Test Your Breastfeeding IQ

Take this simple test to see how much you really know about breastfeeding. Some of the answers may surprise you…

1) Nursing mothers should avoid which of the following foods:

a) cabbage
b) chocolate
c) pizza
d) none of the above

2) 80% of the cells in human milk are:

a) bacteria killing cells
b) red blood cells
c) neucleotides
d) fat cells

3) The best way to increase your milk supply is to:

a) get lots of rest
b) drink more water
c) nurse more often
d) drink at least a quart of milk each day

4) The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends that mothers nurse for a minimum of:

a) 12 months
b) 9 months
c) 3 months
d) 6 months

5) Breastfeeding may reduce a woman’s risk of:

a) breast cancer
b) ovarian cancer
c) osteoperosis
d) all of the above

6) The best food for a sick breastfed baby with diarrhea is:

a) flat soda
b) breastmilk
c) Pedialyte
d) water

7) The best way to prevent nipple soreness is to:

a) rub the nipples with a washcloth before the baby is born to toughen them up
b) limit nursing time to 5 minutes per side in the early days after birth
c) make sure the baby is latched on correctly
d) position the baby so that the tip of the nipple is in his mouth

8) When you have a breast infection (mastitis), you should:

a) nurse frequently on the affected side
b) apply cold compresses
c) discontinue breastfeeding on the affected side until the infection is gone
d) pump the milk on the affected side and discard it

9) The best time to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby is:

a) never - breastfed babies don’t need bottles
b) when he is very hungry
c) as soon after birth as possible
d) after several weeks of breastfeeding

10) Most drugs given to nursing mothers:

a) are unsafe, and you should stop nursing until the drug is out of your system
b) are safe during pregnancy, but not during lactation
c) don’t pass into breastmilk
d) pass into breastmilk in very small amounts

11) Breastfed babies who are jaundiced:

a) may be sleepier than usual
b) should avoid supplemental water
c) need to nurse more often
d) all of the above

12) If you come down with a cold or the flu while nursing, you should NOT:

a) keep nursing
b) wash your hands frequently
c) wean temporarily
d) check with your health care provider before taking any medications

13) If your newborn baby is getting enough milk, she will:

a) sleep at least 6 hours each night
b) nurse 5-6 times in 24 hours
c) nurse for 5 minutes and then fall asleep
d) have several yellow stools and 6-8 wet diapers each day

14) Colostrum (the ‘first milk’ that appears during late pregnancy):

a) is yellowish and sticky
b) contains concentrated levels of antibodies
c) is present in small amounts
d) all of the above

15) Most women who breastfeed:

a) lose weight faster than formula feeding moms
b) develop sagging breasts due to hormonal changes
c) lose weight more slowly than formula feeding moms
d) lose weight at the same rate as formula feeding moms

16) Breastfed babies:

a) need more water than formula fed babies
b) don’t need supplemental water
c) need water only in hot weather
d) need supplemental water, but not as much as formula fed babies

17) Low milk supply can be caused by:

a) nursing too often so the breasts don’t have time to fill up between feedings
b) breast reduction surgery
c) drinking less than 32 ounces of water each day
d) nursing more than 10 minutes on each breast

18) Oral contraceptives (combines estrogen and progesterone pills):

a) have no effect on milk supply
b) increase milk supply
c) have been proven to cause hormonal changes in the nursing infant
d) decrease milk supply

19) The number one reason that mothers give for weaning early is:

a) nipple soreness
b) returning to work
c) a belief that they don’t have enough milk
d) a feeling of being ‘tied down’

20) The average age of weaning world-wide is:

a) 6 months
b) 1 year
c) 2-4 years
d) 1 ½ years

The answers are as follows: 1-d;2-a;3-c;4-a;5-d;6-b;7-c;8-a;9-d;10-d;11-d;12-c;13-d;14-d;15-a;16-b;17-b;18-d;19-c;20-c.

Deduct 5 points for each incorrect answer. If your score is between 90-100, congratulations! You’ve done your research, and should feel comfortable with your level of breastfeeding knowledge. If you scored between 80-90, then you still know a lot about lactation, but might want to do a little more reading. If you scored between 70-80, you know some of the basics, but definitely need to do some more preparation. If you scored below 70, don’t feel bad. I taught at a medical school and gave the residents a very similar test, and the average score was 30! Two books I highly recommend are “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”, by La Leche League International (a classic for over 40 years, and updated frequently) and a new book called “Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding”. He is a Canadian doctor with many years of experience, and his book gives lots of practical and commonsense advice and information about nursing. The answers to all these questions and more can be found in the articles on breastfeedingbasics.com.