I'm feeling a bit down :(
I've name changed as this story involves another Mumsnetter...
Some background: I have 1 DS (6 months) who is ebf. BF didn't start off well, but it's working well now. I love, love, love him, but it can be really hard work sometimes, and I'd love a decent night's sleep (look who I'm telling! - as if you all don't know that). DH and I don't have any family close by, so it really is just the 3 of us the majority of the time. My mum died a few years ago, my dad lives overseas and none of my extended family live close by.
I've especially missed my mum since getting pregnant/having DS, and would love to have family at hand for a bit of support.
So, to the problem. I visited my aunt recently. I have always gotten on well with her and my cousin, and she dotes on DS. After DS had gone to bed the three of us were talking and the topic of conversation turned to internet forums. Well, it all went downhill from there! I mentioned how much I love MN, which was met with a snort of laughter from my cousin. She turned to my Aunt and said 'you know who she'd get on with?' and named one of my Aunt's neighbours who I know they don't like very much.
My cousin then started going on about how the neighbour (and fellow Mumsnetter) is positively evangelical about bf, how she thinks it's the best thing in the world ever, and how annoying she is about it.
I know the neighbour slightly, having met her a couple of times in the past, and know that she can be a bit full on, so I just said 'I think bf pretty great too, but I suppose I don't think I have to tell everyone about it'. Cousin and Aunt then went on to criticise the fact that their neighbour bf her DD and DS for extended periods (2+ years), and my Aunt went as far as to say that she thought the neighbour had 'ruined' her children by bf for so long as they seemed too small. I of course told her that that was ridiculous, and pointed out that a child's size is genetic. DS is around 22lbs at 6 months, so BM hasn't 'ruined' him so far.
They were also critical of her choice to have a homebirth, and my Aunt seemed outraged at the fact that the neighbour had 'demanded' her work make allowances so that she could bf/express, as if it were the most unreasonable thing ever. I pointed out that she was within her rights to make that kind of request. My cousin then made a remark about how such a mother earth type could return to work when her DCs were so young - 3/4 months. I returned to work when DS was 4 months - I work from home though, so maybe she thinks that is different.
My Aunt asked how long I was planning to bf, and I said I planned to continue for as long as it kept working for both of us.
I'm now really depressed (not to mention 
) at some of the comments). My Aunt knows bf was hard for me to begin with. I'm absurdly proud to have reached 6 months - not that I've told anyone except DS (and MN now!). I did tell my Aunt the night before how pleased I was that my bf problems had been resolved, and that I was happy it was now going well. I had really been hoping for a closer relationship with them, but now I realise that they'd probably think it would be weird and creepy if I bf for an extended period. I can't believe they said those things!
So, instead of additional family support, I feel even more alone :( Maybe I'm being a bit over sensitive, but now I really wish my mum was still here :( :( :(