oh my god i feel like a freak !!!

[robinredbreast]

just got back from weighing dd
shes gained another 7 oz

had to wait for and hour and a half
and as i sat there in the waiting room all the other mums where like
my baby does this and that blah blah
they where all dressed up in outfits [prob why we all have to wait so bloody long,even the ones alot younger than my dd 10wks]


and there where all discussing how much formula they give and when
and how there babies eat alsorts such as one 17 week old that eats toast and crusty bread ? i really felt in the minority
esp when one asked me how much i give at teatime they all seemed shocked i was still bf at 10wks
i actually felt a bit embarssed which i know is stupid

are bf rates really this low?

[Difers]

It depends on your peer group really. Don't worry you are normal, your baby's normal and you will still be normal if you feed until db is 3 years old.

[jellybelly25]

Feels that way sometimes doesn't it? I don't think it is that low esp at 10 weeks... But sometimes I wonder where the bf moms are hiding at the baby clinic... Especially when I asked if there was anywhere to bfeed the baby (is possibly the most uncomfortable, cramped place in the world) and they looked at me like I was a bit mental and said I could sit in the corner with my back to everyone if I wanted some privacy!! So that's what I did... Not great but hey, they all had to endure the sight of my backfat hanging over my jeans

Ignore ppl who say their baby ate steak and chips at 5 weeks or whatever I think they see it as some kind of symbol of their baby's superior strength to everyone elses. Occasionally babies need extra stuff but in general it is actually not good for their gut to wean earlier than 6 months, poor little bellies can't cope with it.

You're doing really well ((hugs))

[TellusMater]

Don't worry. If they'd been to our baby clinic they'd have been the odd ones out.

LOL at the "outfits" too. Why do people do this?

[sweetkitty]

oh yes been there done that love the "little Devlyn was so hungry I couldn't produce enough milk for him so the HV told me to put him on food at 8 weeks old as he's so advanced for his age"

Personally I hate the baby weigh in with DD1 only went the first few weeks DD2 never, maybe all the BF Mums know how well their babies are doing and stay away from these groups.

No way I would have hung about for an hour and a half just to weigh my baby thats shocking making you wait that long.

[Sazisi]

lol at steak and chips at 5 weeks of age

I'm still bfeeding DD3 at 7 months; I also feel very much in the minority, and I do feel a bit embarressed (and cross that I feel that way ) but it's going really well so hopefully I'll have the guts to continue for a little longer

[jellybelly25]

Keep it up Saz! Ditto sometimes feel embarrassed, dd2 only 4mo and I bfed dd1 for 6 months, only stopped cos went to work, but this time I"ve felt much more self conscious, not sure why, older maybe.

robin it is so sh*t when you have to wait ages, happens at my dr too, how often do you go? I might not go again its getting boring.

[robinredbreast]

well going once a fortnight
as dd is 10 weeks
even that is prob too frequent

[jellybelly25]

If they're not asking you to go back again I think you can go as little/often as you want. I reckon every 4 weeks is fine, even less than that if she's still gaining well next time. If you just like to hear that she's growing cos it makes you feel good (we all like to hear that :-)) then you could just weigh her youself to get a rough idea.

[Elsbells]

Hey Robinredbreast...I feel EXACTLY the same BUT for the OPPOSITE reason.

I have just stopped BF DD (3 months bar a couple comfort feeds a day) and stopped early w/DS as well at 4 months (he is 2+ yrs now). My area is just full of BF mothers. Everywhere I turn, in cafes, parks, playgroups, clinics and so on and I feel like such a minority. In fact, I think I am, as hardly any of the mothers I see or know FF.

They talk about how they EXCLUSIVELY BF, how their DC wouldn't dream of taking a bottle (do my children love me less as they did?) etc. and I when I get chatting to them they are seem more shocked that I stopped BF so early.

So don't feel like a freak. I am going through it myself. Shame we couldn't switch places as I'd rather be in your shoes.

[crimplene]

I live in a similar area. Ha! the good thing is you can get used to the freak feeling at this stage - I'm still bfing DS at 15 months; probably because I just got used to being the weirdo. I also stopped going near any HVs as soon as possible.

[chankins]

I'm bf my third child and have finally stopped feeling embarrassed about it - I've already gone longer than I did with first two, and hope to get past 6 mo and poss longer - I feel really proud of myself, and you shud too, for as long as you want to do it. I'm in the minority as far as my friends and family are concerned, as I'm the only one whose done it, and that did used to bother me with the first 2 kids. I've had odd comments, such as o are you STILL breastfeeding? I've had to listen to them go on about how they hated it, it wasn't for them etc, even how disgusting it is, yet I've never once even thought a neg thought about them ff their kids, let alone said anything. Its a shame women still judge each other and make other women feel guilty, whichever way they feed their babies. At the end of the day, we know breast is best, but the main thing is mum and baby are both happy!

[duvet]

Good on ya rrb I also now how you feel - I felt like the odd one out b/f both of mine when I went along to the post natal groups, I was the only one b/f and as for b/f beyond 6 months - bizarre. Thankfully with dd2 I did find a B/f in the next town and it was good to chat to other b/f mums at last.

It's not very enc. tho for tirst time mums.