To think the bf flash mob thing that is happening on Friday is a bit smug?

[Piggyleroux]

I bf my 15 mo ds and found bf quite straightforward from the off. I am aware that I was extremely lucky and I know a lot of women really struggle with it. I am also aware that bfing rates in this country are among the lowest in europe.

However, I think bfing needs to be normalised and I feel that this demonstration only serves to sensationalise bfing and imo, make the women taking part seem a bit smug and 'look at me' iyswim and just make people who ff feel even more shit.

Wouldnt it be better for bfing women to openly bf in public rather than do a mass gathering on one day? It really doesn't sit ring with me and I don't think that it will change attitudes or help women who really struggle with bfing.

Aibu?

I agree timewasting, it might make you look twice, but really its none of anyone else's business.
If these women are so 'concerned' about other mums FF, why don't they go and set up small support groups in their area or try and befriend lonely mums and give them some one to one support. Why the big group? Does it make them feel more secure?

I have a great admiration for those mums who just up and do it naturally without all the fuss,without the label. I would be very happy for one of them to come and support me and help me through my next breastfeeding attempt with DC2.

It wasn't from the Lactivist site SheCutOffTheirTales - it's just that "I'm A Tit Man" babygro seems like the same sense of humour to me.

This type of thing

Actually that place does a charming Insert Titty Here baby t-shirt.

ivor - i expect they do run local groups - afaik the flashmobs wereset up by latch on groups - if not this one then others recently - i get the info through all the bf sites i subscribe to. these mums are already doing a lot of alturistic stuff.

Ivor, this is just one day though, during Breastfeeding Awareness week, I'm sure many of them help as peer supporters at other times.

Well at least we can all unite in utter disgust at "Daddy just wanted a blowjob"

Please tell me it's an urban myth! So, so vile...

Ok sun and time - I believe you

Thats horrid dreaming. :(

vom

Aiiiiii it's real!!!

ooooh I hate slogan t shirts

Does anyone actually wear them?

there is also 'mummy's little slut' :(

dreaming - I have actually seen one of the BJ tops on a child on another site I post on.

Everyone piled on to say how hilarious it was....?! I think they were just being, um, polite though - I don't think a single one of them was about to pop out and buy one for their own DC.

Sungirl we read that and have a similar stance.

5dollar if fast food was only an occasional treat for all children like you suggest it is we wouldn't have an obesity problem.We do have an obesity problem and sadly for far too many kids(young and old) junk food and crap is pretty much the vast majority of what they eat.

Anyhow as Sungirl said back to flash mobs.

agree with mila - about the junk food anyways

Isn't formula feeding linked to obesity?

I'm not saying we don't have an obesity problem.

I made my point perfectly clear in my previous post re baby's sole food in first months of life vs older child's sometimes food and the double standards of using the 'public health issue' stance to dictate to others what they can and can't do with regards feeding their children. You're just ignoring that.

Total double standards on your part, and I say, hard to now take your stance on ff seriously.

I know it's going off on a tangent with regards the OP, but it's relevant.

I don't think junk food in itself is the cause of the obesity problem. People used to eat really awful stuff in the past. I've seen statistics that we actually eat less calories nowadays than we did 30/40 years ago. But we do much less exercise and are therefore burning even less calories.

I'd be interested to discover how many of us who chose to FF (rather than had no choice for whatever reason) would be encouraged to BF if they had another child as a result of the flashmobs. My own view is that I'd be deterred rather than likely to want to BF though I can't really explain why. I guess part of it is the rebel in me, part of it that I feel no identity with the kind of woman who would take part in such a flashmob. I felt more sympathy (and angry for) and far more supportive of a group of BF women who wanted to have a kind of BF "sit-in" in my county library following a lady being told not to BF in there as it wasn't appropriate.

What do other FF by choice feel?

Not that I know of Rita. Maybe with all the trials they do with mums who take their kids to Mcd's everyday (because ALL mums who FF take their kids to Mc D's everyday) it might ring true.
I formula fed pretty much from the first week after getting so depressed and stressed out with BF and latching on and I feed my family a home made dinner and proper food every day. My DD1 is very slim,always has been,was walking at 10 months and walks everywhere now pretty much without a buggy or pushchair.

It takes several aspects of a childs life to become obese.

Timewasting very true. How many jobs nowdays actually require any physical imput?
Agree with Dogs, I don't regret FF ad if I have the same problems I will do it again, I don't wnat anyone else telling me what to do and what not to do. I have a good education,common sense and am a mature adult. I can make my own decisions thanks.

Timewasting - Maybe in a BF group situation, looking at another baby's latch/position could be helpful. but we are talking about normalising BF and BF in public. I am pretty sure that most mums who are BF in public don't want anyone gawping at them and don't want to draw attention to themselves.

You need to do far more exercise to burn off a lot of the food kids eat now a days. Also a Happy meal is very high in calories but actually miniscule when you take it out of the packaging,kids will need more to fill up.

5dollar for many kids it isn't "sometimes" food and it's food they don't just eat for 6 months out of their whole life but food they eat their entire childhood, then the rest of their life.The diet a child has in childhood can lead to lifetime habits.

Rita if you look past the scaremongering headlines you'll see recent studies link over feeding to obesity which is easier to do with ff.It certainly isn't that difficult to not over feed a ff baby,you just follow guidelines,it's not rocket science.

5dollar I'm not dictating to anyone I'm just a tad weary of the hysterical you must bf or your baby is doomed stance some posters take whilst overlooking the mighty big elephant in the room ie the abundance of crap food fed to kids in this country which actually cause far more damage.

I'm not so sure Wanksock. I didn't mind people seeing what I was doing, though I tried not to fuss as I'm a clumsy oaf sometimes and as long as they weren't being shocked or affronted I don't think I'd mind anyone looking.
I had a couple of kids in the family watch, and ask questions and it was a pleasure to be able to answer their questions and for them to witness bf in a normal way.
In the past women wouldn't have needed books and bf groups to help with bf, they would already know how to do it from witnessing it regularly from childhood.

Thank you so much to everyone who answered all my questions. Very interesting reading. Sorry it took me so long to come back and say thanks, been working and out all day.

One more qu, if it's not too irritating: For those people who breastfed/are breastfeeding 1 and 2 year olds, at what age do you plan to/did you stop?
Will it be a natural decline or will you have to make a decision to stop?