Breastfeeding is a deeply personal and often challenging experience. Health care providers drill home the importance of breastfeeding, but receive very little training to guide new mothers in how to breastfeed a baby; in the absence of this support, many myths have grown and spread. In this section, we give you the facts and debunk the myths about breastfeeding and breast milk.

Breast milk is associated with long-term health and cognitive benefits for babies. It contains the exact nutrients babies need to thrive as well as live cells that strengthen infants’ immunity. For this reason, all major international guidelines recommend six months of exclusive, on-demand breastfeeding after birth. However, reality can make it difficult to live up to this ideal. So, in this section, you’ll also find breastfeeding tips — from how to get babies to latch properly, to what you need to know about breastfeeding and pumping, to how to drink alcohol without spiking your baby’s meal (pumping and dumping doesn’t work), to how to stop breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding can be difficult, but it can also be rewarding. We’re here to help you do your best, for however long you can.