Is Breastfeeding Inconvenient?

Is breastfeeding inconvenient? Today's reality consists of mothers who have full-time careers, numerous volunteer positions and other obligations. The prospect of motherhood is daunting enough with the multiple life changes that it requires – breastfeeding may seem like the straw that broke the camel's back for a woman already facing a life altering event.

Before you believe that, you better read on. The following includes common worries answered by lactation consultants and experts, easing the mind of the most stressed-out mom-to-be and shedding light on the most common breastfeeding misconceptions.

Truth: According to Ginger Carney, clinical nutrition manager and board certified lactation consultant for Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., you can stay on top of engorgement by breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and continuing to breastfeed often.

"Many moms don't realize that babies need to nurse up to 12 times a day," Carney says. "As long as the baby is offered the breast whenever he or she is hungry, a mother's milk supply will match the baby's needs. If the breasts are emptied often, they won't become engorged!"

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