Post update: As is clarified in the comments from Dr. Greene, the press release I received was never seen by nor was it approved by Dr. Greene. The information presented in the release was a compilation of many different parts of his website, and they were presented in a very misleading way to me. This was the fault of the press release. Dr. Greene supports breastfeeding and even answered questions about breastfeeding a newborn in my next post.
The information I present in the following post is still relevant and true. Please read all the comments to learn what Dr. Greene’s stance on breastfeeding is.
I was shocked and disgusted today as I opened up my email. I received a press release from Dr. Alan Greene with the headline: Story Idea: Breastfeeding Week (Top Five Tips from Dr. Greene)
At first I was intrigued. I frequently write about breastfeeding and love a helpful tip for other moms.
But what the press release stated was not helpful.
- Get a good nipple cream, preferably one that is organic with Calendula in it. Using organic products is important, especially wherever you put your baby’s mouth. Take your nipple cream to the hospital and use it after every feeding to help prevent soreness.
- Don’t feed your baby more often than every hour-and-a-half to two hours. She may want to eat more often, but you will not have the milk she needs in less than an hour-and-a-half (from start time to start time).
First – if there is soreness a good nipple cream can help. But the biggest prevention for soreness is proper latch. Surely he could have mentioned that. He is making it sound like soreness is a normal part of breastfeeding. I hear this over and over. Moms are told they need to keep nipple cream on hand because breastfeeding will hurt. While a painful latch is very common to begin with, it is not a normal part of breastfeeding. In fact, if there is pain, before reaching for the cream a mom should always call a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader to fix that latch before it gets worse.
Next – the more frequently you express milk (by pumping or even better breastfeeding) the more milk your body will produce. This is a well-known fact. Nursing more often and on demand increases supply, not decreases it.
While pediatricians and nurses might be well-intentioned and trained in the medical field, if you ever have questions about breastfeeding, seek help from a board-certified lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader. These professionals are thoroughly trained on breastfeeding, doctors and nurses are not always.
You are so right! After a combined total of 83 months of breastfeeding my 4, I don’t think I used cream more than 3 times, if that. It wasn’t a staple, that’s for sure! And also true about frequency – the more the better. And even if there isn’t milk yet for a feed, it’s sending the signals to produce the milk and providing much needed comfort and bonding for baby. You are right on, again, Annie!
Thank you for your support and kind words! I think nipple cream is very handy, I used it too! But moms should not have it on hand expecting it to hurt or be told that breastfeeding is normally painful. Dr. Greene was not saying that, but some nurses at a small town hospital near me have said that. They have said to new moms “oh darlin’, breastfeeding hurts, so learn how to grit your teeth!” The info in the press release just happened to remind me of those nurses.
While I agree with you that this Ivy-League trained doctor should have known better and that there are better resources out there, don’t dismiss all doctors and nurses based on the opinion of ONE person.
I did not say to dismiss all doctors. I am warning people that not all advice from doctors and nurses regarding breastfeeding is sound. People should always double check info with trained lactation consultants before trusting it. OB/GYNs, Pediatricians and nurses are not always trained in lactation or breastfeeding and are not always up to date on the latest studies or techniques. Board certified lactation consultants are. I have heard so many stories of moms being told she has to wean if she is in the hospital, that a mom needs to “toughen up her nipples” before birth, pain is normal….all this from well-meaning but ill advises medical professionals.
If a mom is being told anything that might harm her breastfeeding in any way or the advice makes it worse/harder to breastfeed, she should check with an IBCLC or LLL leader.
That being said – you are right. There are some wonderful nurses and doctors that take it upon themselves to stay trained and current on breastfeeding. So no, not all doctors are as clueless as the guy that e-mailed me.
Annie – For the most I agree with your BFing advice, but I disagree with you on a couple points here. First, I would say that for a lot of women, pain is part of the process for the first couple weeks – even with a good latch. I’ve been complimented on my latch with my last 2 children by LCs (in different hospitals in different countries) – and my toes still curled every time we started a feeding session. I would say that latch definitely has something to do with it – but in those first weeks, it’s definitely a good idea to have something to help you over the hump (lest you not be able to stand the pain and thus quit in that first couple weeks). Second – I would say that actually BFing too frequently can be an issue in milk production for some mamas. I am one of them. (And before anyone pounces on me over this – I have read the LLL manual, as well as many other BFing resources. I figured out my issue – and my #3 who had a rough time gaining weight initially while nursing – like my other 2 – is a chunky monkey now and still nursing – though my methods for solving the problem would not be recommended by LLL,.) I do think you do a great job of educating people on BFing, Annie. Just be careful that you are not making blanket statements, Friend. Miss you.
Jenny, thank you for your information. Breastfeeding is something that simply cannot be dealt with in “blanket statements.” There are only “most of time” and “for most mothers” and a whole lot of troubleshooting and finding what works. Thank you for reminding me of this.
I think in my frustration with the email I did not calm down before writing the post and reacted too strongly. I get so mad when false information is given as truth. (You can read in my comments above some of the things I’ve heard).
You bring up some good points. Some moms (like you) have to get creative and do what helps their babies breastfeed. Sometimes that is nursing every hour, sometimes that is doing other things like not nursing every hour. I was more mad at the fact that he did not address the fact that nursing frequently usually helps increase supply, not decrease it.
Writing while mad, not always a good thing LOL 🙂
I typically only use cream during those first few weeks for the chapped feeling. I get so engorged and latching on is painful for a couple weeks anyway.
The info he gives about when/how to breastfeed makes my jaw drop and infuriates me! First of all saying you won’t have the milk is just ridiculous!!! I’m a strong believer on feeding on demand anyway so making a baby wait to eat is just out of the question as well.
I can’t believe he of all people is sending out crap like that…
Chari, turns out he did not mean to send this out. The press release was not approved by him! I read through his web page and he is very pro breastfeeding. In fact, the press release represented him very badly.
I am going to use this info to illustrate the misinformation that is out there though. Because even if Dr. Greene does not agree with what is up there (thankfully) some doctors and nurses do. And that is sad.
Moms just need to double check info with trained lactation consultants if they ever feel like breastfeeding is not going well.
Oh – and here is the link to the 1996 article on Steps to Take Before Giving Up on Breast Feeding that seems to be the source for what appeared in the release: http://www.drgreene.com/article/steps-take-giving-breast-feeding As you can see, the details of what the mom was going through were left out (such as wanting to go on an extreme diet as another reason to stop nursing), so the article feels choppy and some of the tips seem to come sorta out of nowhere. Suggestions for improvement always welcome — especially from strong breast feeding advocates and educators.
Thank you for stopping by and clearing this up Dr. Greene! After reviewing your website I realize you are very pro-breastfeeding, so these small tidbits did not represent your philosophy at all.
I hope more doctors and nurses can educate themselves about lactation and breastfeeding too 🙂
I thought it interesting that your well-known fact link stated 2-3 hours, I mean 8-12 times per day.
My favorite piece of misinformation is that you need to supplement until your milk come in!
Yes, that is a very common one. I’ve heard some moms say they tried to pump in the first week, got nothing out, so they assumed they did not have enough milk for baby and went straight to formula. 🙁
I agree about the nipple cream. While it’s great to have on hand while you get the latch down the first few weeks, it’s not a cure all and shouldn’t be treated as such or you’ll set yourself up for failure.
However, while I was an on-demand feeding mom for the most part, I made sure my daughter waited at least another hour before a nursing session to give the milk time to rebuild. A mom can’t function nursing 24 hours a day or even every half hour plus the baby is never truly getting full if they nurse without giving the milk a chance to build back up. It’ll get you into this cycle of having a constantly hungry baby.
There is a delicate balance between giving your body time to recoup and nursing so infrequently that your body is not being told to produce more. My favorite breastfeeding quote is “watch your baby not the clock.” Learning the cues and signals for tired/gassy/hungry/needing to just comfort suck really helps in so many ways. Sometimes a mom needs to nurse more than every 3 hours, sometimes a baby is fine for 4. Every mom and baby is so different.
I think there is a great deal of misinformation out there and that is why so many women have a problem with breastfeeding. The first rule of thumb I think every woman should follow is to listen to your own body. If there is unusual pain or your aren’t comfortable then ask for help. Breastfeeding can be really hard and it is different with each child. Some children really do it well and others have an issue with latching on. It is a great experience but the more informated new moms are the better they will do with breastfeeding.
I could not have said it better myself!! Thank you so much for summing it up perfectly!
Um. Interesting pitch. You’ve gotten…
I am glad you are setting the record straight. I hope someone’s experience is much better because of your post.
🙂
Thank you Heathere!! I hope so too. My main goal with this post is to tell people to always seek help from a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader 🙂
I don’t think he was purposely leaving that out, but it was certainly a careless mistake. As a man, I’m not sure he really gets it.
Abolsuetly first rate and copper-bottomed, gentlemen!
I attribute my daughter doing so well and making it on to the growth charts so quickly to breastfeeding. The doctors told me since she was a preemie we would have to adjust her growth because of this but by 6 months she was on the normal chart and and continued to do well. I breastfed on demand until she was 23 months old. The breastfeeding tips in the email you received are based in truth and hopefully come from good place but full of inaccuracies and half truths.
I totally agree! Especially about the bad latch part! When I first started BFing my son, holy smokes, who knew a nipple could split in half!?! When I finally went to a lactation consultant, I found out that my son wasn’t latching on properly because he was tongue tied! Very dangerous to assume that BFing is always ‘painful’. And with what I experienced, no amount of nipple cream would’ve helped!
Wow, it’s sad that soreness is expected, but with my first, I totally didn’t have a good latch AND he was eating like every hour for 2 months. I had a nervous and mental breakdown and although I made it 5 months with him, it was a horrible experience. One of my biggest problems was the fact that I got SO much conflicting information while in the hospital and it was overwhelming. The next thing was that I was told because I had inverted nipples, I wasn’t going to be able to nurse. Ridiculous. Fast forward to the second baby. I didn’t stress, I read, I paid attention to his latch and had the most wonderful breastfeeding experience for 13 months. I had no soreness, no bleeding like I did the first time around. And my nipples are not inverted anymore from nursing for so long. TMI, I’m sure, but it’s so frustrating when people profess to know and tell you how your experience is going to be. I think this article is so important and am glad you addressed it. Proper latch and talking to someone who is an expert in the field really helps.
How is this “advice” even remotely helpful for successfully bfing moms? If I didn’t EBF on demand, I wouldn’t have a supply. My daughter goes through stints where she just wants to nurse for 20 minutes, take a 15 minute break, and nurse again. I’d have a pissed infant and no supply if I fed her only every 2 hours.
With my last two pregnancies, I breast fed but not nearly as long as I had wished. Since I’m going to be doing everything times two this time around, I want to breastfeed as I know how important it is for premature babies to get breast milk. From what I’ve been told, the hospital I intend to deliver at has EIGHT lactation consultants on hand in the Maternity Ward. I hope this will help me as before, it was just nurses literally “locking” baby onto me with no advice, just them man-handling me.
Annie,
2) The second statement about only nursing every hour and a half was taken out of context in the press release, but they were my words in a piece I wrote in 1996 about Steps to Take Before Giving Up on Breastfeeding. The question came from a mom who was exhausted, nursing every hour or more, and had decided to give up. That tip came from the Certified Lactation Consultant we used with my own youngest son. I encouraged this mom to try spreading out feedings to every 1 1/2 or 2 hours before stopping nursing altogether, to see if her daughter might eat a little more at each feed and stay full longer.
While this worked for the particular mom and baby who sent in the question, I would never make this a general breastfeeding tip — and certainly not as some misguided attempt to increase milk supply — even back in 1996. And I’ve learned a lot about breast feeding since then! I can’t think of someone I’ve suggested spacing feeds to in the last decade, though I could imagine a situation like the one above where it might help.
Thanks again for your good work, and for helping to keep the story straight!
Annie,
Thanks for the heads up! This is the first I’ve heard about this press release. I didn’t send it, nor have I seen it or approved it. I will certainly get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile:
1) The nipple cream statement in your article above appears in a 2010 article written by a Guest Blogger on http://www.DrGreene.com who happens to be a Registered Nurse, Certified Nurse Midwife, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, & mother of two amazing breastfed daughters. It appears in our Perspectives Blog (where there are a variety of perspectives for parents to hear — not necessarily my own). I think we both agree that good position and latch is the foundation. Unlike this excellent Lactation Consultant, I don’t recommend a nipple cream for all women. But I don’t fault her for her advice. Either way, if a cream is used I prefer it be a gentle one without unnecessary chemicals.
Thanks for posting this!! It is crazy the amount of ludicrous “advise” people give when it comes to breastfeeding. I found it SO hard to believe Dr. Greene would send this out, so reading your reply in the comments that he didn’t approve it was good to hear!!
I was alerted to this post via a tweet from someone other than Mama Dweeb. I *had* to click on it because it is pretty much the complete opposite of what Dr. Greene stands for (from my experience).
Unfortunately, that person is using this blog post to further a seemingly deep seeded agenda against Dr. Greene. I encourage all readers to read ALL of the comments posted so that you can hear from Dr. Greene.
That being said….
I agree with Annie’s main point about the fact that most medical professionals (e.g. M.D.s & nurses) do not have any formal education when it comes to lactation. Of course, there is always the exception, which I hope will one day become the norm.
It is really important for all women to get a second opinion when it comes to breastfeeding and follow your instincts. Sometimes the best sources for breastfeeding support is fellow breastfeeding Moms, but the best source for breastfeeding help is a IBCLC.
Wow!! I’m shocked by those “tips” as well. And he’s no slouch when it comes to BFing.
About the cream, I think it did help me the second time around. I had it confirmed that we had a great latch and position with both girls, but with the first, I had some very bad cracking and bleeding (like really, really bad)….I stuck with it, and it got better, but it took a long time
The second time around (maybe because it was less than a year from nursing), I used the cream for the first couple days, and I felt like it make a big difference.
Just my two cents.
For me a good nipple cream was a must in the first few weeks even though baby had a great latch. I think it just takes my body a little while to get used to nursing… I really don’t like it when people say that breastfeeding should NEVER hurt because I think it is quite common to be slightly painful in the very beginning.