Breastfeeding myths explained part 2

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Myth: You can't breastfeed twins or triplets

Reality: 'Breastfeeding two or more babies can be challenging, but with the right support it's also extremely rewarding,' says Janet Rimmer, parenting and information co-ordinator for the Twins and Multiple Birth Association (Tamba). The wonderful thing about breastfeeding is that you can produce enough milk to feed however many children you have, whether it's twins, triplets or a baby and a toddler. This is called "tandem feeding".

'The chances of twins being premature is higher than with single babies. Prem babies really benefit from the rich, nourishing colostrum your breasts produce in the first days after birth, as well as the infection-fighting antibodies in breastmilk.'

Myth: You can't breastfeed with inverted nipples

Reality: 'Your nipples are just there to guide your baby. It's not nipple-feeding, it's breast-feeding,' says Alison Spiro. 'Your baby milks your breast by massaging the areola around the nipple, so although it might be trickier to get your newborn latched on at the beginning, you can still breastfeed.'

Myth: Your milk can dry up if you miss a feed

Reality: Missing the occasional feed won't have much impact on your milk supply. But your breastmilk production works on a supply-and-demand basis: the more you feed, the more milk you'll produce.

'If you only feed your baby four times in a day for a few days, your body will assume that's all your baby needs, and will adjust your supply to provide for four feeds the next day,' explains Alison Spiro. 'This isn't a no-return situation, though: you can soon build your supply up again by feeding her more often.'

If your baby prefers one breast, then the less-used one will start to produce less milk: this is nothing to worry about, as your other breast will produce more milk to compensate.

- Next: 'Breastfeeding hurts like crazy' - more breastfeeding myths

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