To not really care how you choose to feed your babies

[Reallytired]

When my son was little I was very passionate about breastfeeding. In fact I breastfed until he was two and half years old.

He is now 6 years old and goes to school. He doesn't appear any different to his classmates. There is no way of telling which children were breastfed or bottlefed.

The only thing that my son is gifted and talented at is getting invited to girls parties! He enjoys school and has plenty of friends, but he certainly isn't an academic genius.

As he has got older I have realised that there are more important parenting issues that affects how a child turns out. For example there is no excuse for not teaching a child basic manners or not supporting a child's school.

Well said!!!!
There is no point breastfeeding your baby if you are then going to drag it up!!!!

Good for you. That's how I feel about the whole issue really. A child is for life and you make so many decisions it's crazy to think this one thing will make the difference.

YANBU

but you are further along in the parenting thing, to a woman with a newborn, struggling with feeding, it is the most important thing to her, at that time. so you don;t have to care, but it is nice for her to be able to get some info from mothers who have been there and done that.

how you feed your child and how you feel about it is actually quite far reaching, and can have a huge impact on how you feel about motherhood and yourself.

so YANBU, but a lot of women do care.

Well, I may feel the same way as you when my child is 6 years old. However he is 1 right now and breastfeeding, walking and learning to talk are all relevant to his stage of development.

Obviously the issue of supporting his school is not relevant so I really couldn't give a toss whether you do or don't support a school, reallytired. But talk about it as much as you want, I don't care!

This is a parenting website so there will be parents and parents to be here with children of different ages.

I'll continue to talk about breastfeeding in the appropriate threads for as long as it is relevant to me and where I can pass on my experiences with others. Isn't that the whole point of mumsnet.

You are missing the point I think.

I think I kind of get where the op is coming from. In her own, slightly confused way, I think she is trying to give a bit of support to those people who can't bf or choose to ff! Probably a reaction to the other bf thread going on atm in AIBU!

I don't think there is anything confused about the OP at all. It is crystal clear, written from a longer term perspective.

'in her own, slightly confused way...'

Do you mean in your own, very patronizing way?

llareggub,

I really think you are missing the point.

I have a huge amount of experience of breastfeeding. Not many women breastfeed a child until two and half years old.

The issue of whether parents support their child's education/ school is important to everyone. It affects the whole of society if a child grows up completely and utterly illiterate.

The chances of someone who is functionally illiterate being involved in crime are much higher. Certainly the chances of such a person being unemployed the whole of their working life is high.

I didn't mean to be patronising & didn't realise it came off that way, but the fact is some other posters seem to have missed her point and I was just trying to get them to see what she meant.

Well yes, fair point, but working full-time and looking after my son means I don't have much time to ponder over the societal benefits of being involved with my child's school when he starts. I don't even know which school he'll go to.

With so much breastfeeding experience it is a shame you feel this way. I'd love to hear your experiences.

I do agree that probably over the longer term there are more important things to worry about. But for me, right now, it is an important issue.

well, breastfeeding is very important, and school is very important ,but they are not mutually exclusive things to care about

If there is a sensible thread on breastfeeding then I will contribute. For example I can suggest ways of getting a two year old to wean without tears. Or how to express effectively.

What is pointless is the bitchfest. "Bottlefeeders are evil harlots!" Blah! Blah!

I know a La Leche League councellor who bottlefed her first five children because she could not establish breastfeeding. She has been sucessful with child 6, 7 and 8 because of help from the La Leche League.

Being bitchy to bottlefeeders is pathetic. My friend is sympathetic as she is involved with breastfeeding clinics to help women with breastfeeding problems.

but in reality , on here , there is a tiny, tiny, tiny minority of truly anti FF posts.

the vast majority of threads are sensible and need good advice. the odd one kicks off and they are always the predictable ones

llareggub,

What do you want to know about my breastfeeding experiences. Its hard to know where to start. Nursing a baby was different to a toddler. If you choose to nurse a toddler choose a discreet name. Its embrassing having a toddler shouting "boobie!" in church.

I work full time as well. It is hard work and it takes a lot of organisation.I still find time to hear my son practice his reading. I sit with him on a saturday morning to make sure he does his homework. This is what I mean by taking an interest in your child's education.

I am not involved in the PTA, but I make sure my son turns up to school on time. I also try to make sure he get five portions of fruit and veg a day and wears clean clothes to school.

Oh, I'm a classic on the fence type. I mix feed. I don't really go in for the pro-bfing threads and I certainly don't go in for the anti ff threads.

I do what I do and I don't mind telling people how I do it. I just don't bother telling people why!

Oh, I'm pretty sure I'll find the time to hear my son read. I'm also pretty sure I'll be involved with his school. I'm that sort I think!

I'm not sure that involvement is something you can persuade someone to do. It is a personality thing, I think. However the mechanics of feeding can be shared.

Perhaps what it boils down to is that essentially how to feed a baby is a pretty boring topic. But the benefits derived from bfing etc can be pretty interesting and all consuming at the relevant point in life?

The benefits of breastfeeding last throughout the child's and mother's life.

The benefits of having loving, attentive, interested parents, regardless of whether the baby was bf or ff, also last throughout the child's life.

You're right - whichever method of feeding the parents choose for their baby is up to them. As long they've made an informed choice that they're happy with or able to fulfill without making themselves ill or unhappy.

There's enough guilt with being a parent without adding more!