Lactation advice can be incredibly confusing, and honestly, it’s not surprising why! There’s a lot of conflicting information out there, and not all of it is based on the latest research or tailored to individual needs. Here are a few reasons why lactation advice can feel so overwhelming:
🤱🏽Every Baby (and Breast) is Different: No two breastfeeding journeys are the same. What works for one mom and baby may not work for another, and there isn’t always a one-size-fits-all answer.
📽️Outdated Recommendations: Sometimes advice from well-meaning friends, family, and even healthcare providers might be based on outdated practices. For example, certain ideas about feeding schedules or how to handle milk supply have shifted significantly in recent years.
⚖️Mix of Personal Opinions and Evidence-Based Practices: Online forums, social media, and parenting groups are full of personal stories and tips. While these can be helpful, they sometimes mix opinion with fact, making it hard to know what’s genuinely evidence-based.
đź”®Cultural Beliefs and Biases: Different cultures and communities have unique approaches to infant feeding, which can sometimes clash with medical advice or feel like extra pressure to follow a particular path.
📚Medical Professionals Vary in Knowledge: Some healthcare providers don’t have in-depth lactation training, which means that their breastfeeding advice can be more limited. That’s one of the reasons why lactation consultants are so helpful—they’re often more up-to-date on the latest research and trained to support different needs.
❤️‍🔥Emotional Investment: Breastfeeding can be tied to a lot of emotions—self-doubt, hopes, frustrations, and joy—which makes it easy to feel overwhelmed when things aren’t going as planned or when you’re getting conflicting advice.
🚽Unrealistic Expectations on Social Media: Pictures and stories on social media sometimes show breastfeeding as this seamless, beautiful experience. While it can be that way, it’s not always immediate or easy. This portrayal can make it harder for parents to navigate real-life challenges when they crop up.
Finding a trusted source, like a certified lactation consultant, can help cut through the noise, since they’re trained to provide advice that’s both evidence-based and supportive of each family’s unique needs. Having someone in your corner who understands the challenges and can offer personalized support makes all the difference.