why do people keep asking me when I'm going to move to a bottle

[myusernameis]

Hi, I'm a first time mum to a 1 month old and am exusively breastfeeding. I was lucky, we took to it straight away and have had no problems. My plan has always been to breastfeed for as long as I'm able, ideally 1 to 2 years but would move to formula or express if there were any issues.

So far no problems, actually I enjoy feeding my baby. But so many people have asked me when I'm planning to start her on the bottle. I've been asked this since the first week of her birth. A lot of people assumed I'd bottle feed, nobody actually asked me. I was given a few bottles as gifts from dp's family members.

Anyway, I'm quite inexperienced around babies and foolishly didn't attend any antenatal classes. I want to know am I strange for not planning to move on to a bottle? Is that what most people do? People on here who exclusively breastfeed for a long time, are they expressing?

I'm really worried I've got this wrong. A lot of the asking has been from friends of mine who don't have children but I've also been asked by mil and by her dil and a couple of others who know a lot more than I do!

No, you are doing fine.

They are just asking coz they want to feed her whilst you make them cups of tea

You do what you want to do and what your baby Is happy doing.
With my two dc I bf until 2 and 3 respectively and didn't use formula or express. But that was my choice, you do what suits you.

You are doing great . Ds only had expressed milk in a bottle when I was working, and I bf till he was 23 months. Lots of people seemed to have an opinion about this, but dh and I would just reply 'when it seems like time' or 'its working out great for us at the moment.

What Day said

You could say breezily, no need, we are happy as we are [beaming smile]

Apart from when he was in hospital after his birth my son has never had a bottle. You can probably go straight from breast to cup or beaker depending on how long you breastfeed for.

My son went into a nursery at 10 months old and had expressed milk in a beaker from that point, as well as breast milk straight from me at home.

Tell them you intend to feed her until he goes to university

Loads of good responses here. The other one is to look puzzled and say 'why are you so interested in my breasts?' or with persistent offenders, you can say 'you know, it's a bit rude to keep on asking about this!'

Plenty of women never use a bottle, ever. It's your choice. You are absolutely not doing anything wrong.

He he thanks everybody. I would love to ask someone why they are so interested in my breasts!

I was genuinely starting to worry I'd got it wrong and I was embarrassing myself with my naivety.

If I was being generous, I'd say they're desperate to babysit. But otherwise they're interfering and undermining your confidence.
Giving expressed milk regularly from a bottle might make it easier if you need to leave your baby for any length of time, but even then she may suddenly start refusing the bottle and it is a lot of faff if it's not necessary. In a few months you have other options than bottles anyway (sippy cups etc.)
Basically it's your choice what you do and none of their business!
In the early days I expressed (very) occasionally to give my boobs a break. By the time I wanted to go out for the evening the baby wouldn't take a bottle. When I went back to work (7.5m) he started taking formula in a bottle while I was out and I've carried on feeding as normal at other times. That was the first time we cracked open the bottles we'd bought, apart from the one that came with the pump

On a serious note, I do wonder why they are so interested. I don't think it's ever crossed my mind to care how anyone else feeds their baby or why or how long for. As long as the baby is being fed and is healthy. I didn't realise it was such a big thing that people get all het up about.

Took me so long to write that 7 other people beat me to it! I should stop having tea breaks mid post...

Just smile and say you've no intention of switching to bottles OP.

You're doing a brilliant job BTW.

I fed DD for 2.2 years. She never once took a bottle.

I'm sat here feeding 2 week old DS and I hope he feeds for as long. It's the best thing ever and selfishly I love that I'm the only person who can do this amazing job for my babies (Pretty sure DP concurs as he's relishing his uninterrupted sleep every night ).

Yes NorahBone expressing or formula for a break is something I might try but I sort of don't want to tell them that! I'm actually more scared of giving a bottle and having to worry about sterilizing and holding the bottle correctly etc, than I ever was of breastfeeding!(apart from my first time bf in public.. I nearly cried but am over that now!)

Thanks BunnyLebowski. I know what you mean about liking the fact you're the only one who can feed your babies, I feel the same. It is a bit selfish but in a good way I think.

Op I was asked this continuously and it was always from the people who had bottle fed their babies or who didn't agree with me bf.
I'm afraid I'm no good with confrontation so woul normally mutter something like 'oh not yet' but they did bug me for ages about it.
I found as soon as we didn't feed as much in public (when dd was older) people assumed I'd stopped and I loved their faces when they found out I was still feeding until 2

ShowMe

I bf dd until she was nearly three. DH tried giving her a bottle of expressed milk when she was around 5 months and she hated it, wouldn't drink it at all. Neither of us could be bothered to try again!

I had this a bit. Just replied that bf is easier for now. I had no plans to move to b ottles. Now back at work, and a teething baby, I am looking to wean him off the breast. Nobody cares any more though. They all got so used to me bf, it became a non issue.

I got this from when DS was born....now he's 2.5 years and still breastfeeding! I always said that we were happy feeding until he self weaned at whatever age, and it saves faffing with bottles and its FREE! which usually got a face and then the inevitable "but you'll never have a night out again" which is clearly silly!
He has never had a bottle, with the exception of his feeding tube in SCBU and that was my milk anyway!

DPs mum always gives me the "he's far too old for that now" to which I now just nod, smile and ignore!

Your doing a great job and you should feed for as long as you both are happy/ want to!

I had this too in the beginning. I'm the only person in my family that's breastfed and it took a lot of getting used too.

They stopped asking time after a few months. I'm still BFing and DS is 2.5. I just expressed if I needed to which they found quite odd

Good to see I'm not the only one who had this and that the questioners tend to get bored eventually!