How to celebrate EBF for six months?

[FreelanceMama]

Yesterday I had an email from someone congratulating me for having breastfed my baby for six months (come 25th July). I hadn't thought about it much until then but actually it's pretty mind-blowing that my little boy has eaten/drunk nothing but breastmilk for half a year. It's not always been easy but I do think I've been lucky compared to some of my friends' experiences.

It didn't occur to me to celebrate it until the email came and now I'm wondering what would be an appropriate way to do so? We'll be starting baby-led weaning soon so I'll be carrying on for the foreseeable future but I'm always up for some form of self-indulgence . Especially as I'm practically teetotal and limiting caffeine while breastfeeding!

Any ideas? Either genuine or comic. So far, I've thought that my partner and baby should feed me for a day - breakfast in bed, lunch out, takeaway...

You really consider this an achievement worth posting and boasting about and you're polling for ways to congratulate yourself? You have lost touch with reality. You have a baby, and you fed him or her for 6 months. Newsflash, that's what we all have done - and it doesn't make you a hero to have breast fed and not bottle fed. Most people don't care how you did it. It's between you and your child. Boast over.

Your idea sounds good to me op. it may not be a unique achievement or make you a hero, but I suppose neither does giving birth and we still celebrate that. And you're not suggesting involving all your family and friends in the celebration.

Blimey - you're really unpleasant, BlackSwan. Why piss on someone's chips like that!?

I don't think the OP was boasting. She says she has been 'lucky', not that she is showing off.

OP - I'd go for the 'feed me for a day' option, with some champagne :)

There you go, you got a medal from tiktok. Happy now?

Celebrating things we've enjoyed and found special is a nice thing to do :)

You might as well say 'let's not bother celebrating babies' birthdays - it's just boasting, they're not heros, everyone has birthdays, it's nothing special, babies don't know they're having a birthday, boo hiss grumble.....:( :('

Sheesh.

What medal?

Flippin heck, someone's got a rather large chip on their shoulder...

Well done OP, I felt the same when I got to six months. Nothing wrong with being proud of bf your baby.

I'm with you OP, any excuse for a bit of self-indulgence. Yes many people may ebf to six months, doesn't mean those people can't celebrate if they want to. No one is forcing anyone else to join in.

How about a full-body massage to pamper that hard working body?

PS - so what if OP wants to boast (though I think she is taking herself with a pinch of salt), if we can't boast about our mothering achievements on a mums' forum, where can we boast?

It's just not that important. It pits EBF'ing mothers against FF mothers and it's a silly distinction. This woman hasn't done anything special in my view - though I know you won't see it that way. Why should some woman who hasn't EBF for 6 months read this thread and think she has somehow not done as well for her baby as a woman who has EBF for 6 months. It's nonsense.

I hear you OP and was thinking something similar when I hit 6 month (7th sept) cos its been a bloody hard slog. It's not boasting at all and like you say it's good to have a reason to indulge

Can I have a medal to for feeding my baby for 21 months? Obviously not exclusively on bm mind you...
In fact his first couple of days all his feeds were formula so I guess not, despite the fact he's still bfing now.

Blackswan, I also think you're being unpleasant. From everything I've heard/experienced (DS was FF from 8 weeks) BF can be bloody hard work and the OP is justified in feeling proud that she's got so far.

If someone came on and said something like 'I've stuck to my diet and lost 3 pounds, really pleased with myself', would you then tell them off because we've all had to diet from time to time and that they should just get on with it? 'cos if you would then you're a proper killjoy.

OP - I think a day of them feeding you (perhaps with a dairy-heavy theme) would be fun :)

Well I think you wrote your OP in a really nice way and just wanted to add well done

With a high five.

(all credit for this link to another mums netter on another thread, although I'm making no attempt to link to who or where as I'm feeling pretty heroic myself having put together my first link on my iPad)

Gosh blackswan, how unneccessary and unpleasant. I think it is fair to say that ebf can be much harder work for the mother, as it relies solely on her, whereas at least with ff it is possible for someone else to step in even if only very occasionally. Doing it for 6 months is bloody hard work.

OP, I too ebf for the first 6 months, literally, as ds has never had a bottle either, he's coming up to 10 months and we are still going, alongside blw. Now I have to say it didn't occur to me to actually celebrate, but I did and do feel very proud of myself - I was the sole source of nourishment for this amazing baby for 14 months (4 weeks early), how is that not something to be proud of, so absolutely why not do something to mark your achievement!

Be warned, I actually got quite teary when we started blw, as if I was somehow becoming redundant

I'm all for celebrating bfing btw, just your ebf comment rubbed a sore spot for me

Ooh a nice massage is a good idea blossombath
blackswan ouch ...

Well done.

I think Black Swan is maybe just surprised that someone is emailing you to congratulate you on your (not yet 6) month anniversary of breastfeeding. Because that's a bit, unusual? (the email I mean, not the breastfeeding).

You should probably ignore me though, I celebrated 6 months e-b/fing by getting my baby onto formula and doing a victory lap with a glass of wine

Have a glass of wine on me Blackswan. YOU NEED IT!

Congrats OP! I was super proud for reaching six months and in some ways found it even more amazing than childbirth- think, you have kept a whole other person alive for six whole months by feeding it with your body. A.Maze.ing.

My 9 month old loves her solids now, but we are still bfing and it is just THE BEST. We are just reaching the stage now where I can ask her if she wants milk and she heads for my chest. It is just the loveliest thing. 9 months ago when it was hideously painful I would never have imagined I could enjoy it so much.

Why don't you celebrate with a new bra? Bfing tits look amazing in underwire! Well my formerly a-cups do now anyway.