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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Were you breastfed?

117 replies

maisiemog · 05/11/2005 22:44

I have been wondering recently whether part of the reason I have been bf'ing my ds, is because I was breastfed. It's like I just expected that I would do the same thing.
Do you think being breastfed yourself influenced your decision?
Another thing and this is crazy. I was thinking about all the effort I had to put in at the start - when it was very difficult - to bf my son, and I can't stand the thought that if he has children his partner will choose not to breastfeed. Like my efforts to ensure his best health will be scuppered. What's wrong with me?

OP posts:
irishbird · 05/11/2005 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

spidermama · 05/11/2005 22:46

I was. I think it must have a bearing. I must have noticed my mum feeding my little bro too even though I can't remember it. I would also have talked to my mum about it at some point.

soapbox · 05/11/2005 22:46

No I wasn't but I did

misdee · 05/11/2005 22:46

i was, and tbh i think it has influenced me in some ways. most people 'learn' fromn other family members and have support that way.

expatinscotland · 05/11/2005 22:46

No.

gossifer · 05/11/2005 22:48

interesting maisiemog, i only found out when i had my ds that i wasn't bf, i am a middle child and both my siblings were, but my mum was having a really hard time of it when i came along;
when i told her i'd stopped bf my ds at 7 months she even said 'oh poor ds!' cheers mum!

stripey · 05/11/2005 22:48

I think you are going to get a few insulting replies to this one. I would say 'get a life'.

I wasn't bf did bf ds1 and didn't bf ds2 IMO in the scheme of things it hasn't made the slightest bit of difference to me or my children.

spidermama · 05/11/2005 22:49

Whoah stripey where did that come from? I can see nothing whatsoever controversial in that post.
Down girl.

jane313 · 05/11/2005 22:50

I have no idea. My mum died 13 years ago and it was never something we had never talked about and my father who I'm not close to says he doesn't remember. I don't think I was though as I was in intesive care as I was 6 weeks prem and I remember my mum saying about my dad getting up for us in the night. Also it wasn't very fashionable in the 60's. God what I would give to find out what erh epxerince of motherhood was now.

I think parental influence can be v important (one friend got no support bf and her mum and gran just kept on telling her to bottlefeed). But its not the only influence.

Nemo1977 · 05/11/2005 22:50

i was bottlefed. Tried to bf my son but only lasted 3 wks due to the pain and huge boobs making it awkward.

colditz · 05/11/2005 22:50

I was not breastfed at all, neither were any of my siblings, and I didn't breast feed my son.

I am hoping to breast feed the baby I am carrying, but worried that I will have no support whatsoever as my mother thinks breast feeding is "weird" and my partner will do anything for an easy life, so at the first sign of difficulty, the pressure will be on to produce the formula

stripey · 05/11/2005 22:51

can't stand the thought that her son's wife may not choose to bf her grandchildren - I just find that a bit odd when her son is only a baby. I think it is also quite judgemental

jane313 · 05/11/2005 22:52

ooh forgot to say I did bf for a year. So what happened to me never influneced me at all.

expatinscotland · 05/11/2005 22:52

I feel it's a personal decision for everyone and it wouldn't break my heart if my daughter didn't do it.

I don't think my being bottlefed had any effect on how I chose to feed my daughter. I was born in 1971 in another country where breastfeeding was uncommon.

misdee · 05/11/2005 22:53

calm down stripey.

ScummyMummy · 05/11/2005 22:53

I was breastfed and do think it had an effect in that I never thought of breastfeeding as an issue- just knew I would. Haven't got as far as thinking about how my grandchildren might be fed! It won't be any of my business anyway. I'll have got to the good bit by then- the looking on and cooing and boasting bit. If either of them choose to breed that is.

misdee · 05/11/2005 22:54

oh my word, i have 3 girls, if they are like the rest of my family i am gonna have tons of grandkids!!

Hattie05 · 05/11/2005 22:55

I was bf, but didn't know that until after i'd had dd and was breastfeeding her. Neither did i know anyone who had breastfed, didn't even consider breastfeeding until dd was born, and as cheesy as it sounds, nature took over once she was born and it just seemed like the right thing to do!
Now i am very pro-breastfeeding, in the sense that i realise for others in situations like mine, being pg and not knowing anyone who bf can make you feel like you shouldn't do it. So i think it is important to be promoted positively - and my favourite think about it is its free! (we were so skint at the time of having dd, i don't know how we'd have coped having to buy formula along with nappies etc.)

misdee · 05/11/2005 22:56

i lvoe the fact its free thats 6-7pound a week fore chocolate

spidermama · 05/11/2005 22:57

So that's double the oxytocin hit. (love hormone) cos you get it from breastfeeding, and chocolate.

marthamoo · 05/11/2005 22:57

I was breastfed and my Mum's support did help me keep going when I might have given up otherwise. But she bottlefed my brother so was completely unjudgemental (she would have been supportive whatever I did) and I would be the same with any grandchildren I might be lucky enough to have. So long as they are fed it's none of my business how that feeding is done (though I would endeavour to be supportive whatever choice their parents made).

So, to summarise, yes you are crazy maisiemog and also getting a bit ahead of yourself

Miaou · 05/11/2005 22:58

I was breastfed by my mum, who was put under a lot of pressure to bottlefeed me (1971), but she can be very stubborn! I wore her out though so my poor brother got bottlefed from the start as she just couldn't face it with him. But my youngest brother was breastfed and I remember him being breastfed too. In fact I was surprised to learn my other brother had been bottlefed.

And yes maisiemog, in answer to your question, I do think that my mum did slightly influence my decision to breastfeed - in fact it never occurred to me to bottlefeed, or to give up when I found it hard (I can be stubborn too). However if my dds or my ds's future partner choose to bottlefeed I won't criticise - it's their choice and I would be supportive of whatever they choose to do.

Hattie05 · 05/11/2005 22:59

Yes i'm not judgemental about how others choose to feed, just so long as i'm sure they realise the positives about bf - easy and cheap!

But maisimog, bless you i think that is your hormones making you worry, i don't think these things will worry you through his teenage years and into adulthood

jane313 · 05/11/2005 23:00

My friends were a huge influence as I had actually seen them breastfeeding in all sorts of locations and its seemed very easy.

Moomin · 05/11/2005 23:03

i was adopted so obviously wasnt bf - even says in my notes that i was fed carnation and rosehip syrup at only a few wks old (1968)! wanted to bf dd1 but she wouldnt. i was quite keen to because even tho i knew i hadn't been, other family members did and it was done very openly at family gatherings and i never even questioned that i might not do so when i had my own children. however, after giving myself loads of grief and guilt when dd1 didn't bf, i found bottle feeding suited me and dd1 9 (and dh). i kind of half-heartedly gave dd2 a go with breast feeding but wasnt distraught when she too wasn't keen so am bottle feeding again. so in answer to your query, i'd say that my family influences leaned towards bf but after knowing that i turned out ok on the bottle, my experiences with my own children made my mind up more.

try not to judge others on their decisions. if the babies and mums are happy and healthy, then thats the main thing

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