Is it just a societal norm? (Breastfeeding related)

Yes, it's so weird when people think
Mother's milk = Disgusting!!!
Milk squeezed out of cow udders = 😋👍👍 Delicious!!!

I read those comments on that thread too, and I find them so bizarre (the ones that said it was weird to breastfeed past 6 or 12 months). I honestly feel that people with this opinion are at worst unintelligent and/or uneducated and ignorant, or at best, just really haven't bothered to think this through (so lazy). I mean we all agree that babies and toddlers need milk, right? So if that's an agreed fact, then why should it be weird to give them the milk that is in, in fact, intended for them?

Demonstrating that we all made the right decisions for our babies and family. There is no right or wrong answer. Neither makes you a better parent.

I have to take issue with what you have posted here because it is NOT TRUE.

OP, please Google this - you will find reams of research which says there is no link between breastfeeding and osteoporosis, because calcium reserves recover after weaning. Here's an article to start you off with:

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-bone-health

@chunkybear stop posting irresponsible nonsense.

.... OK?

For my friends it lasted as long as maternity leave and then basically stopped. For me it was because I needed my body back to myself once they had weaned. I don’t know anyone who went beyond about 18months.

I’ve never justify my decision to anyone (other than DH and we were totally in agreement) - no one needs to. We did sleep training at about five months - they were good sleepers but used a sleep consultant to help reinforce good sleep at the same time as we moved DT’s into their own bedrooms and I went back to work full time.

Why are you justifying how you fed your children to me? I never said anything negative about bottle feeding?

For me personally, I wanted to stop at 12 months but my child wasn't ready because at that point he couldn't settle to sleep without breastfeeding, so I made the decision not to take it away from him and carry on until around 14 months. When he could finally settle and go to sleep without it I stopped. And I feel it was a caring, selfless thing going an extra 4 months for my child. So imagine having lived experience of that and then reading on a forum "breastfeeding past 12 months is for the mothers benefit not the child" as if that is just a fact. It's just pure ignorance to me and I did find it annoying.

Why - we can all make our own decisions on how to feel our babies.

I just find it so disappointing that Mumsnet and Mumsnetters are not more pro breastfeeding. I mean, even the bloody logo has a bottle in it!

I was the only one of extended family who never tried breast feeding although the majority of my friends also exclusively used formula.

I just think people are brought up in different ways. Many people I know their whole family and close friends only formula feed so breastfeeding is alien.

I was the last of my friendship group to have a baby and they all breastfed until 12 months+ so it was normal to me. My mum found it strange and awkward.

When DS was diagnosed CMPA at 11 months, I had a call from the nutritionist of his consultant and was told "you'll have to give up breastfeeding him"

Told her no I'd rather work round it and fed him until he was four (morning and evening by then). He's never had cows milk , only as an ingredient in cooking

I got all the tropes, he's doesn't need it, he's just playing, it's just for comfort

Why are you annoyed by what others think? Surely you made your own decision?
DC’s only had formula from day one - they are now in their mid 20’s so we can see that we made the right decision for our family.

The opinions that annoyed me on that thread were people saying after 12 months it's for the mother not the baby.

I tried to give up breastfeeding at 12 months and my son wasn't having it🤣 I very much had to carry on for him and not me at that point. It just took a few more months until he was finally able to sleep without it and then I was done.
I think people don't understand that if you exclusively breastfeed it becomes a major part of how you look after your baby in general and it's not just about feeding.

We did sleep training and used formula from day one - nothing to do with independence but was how we wanted to raise our DC’s. Had nothing to do with comfort zones (what are they?) - they never had a lack of comfort.

It's because of the sexualisation of women's breasts. Once an infant can articulate their need to suckle at mum's breasts, and even more once they can articulate that they want to touch mum's breasts or suckle at them, people get very squeamish and feel that it is inappropriate to let an infant do what an adult does.

But of course when an Infant or child interacts with their mum's breasts there is nothing sexual about it. It's nutrition, it's comfort it's love that the infant deserves and that the mother gives.

Even while arguing against it, the OP has the hangup. Why say But when the child is mainly at home with their mother, say under the age 3, why should she choose a cow's breastmilk over her own?

Why under age 3? Why set an age. Why not let it happen naturally, as the infant's life gets busier, as the mother is helping them to develop their independence and personhood?

Britain has the worst breastfeeding rates in the entire world and these types of outdated opinions and prejudices no doubt contribute to that.

it’s sad

I stopped at 9 months because I needed to return to work and needed her to take bottled milk from her granny. Up to that point, she refused the bottle. I also had enough and wanted bodily autonomy again.

By that logic we should all only drink human milk forever and never cow’s milk or any other type from another source. I think it’s more about moving away from milk and towards food and a balanced diet to include calcium after the age of one or so. Some people associate breastfeeding with something a baby does that has no other food source other than milk

I just don’t get why anyone gives a single shit or has the time to form an opinion on how someone’s child is raised.

Why can’t you just do you? You want to give your kid breast milk til they’re 3? Knock yourself out, but you’re not a better mother than someone who has chosen to bottle feed the whole way through!

No one actually cares. We’re all too busy looking after our families, doing well at our jobs, having good times, dealing with bad times to give a single shit about how Donna from 4 doors down feeds her kid. So long as Donna from 4 doors down, is actually, feeding her kid.

Stems from Victorian times when children of wealthy women were fed by other women (wet nurses). Never heard of “Victorian sensibilities”? Breastfeeding is icky, children should be seen and not heard, put in cots and learn to behave.

I'm not sure about this personally. I think there is a lot of pressure in western capitalist cultures to promote independence in babies and children that's outside their comfort zones. Sleep training babies and weaning/FF are a case in point.

I think it’s because people are aware of the health benefits but if they’ve chosen not to do it themselves, they need to disparage it in order to feel better about their choices.

I breastfed my son before bed until he was about 3.5. I don't care if people think it's weird, I didn't talk about it though. Most people didn't know.