I'm so anti bfing, it's disgusting, makes my stomach turn

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

...is what I was told today.

To be fair it wasn't in reference to me bfing. I met a friend at work and was chatting to her about her pregnancy and she was sat with a friend. I asked my friend if she thought she might try bfing (she has had a breast reduction so doesn't know if she can) but I said I could get her some info if she needed is as I am a peer supporter, at which point her friend shuddered and said she was so anti-bfing, she thought it was disgusting and made her stomach turn.

I just gritted my teeth and said "really? I'm still feeding mine". What else could I have said? I didn't want to wax lyrical about bfing as I normally would have with a friend who probably can't bf.

I was and still am speechless. I have never in my 10 months of feeding heard such negativity towards bfing.

[harpsichordcarrier]

I hear thiskind of thing all the time
you are hanging out with the wrong people

[tribpot]

Is the 'anti' friend a mum? I can quite see how a non-parent might regard it as hideous (altho poss should keep said opinions to herself, n'est-ce pas?!?!)

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

Yep, a mother. Like I said, usually I would have bleated on about the joys of bfing but didn't feel like I could in front of my friend.

[tribpot]

Okay, that changes the picture slightly. I do have a SIL who doesn't really 'do' bf because you can't palm your child off on anyone else to do the feed (and her main specialism is "child palming-off"), I don't think she thinks it's disgusting so much as tedious and 'unnecessary'.

Sounds like this friend has 'ishoos' and you would do well to reinforce the benefits of bf to your other friend, and offer willingness to support if she wants to try it.

[Tinker]

I suspect she has ishoos.

[Miaou]

My SIL's mum told her when she was pg "I hope you aren't thinking of breastfeeding, it's not natural!". My dad nearly PHSL when she told him!! (SIL is now a bf counsellor so needless to say she ignored her (otherwise lovely) mum!)

[blondiep14]

To be totally honest, the idea of breastfeeding made me feel a bit yukky (tho not sick I have to say) and I couldn't really say why, but I sure didn't expect to bf for long.

12 weeks later we're still going strong, DS has never had anything else.
It's now something i'm really proud of if not something i 'love' doing.

So, maybe her view will change when she has her baby, mine certainly did!!

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

Blondie, this was someone who had had a baby.

[IlanaK]

I felt this way before I had children. My dh can still remember me being pregnant with my first baby and saying i would definately bottle feed.

I breastfed him in the end to 1 year, bf my second to 2 years, and now pregnant with my third who will most certainly be bf. Oh yeah, did I mention that I have been a breastfeeding counsellor too for the last 2 years??

Attitudes can change.

[blondiep14]

OH i see...


Odd!

[PuppyMonkey]

I keep reading these type of remarks on MN threads and find it very . All I can say is I have never once heard anything like it...

[nickytwotimes]

My mil said something similar when I was bfing my wee boy. Very supportive!

[scottishmummy]

fortunately everyone was nonplussed at my BF.no one raised an eyebrow let alone negativity

[DontCallMeBaby]

Hm, there have been many occasions at work when I've wanted to tell someone they were a complete freak, I think if someone had said that to me I might have actualy done so.

[itsahardknocklife]

Surely she's entitled to her opinion?

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

Yep she is, and so am I. I think her attitude is disgusting, it makes my stomach turn.

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

DCMB, in the absence of mnet at work the first thing I did was email you! Even though I knew you weren't there!

[itsahardknocklife]

great answer, bumperlicious!

[BumperliciousNeedsToSleep]

[Mercy]

Well, it's certainly a rather surprising reaction but at the end of the day one needs to consider why some women feel like this.

Waxing lyrical would not be the answer!!!

[kikid]

personally i think it's sad women feel like this, we really need better education from nursery upwards. children just don't know why women have breasts, sad.