You know how posters have said people like me put them off bfing (usually mythical babies they've no intention of having in the future, I think it's just something to say, but still)

[NotReallyHereHunker]

I'd like a head count of people I and others like me have helped to breastfeed, please.

Not just me. My part's small and insignificant compared to people like Tiktok and Mears, I realise that.

So go on - is posting about bfing in general as opposed to specific issues helping or hindering people?

Real people who are having real babies in the future, please, for preference, not those who aren't having any more and just like having a go at me for posting about this. You know who you are

Message withdrawn

god i wish I'd had someone to help me. i was shite at breast feeding 1st time and ended up getting depressed about it. 2nd time, i tried once and all the fear came back. i think offering support should not be off putting, you either take it or leave it. come back hunker pleeeease

if dh and i are ever lucky enough to have another baby i will bf and you have reinforced that resolve, i was very disillusioned after ds was born and convinced that since he was ff i would have to ff any other babies i have. dont ever stop.

i think the prob is a lot of women are still very raw about being unable to bf (hate the term failure) and get v defensive. i know i did when i first joined mn.

Posters on another forum helped me bf DS successfully (I hadn't really discovered MN then, or only ina vague way). And posts here have made me feel still more confident about bf DC2 in due course.

Me.

I had a miserable time with no support when I had DS 5 years ago and gave up at 6 weeks.

DD is seven weeks old and BFing well. I read a lot of threads when I was pregnant, but was keeping an open mind re BF/FF; ie prepared to give it my best shot, but not to beat myself up if it wasn't working.

Thankfully things have gone well from the off and the few bad moments have been tempered by advice received on here. I'm even finding myself passing on that advice to the women on my PN thread whose babies are younger.

I had thought about BFing for 6 months only, but am now fully prepared to carry on until DD lets me know she's had enough. I'm even starting to feel quite evangelistic about it myself.

I wish I had known about MN 5 years ago. Things could have been very different for my DS.

Keep up the good work

Me - not MNers that have helped specifically (although you got me one last feed), but a friend on another forum who is very similar with what she says iysiwm.

(Do we know how Tutter is getting on?)

moi and still going at 2.

{{{hug a hunkie}}}

I remember you turned up when I was posting about trying to relactate when ds was 4 m.o.? He's 9 m.o. - still bf. Think he's cows milk intolerant - so I'm glad I made the effort. Appreciated support - even my dh was fed up of endless talk of boobs!

On the general bf threads - I sometimes read them for fun - largely ignore them if I'm not in a good place (both my kids have had plenty of formula). I don't think they impact on me bf or not. I think custys point is valid - MN general bf threads have 'normalised' in my mind the idea of extended breastfeeding. My original prejudice was that you do it til 6 m.o. . I still don't see myself feeding a toddler - but I don't feel at all 'odd' or unusual in bf my 9m.o.. They also re-enforce the message about sources of bf support available. I was very trusting to my hv/gp when I was a new mum!

Didn't know about MN when I was having feeding difficulities, but overcame these difficulties with the help of women just like the women here (thank you LLL and my sister). I have pointed 2 friends in the direction of MN and know that they were helped with tongue tie, mastitis and blocked ducts issues, so thanks on their behalf.

I am currently feeding a 14 month old and, as I live in France, am being made to feel like a weirdo. MN helps me to feel serene and confident about feeding my child for as long as she wants.

I find the discussions about the social/political side of breastfeeding very interesting and informative. I think these sorts of discussions are as important as the practical advice. Keep up the good work.

Equally I have learnt a lot from reading about women who had to stop breastfeeding due to difficult circumstances, etc. Thank you to those who share these often painful stories.

I have read through the archives and have only on isolated and rare occasions come across posts that I think are 'offputting' in any way. To generalise about the bfeeding forum on the basis of a few posts amongst thousands is unfair and unjust IMO.

Me!

Largely due to Mears and a few others marvellous advice regarding BF-safe medications that enabled me to stay well and BF. And tiktok and MD and loads of others for just general technique advice, good links and diagnosing BF thrush so I got the right treatment.

BF threads are great and we shouldn't ever stop them IMO

They said that. Bloody cheek.

I wish I had had someone like you around when I was trying and failing to BF my DS, because the midwives were pretty darn clueless.

well not to bf per se .. but to extend breastfeeding past 4 months ... wouldn't have done it without an incredibly contentious thread on here

It's probably fair to say that without MN I would not be intending to exclusively BF ds until 6 months if I can. All my friends weaned early so MN is the only place for me where it's seen as normal not to.

of course Hunker that was before your time

there was a 'before your time' you know

Please dont ever stop talking about it
It's so important and you will have to take a bit of flack along the way but you are helping people at the same time

You and tiktok convinced me to at least try when I had ds and although I didnt carry on, he did get a good couple of feeds in hospital.
I will try again with this baby too.

ps, nice to see you back

I wish I had been around when DD was teeny - I would have found out about thrush and stuff which would have been really useful.

I always presumed that I would bf, but have spoken to one other MNer who said that the only reason she is bf-ing is because of MN, and had she not been here and read the threads she would have FF.

It's helped me just to know that there are other perfectly normal (so obv not including you in this Hunker ) people who go on to breastfeed well past 6 months or a year.

Also helped in the early days to know that it's quite normal to think that you don't have enough milk, even though you do.

you helped me loads hnker and tiktok im ever so gratefl as is my dh

mei had not discovered MN when dd was born nearly 26months ago.

i had huge problems and dd had formula for the first few days much to my distress. i had help elsewhere and good dh support and succeeded.
dd still bf but clearly self weaning now

since then i have read most bf threads and have have founds lots of advice and support which have kept me going and will surely be invaluable for any future (fingers crossed) DC

many thanks all

I'm not having any more children either but without the advice of MN when I bf dd, i'm sure I would have given up bf alot sooner.

I was ready to give up every day it felt like but MN kept me going and reassuring me that it would get better. Before I had dd, I had intended to bf for 6 months. I went onto to bf/mix feed for 10

I didn't have any major problems, but MN was a great help in answering all my questions . Any debate is good, esp considering the attitudes to bfing in this country.

and please don't let this be another thread about postnatal groups

still find VVV a bit, er, scary