Could I have some smart answers for the critiam I am getting for breastfeeding please.

[InspirationFailed]

DS4 is 14 months now and I am still happily breastfeeding him. No one really cares or comments except ex and his family. I generally just humour ex by smiling and nodding but I am sick of justifying myself to his mother family.

I have two children with ex and he wants to take them abroad with his family, as they are very young I am going too oh joy and the thought of a weeks worth of 'discussions' about breast feeding is making me stressed - I've never even fed DS in front of them, I have to take him upstairs when they are seeing the children.

I get tutted at when I say I am going upstairs to feed him and lectured when I get back, comments include:

Why is that child still on the tit (tit ffs!)? He's got teeth, he doesn't need it, it's not right and I am only doing it because I need to feed him, I must be getting 'some sort of pleasure out of it' (implying sexual pleasure), I'm making him clinging, look at the size of him he doesn't need milk anymore, it's the reason he won't sleep through, I'm only doing it to keep them away from him, I shouldn't feed him in public as men might fantasise about it.... You get the gist.

I answer by saying that the WHO recommends feeding until two (which they say is rubbish) and that of course he still needs milk (again rubbish) and I try and point out the benefits of breast milk (so why does he seem to always have a cold then?) but I get talked over and talked down.

Their main arguement is that I should get of that mumsweb or whatever that fills my head with nonsense

Thank everyone.

My eldest DS has dyslexia and other educational SEN so when I've said in the past how breast milk helps with brain development I get that thrown at me - "oh yes it done so well for DS I hasn't it...."

I pretty much have to go on the holiday as ex would insist on taking ds4 anyway, and I couldn't stop him. I have full residency of ds3 so he couldn't take him but I was pregnant with ds4 at the time so he isn't covered by it. I would rather be there to keep an eye out than have him go without me.

What Bastards.

"No, they think that's XP's genes," with a sweet smile.

I fed my son until he was 2 because every time I tried to stop my milk would build up and the pain was unbearable. If you look at it like that it was for my benefit not his because he was eating plenty of solid food. He never had a bottle and went straight from me to a cup.

I finally stopped when my grandmother bound me up with a crepe bandage and told me to take Epsom salts! Old wives tale or not it worked.

As for unwanted commentary I would not justify myself to anyone.

I m only 25 weeks pg and my MIL has already told me that my plan to bf for a least 6 months is generous!!! Now I fear I'm going to have the same as you for the next however many months! Just because she didn't bf she thinks I shouldn't as it's too hard. Makes my blood boil thinking she can stick her 2 pence in and expect me to take her advice!

You're making the mistake of thinking that they are empathetic, intelligent, sensitive human beings like you. They aren't.

You can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

They won't be argued with - their position on BF is ideological and no amount of WHO guidelines will change that. They are people who use 'tit' as a collective noun and think a 14 month old breastfeeding is sexual - they are NOT NORMAL OR REASONABLE. They sound straight out of Cold Comfort Farm (No offence. I've plenty of relatives like this as well - and not just in-laws. )

As others have said, ignore, ignore, ignore. When they start with their rude, intrusive and uninvited comments - treat them with the respect they deserve. Walk away when they're halfway through a sentence, roll your eyes, leave the room, pick up your phone and calling someone else / playing Angry Birds, switch on the TV. I don't believe we should be giving credence to every worthless opinion that comes out of some relative's mouth.

When you BF your DS, they should be bringing you cushions and particularly as you are an LP with 4 children including one with SEN and are hardly likely to be doing ANYTHING for your own gratification.