Your Breastfeeding Questions Answered: What Every Mom Should Know

As a certified lactation specialist, I get many great questions about breastfeeding. From why it’s so important to why it sometimes feels like such a struggle. Breastfeeding is natural, but it’s also a learned skill that takes time, patience, and support. Below, I’m answering some recent questions that I believe deserve their own post!

1. Why is breastfeeding so important for mom and baby?

When most people think about breastfeeding, they think about the bond it builds and the nourishment it provides, but the benefits go far beyond that. Breastfeeding is one of the most powerful ways to support both mom and baby’s long-term health.

For Mom

Breastfeeding is designed not just for your baby’s well-being, but for yours too. It’s been shown to have protective effects against several major health concerns. Research shows that the longer a woman breastfeeds, the more protection she gains, especially when it comes to hormone-related cancers. For every 12 months of breastfeeding, a mother’s risk of developing breast cancer drops by about 4%, and longer durations are also linked to a lower risk of ovarian cancer—up to 63% less in some studies.

Beyond cancer protection, breastfeeding supports postpartum recovery in powerful ways. It helps the uterus contract after birth, reducing bleeding and promoting faster healing. It also burns extra calories, helps regulate blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, and may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure later in life.

Breastfeeding also benefits mental and emotional health. The hormones released while nursing—especially oxytocin—help calm the nervous system, strengthen maternal-infant bonding, and lower the risk of postpartum depression. While every mom’s experience is unique, studies consistently show that moms who are supported in breastfeeding tend to report higher confidence and reduced anxiety in the postpartum period.

For Baby

Breast milk is truly a living fluid. It is made up of millions of living cells, antibodies, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria that change constantly to meet your baby’s exact needs. It’s not only “food” but it’s your baby’s first immune system.

From the very first drop, colostrum (often called liquid gold) plays an incredible role. It coats and seals the lining of your baby’s gut, preventing harmful germs and particles from attaching and entering the bloodstream. This early gut protection lays the foundation for lifelong gut health and immune strength.

Breast milk continues this work by feeding the “good guy” bacteria in your baby’s gut, helping to crowd out the bad and build a resilient microbiome. It’s designed specifically for human babies, providing the right balance of fats, proteins, carbs and immune factors that promote natural growth and development.

It also contains bioactive compounds like human alpha-lactalbumin, which research has shown can trigger tumor cell death and bacterial death, contributing to lower rates of childhood leukemia and other diseases among breastfed infants. Breastfed babies are also less likely to experience respiratory infections, ear infections, diarrhea, asthma, allergies, obesity, and type 1 or 2 diabetes later in life.

In short, human milk for human babies isn’t just nature’s design, it’s a biological masterpiece! It nurtures both nutrition and wellness, giving babies the healthiest start possible while supporting mom’s long-term health too.

2. Why does it feel like breastfeeding is just a trend? (And why it isn’t.)

It’s totally understandable that breastfeeding can feel trendy these days. Between social-media posts, influencer advocacy, and “empowerment” messaging, it might seem like breastfeeding is the new cool thing, but the truth is, breastfeeding is not a fad. It’s the biological standard for human infants, and we’re simply working to help people view it that way again.

Here’s what’s really going on

When formula first became widely available, marketing campaigns framed it as the “modern” choice for busy, working women. Something more advanced and convenient than breastfeeding. While formula has saved lives and continues to play an important role for babies who truly need it, the marketing around it reshaped cultural norms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have repeatedly warned about aggressive formula marketing. A 2022 WHO/UNICEF survey found that 51% of parents and pregnant women in eight countries reported being exposed to targeted formula marketing that violated international regulations. Despite global laws limiting these practices, companies continue to market formula as the superior or more convenient option for “modern” moms.

So while breastfeeding is being talked about more, that visibility isn’t because it’s trendy. It’s because we’re re-educating and re-normalizing something that’s always been a biological truth. What we truly need isn’t better access to formula, t’s better support for breastfeeding moms, more education about its benefits, and stronger maternity leave policies that make breastfeeding a realistic option for more families.

3. Why do some moms and babies struggle with breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is completely natural, but that doesn’t mean it always comes naturally. While humans are biologically designed to breastfeed, it’s still a learned skill between two unique individuals. Every mom-baby pair has their own rhythm to find, and sometimes that takes time, patience, and support.

Babies are born with innate reflexes that help them feed, like the rooting, sucking, and swallowing reflexes. But just like learning to walk or talk, those reflexes still need practice and coordination. At the same time, mom’s body is learning too: her milk supply is establishing, her breasts are adapting, and her hormones are shifting rapidly after birth.

That’s a lot happening all at once, and it’s completely normal for both to need guidance as they figure it out together.

Common challenges include:

• Latch and positioning issues that cause nipple pain or poor milk transfer.

• Birth experiences such as C-sections, epidurals, or early separation that can impact early feeding.

• Oral restrictions like tongue- or lip-tie, or muscle tension from birth.

• Milk supply concerns due to feeding patterns, supplementation, or hormonal factors.

• Fatigue, stress, and lack of support in the postpartum period.

  
  

Breastfeeding is a partnership. A dance that both mom and baby learn together. With the right support, information, and encouragement, most challenges can be overcome.

4. Are there other mammals that struggle with breastfeeding?

Yes—absolutely! While breastfeeding is natural across all mammals, that doesn’t mean it’s always effortless. In fact, latching and feeding challenges are common in many species.

Newborn mammals—whether kittens, puppies, or primates—also rely on instinctual reflexes to find and nurse from their mother. But factors like birth complications, prematurity, anatomy, or stress can make it difficult for them to latch or feed well. Even in nature, mothers sometimes need help repositioning their young or stimulating them to nurse.

So if you’ve struggled with breastfeeding, know that you’re not alone! It’s completely normal for both human and animal moms to need a little help while learning how to feed their young.

5. Is struggling to breastfeed like having trouble digesting food?

Not exactly. While both involve natural body processes, breastfeeding challenges aren’t the same as a food intolerance or digestive issue.

When someone struggles to digest food, it’s usually due to an underlying condition within their body. Something preventing the process from working normally. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, isn’t about something being wrong—it’s a learned skill that both mom and baby develop together.

It’s more like learning a dance than digesting a meal. The steps are built in, but they still take coordination, timing, and practice.

Sometimes, there are anatomical factors that can make breastfeeding more challenging, like a tongue- or lip-tie. These can affect how deeply a baby latches or how efficiently they transfer milk. However, many babies with ties are able to breastfeed successfully with the right support and time.

Any decision about a tie revision should be made with a trusted healthcare provider & IBCLC, based not only on what the mouth looks like but also on how feeding is actually going for mom and baby. Comfort, milk transfer, and baby’s growth all matter more than appearance alone.

So if breastfeeding doesn’t click right away, that doesn’t mean your body isn’t working, it means you and your baby are still finding your rhythm.

Final Thoughts

Breastfeeding involves learning, connection, patience, and persistence. You and your baby are both growing through the process together, and the challenges you face don’t mean failure. With time, support, and education, most breastfeeding pairs can find their groove and thrive.

If you’d love more guidance, my Virtual Breastfeeding Basics consult is the perfect way to learn what to expect and prepare before baby arrives, all from the comfort of your own home!

Book a Breastfeeding Basics 1:1 Session

Sources

• Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries. The Lancet. PMC9972148

• Cleveland Clinic. Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mothers. my.clevelandclinic.org

• Access Community Health Network. 6 Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mothers. achn.net

• CDC. Benefits of Breastfeeding. cdc.gov

• Le Doare K, Holder B, Bassett A, Pannaraj PS. Mother’s milk: A purposeful contribution to the development of the infant microbiota and immunity. Frontiers in Immunology. PMC8567139

• Ballard O, Morrow AL. Human milk composition: nutrients and bioactive factors. Pediatric Clinics of North America. ScienceDirect

• WHO/UNICEF. More than half of parents and pregnant women exposed to aggressive formula-milk marketing. paho.org

• WHO. Countries failing to stop harmful marketing of breast-milk substitutes, warn WHO and UNICEF. who.int

• WHO. The exploitative marketing of formula milk. paho.org