Common Breastfeeding Myths Debunked
This blog is intended for general information purposes only. If you have concerns about your or your child’s health, speak to a medical practitioner.
If there's one thing that comes with a new baby, it's advice – and there’s a lot of it. From well-meaning relatives to social media rabbit holes at 3am, it can be genuinely hard to know what to believe when it comes to breastfeeding facts and myths. And because so many of these myths have been passed down for generations, they can feel very convincing, even when the evidence tells a completely different story.
One thing we will say right at the beginning is that there is no single "right" way to feed your baby, and every mum's journey is different. Whatever path you take, you're doing great. This post is simply about making sure that if you are breastfeeding (or hoping to), you have access to accurate, evidence-based information so you can make the choices that are right for you and your little one, free from unnecessary worry.
So, let's take a look at some of the most common breastfeeding misconceptions out there, and what the research says.
Myth #1: "Breastfeeding is supposed to hurt"
This is one of the most widely repeated myths, and it can actually be harmful, as it can lead some mums to push through real pain rather than seek help. While it's completely normal to experience some tenderness or sensitivity in the very first days as your body adjusts, persistent or significant pain is not a normal part of breastfeeding. It's usually a sign that something is off. One of the more common causes is a latch that isn't quite right.
A study in the Journal of Family & Community Medicine notes that a proper latch (where the baby's mouth covers more of the areola than just the nipple, with lips flanged outward) is key to pain-free breastfeeding1. If you're experiencing ongoing pain, a lactation consultant or your midwife can make a huge difference. Don't ever feel like you simply need to grit your teeth and get through it. Support is available, and things can improve with a little bit of expert help.
Myth #2: "Small breasts mean a small milk supply"
Pre-pregnancy breast size is determined by a combination of several things, not just how many milk-producing glands you have. Things like fatty and connective tissue (i.e., muscles and ligaments) will also affect your pre-pregnancy breast size, with fatty tissue having the most impact, and fatty tissue plays no role in milk production. The glands responsible for producing milk, called alveoli (and which form groups called lobules), are present in similar amounts across all breast sizes. This means that breast size has little to no bearing on your capacity to produce milk. While there is a rare condition called Insufficient Glandular Tissue (IGT) that can occur when these glands don’t develop properly during puberty, this does not affect most people2.
What actually determines your supply is what we call supply and demand: the more frequently milk is removed from the breast, the more the body produces. Research published by the WHO shows that milk production is driven by how often and how effectively milk is removed, not by breast size or shape3.
Myth #3: "If your baby feeds constantly, you're not producing enough milk"
Ah, the worry about low milk supply. This is probably the single most common fear among breastfeeding mums. It's one that, in many cases, isn't supported by the evidence – though it does need to be noted that it is still a very real issue that some mums do have to deal with, and that’s where a specialist in breastfeeding can help. But frequent feeding in and of itself, especially in the early days, is not necessarily a sign of this. Newborns have tiny stomachs and breastmilk is digested quickly, which means frequent feeding is not only completely normal, it’s expected. Rather than being a signal that something is wrong, it's a signal that your baby's appetite is doing exactly what it should be doing to help establish your supply.
As mentioned above, the physiology of lactation shows that milk production works on a supply-and-demand basis; frequent feeding or expressing tells the body to produce more milk, while going longer between feeds signals a decrease. A better guide to whether your baby is getting enough is nappy output: plenty of wet and dirty nappies and steady weight gain are strong reassurances. If you are genuinely concerned about supply, your midwife, LMC, or a lactation consultant is the best person to assess what's actually going on. They can either reassure you that things are going as they should or, if help is needed, can give you good, tailored advice to get through the issue.
Myth #4: "You need to stop breastfeeding when you get sick"
This is one myth where the truth is actually kind of amazing. When you've got a cold, your body begins producing antibodies to fight it off, and those antibodies pass directly to your baby through your breastmilk. Rather than putting your baby at risk, continuing breastfeeding while sick can actually provide them with important immune protection!
According to the CDC, breastmilk contains antibodies and other immunological factors that can help protect an infant from illness. They recommend continuing to breastfeed even when mum is unwell, with normal hygiene precautions like handwashing being practiced4. And if you’re just too sick to breastfeed? They recommend expressing milk to be fed to baby by someone else – that’s how good breastmilk is! The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine also notes that when a nursing parent is under the weather, antibodies against that infection begin appearing in breastmilk almost immediately5. Of course, there are a small number of specific medical conditions that mean breastfeeding should be avoided, so always check with your healthcare provider if you're unsure, but it’s good to know a common cold or flu is not one of them.
Myth #5: "Breastfeeding will cause your breasts to sag"
This one has probably put more than a few women off breastfeeding, but the evidence doesn’t support it. A study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal found no difference in the degree of breast ptosis (the medical term for sagging) between women who had breastfed and those who had not6. The researchers found that the real contributors to changes in breast shape are pregnancy itself (and the number of them), age, BMI, and smoking – not breastfeeding.
So, what does all that mean, exactly? That breastfeeding and breast shape aren’t as closely linked as we may have thought. The changes that occur as a result of pregnancy happen regardless of whether you breastfeed or not. It's one of those myths that's affected breastfeeding rates, which is why it's worth mentioning here.
Myth #6: "You have to eat a bland, restricted diet while breastfeeding"
The idea that breastfeeding mums need to avoid spicy food, garlic, onions, broccoli, or any number of other foods is one that gets passed around a lot, and while it comes from a caring place, it's largely unfounded. Most mums can eat a normal, varied diet without it causing any issues for their baby.
In fact, some research suggests there can be a positive side to flavour variety in breastmilk: exposing your baby to different tastes through your milk may actually help them be more open to a varied diet when solids are introduced.7 Food sensitivities in breastfed babies do exist, but they're not especially common, and are usually indicated by specific symptoms like mucus or blood in the stool rather than general fussiness. If you have concerns, your doctor is the right person to talk to.
There are things worth being mindful of while breastfeeding, such as alcohol (which passes into breastmilk), very high caffeine intake, and fish that are high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, or southern bluefin tuna (you can see MPI for a list of fish in NZ that are high in mercury). Beyond that, most mums can enjoy the foods they love.
Myth #7: "Breastfeeding is natural, so it should come easily"
This might be the most quietly damaging myth of all, because it can leave mums who are struggling feeling like they're somehow failing when they're not. As we’ve mentioned previously in other blogs, breastfeeding is a skill, and it’s one that both you and your baby are learning at the same time, often in the middle of exhaustion and big physical changes. It can take time, patience, and the right support to get established, and that's completely normal. Just like most people would expect to immediately be experts at any other skill, breastfeeding needs help and practice to really get the hang of it – and that applies to both of you.
Research from the WHO reinforces the importance of access to skilled support for breastfeeding outcomes, noting that women need this support to optimise their chances of breastfeeding in line with current guidelines8. If you're finding it tough, please reach out to your midwife, LMC, a lactation consultant, or even a breastfeeding support group in your area. Getting the right help early can make an enormous difference. And remember: needing help is completely normal, and seeking that help when you need it is one of the strongest things you can do.
A Final Word
Sorting through all the information around breastfeeding can be genuinely overwhelming. We hope this helps give you more of an idea about what the evidence actually says.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your breastfeeding journey, your trusted midwife/LMC, family healthcare professional, or certified lactation consultant are all absolute fonts of knowledge and advice. And if you're looking for products to support you along the way, whether that's nipple shields to protect sore nipples, collectors to catch let-down, or pumps to build a milk stash, Haakaa has you covered.
References
1Goyal, R., Banginwar, A., Ziyo, F., & Toweir, A. (2011). Breastfeeding practices: Positioning, attachment (latch-on) and effective suckling - A hospital-based study in Libya. Journal of Family and Community Medicine, 18(2), 74. https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8229.83372
2Does breast size matter? | La Leche League Canada. (n.d.). https://www.lllc.ca/does-breast-size-matter
3World Health Organization. (2009). The physiological basis of breastfeeding. In Infant and young child feeding: Model chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK148970/
4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, September 23). Influenza (flu) and breastfeeding. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/hcp/illnesses-conditions/flu.html
5Healthline. (2022, April 8). Does breast milk change when your baby is sick? https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/does-breast-milk-change-when-baby-is-sick
6Rinker, B., Veneracion, M., & Walsh, C. P. (2008). The effect of breastfeeding on breast aesthetics. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 28(5), 534–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asj.2008.07.004
7New York-Presbyterian Hospital. (2025, August 9). Seven myths about breastfeeding — debunked and explained. https://healthmatters.nyp.org/seven-breastfeeding-myths-debunked/
8World Health Organization. (2017). Guideline: Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in facilities providing maternity and newborn services. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK487801/
