two are completely unrelated.  I was really pissed off when this turned out to be the case- I REALLY don't like getting my period but because of a history of high blood pressure, I can't take birth control to turn it off.  GRRRRRRRRRR.

Ding one for LLL.

2.  You'll keep all that glorious hair that you grew during your pregnancy as long as you're breastfeeding.

Again, completely false.  The hormones that create the extra hair and longer nails during pregnancy are a biological reaction designed to make you look bigger and meaner during your pregnancy, so as to keep other animals away from you.  (yeah...like you need that with the mood swings, but that's the point of it.)  Those hormones stay around in your body long enough for you to protect your young, immobile animal after birth.  But regardless of whether or not you're breastfeeding, your hair will suddenly fall out in clumps around 6 months after birth.  Same with the nails- those glorious hard nails that you developed will all crack and peel back to their original, pre-pregnancy appearance around 6 months post-partum.

Ding two for LLL.

3.  Your baby won't be ready to wean until 18 months.

Completely wrong.  After speaking with a couple of lactation consultants and several mothers that breastfeed, your child may decide to stop breastfeeding at any time.  My (and several other lactation nurses I spoke to) weaned herself at 9 months on the nose.  I still pump months later, but she won't take the boob anymore.  And that's normal.

Ding three for LLL.

4. Le Leche League states that you have the right to breastfeed your child, and should do so, until the age of 5 or 6.

This is wrong.  The US government has a law that you are only guaranteed the right to breastfeed your baby for 1 year after birth.  Other states, like Colorado, may extend this time period, but not shorten it.  You probably weren't aware of this.  But it does seem strange the there is so much controversy over a woman's right to choose whether or not to have the kid, but there is NO controversy over a woman's right to breastfeed her child for as along as she likes.  True, you won't be thrown in jail for breastfeeding (well, at least not in some states), but you can be fired after 1 year for breastfeeding at work.

Go freakin' figure.

5.  As long as you keep up with the breastfeeding, you'll always produce enough milk for your baby.

Sorry, completely WRONG.  Stress, decreased caloric intake, decreased fluid intake, and an increase in activity all lead to decreased milk production.  This is in addition to the little revealed fact that you just generally don't produce as much milk as time goes on as you did in the first 6 months of your child's life.  I find it interesting that this is a hidden fact by LLL because even dairy farmers know this is true and have their dairy cattle in different groups based on time post-partum.  (yeah, don't ask me to go into detail on how they take care of that).

So, in continuing with the theme of this blog, if it sounds too good to be true, it IS.  That's not to say that LLL is completely bad- they can help you with questions about HOW to breastfeed, but, then, so can any lactation nurse with your health system.