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

Me too - Didn't discover MN until DD was 3 months but loads of threads have given me confidence & knowledge to keep going. Without MN think I would have bowed to HV/In-law pressure not to feed past 6 months.

(Athough I must be fair & say that I also had 2 great role models, my mum & aunt were both extended breastfeeders)

I owe much of my b/feeding success last time round to Tiktok and Mears (and others who were posting at the time Eulalia, Jasper and many more), they answered my silly questions every time I had a wobble about something daft. This was over 5 years ago, I think in Pre-Hunker times but if I ever have number 3 I expect your assistance.

OOh are you going for number 3 Mrs Spoon?

I think it's hugely helpful to raise awareness of bf.

Ok so I'm not having any more, but having discovered MN when ds was about 15 months and being pregnant with dd, it was really helpful to me to make me determined to keep trying despite having had some problems with ds. I've not asked for any particular advice but the general information available has been really useful.

Hunker, specifically your accounts of the early days with your ds2 made me determined to not give in to the midwives in hospital who wanted to give dd formula until I'd at least spoken to their breast feeding expert (who confirmed that indeed dd was fine and would be fine and that we just needed to keep on with more of the same).

It made me get cross rather than upset at midwife one night who said to me "Es ist nicht meine Schade, dass Sie kein Milch haben" (or something similar).

It also helped me keep my spirits up during the two weeks of thrice-daily trips to the hospital for infusions of some heavy duty antibiotics when dd was 4 weeks old. It had been a choice of the infusions and continue breast feeding or tablets and stop feeding. I knew that continuing breast feeding was what I wanted and somehow MN behind me kept me going when I started to think that it might have been "easier" to just swallow the tablets (and of course it wouldn't have been "easier" in the long term really).

So I think this stuff is really important and am grateful to all of you who keep putting the effort in.

ME!! Reassured me about DD's cluster feeding when all around where urging me to give her a bottle. Did end up mixed feeding for a while but eventually she was exc. b/f. Am slightly evangelical to pregnant friends now. Probably annoyingly so!

yes me! i was dizzybint/bizzydint back then ;) you also guided me in the ways of weaning.

pruni, that is interesting that the tone of postings has changed, I must say if anyone does say something out of order now then they are quickly told to shut up
I count myself among this number, one of my very first ever posts was a comment on someone's statement that bf/ff was a matter of personal choice. I replied that it wasn't really a choice as you were choosing on behalf of another person i.e. the baby. I got a kicking for it, which was quite an education because I thought that was quite a vanilla statement,just stating the obvious...
we all live and learn I reckon.

I feel like MN has already helped, and I haven't even had my first baby yet!! (Due in September.) I'm determined to bf, and reading all the posts about it has made me really confident that I'll succeed, and that I'll be able to overcome any problems I might encounter. Hope I don't come to regret writing this in a couple of months' time

I must say this thread is very scary.
I keep clicking and expecting to see someone say
yes I would have bf if is wasn't for that bitch harpsichordcarrier, put me right off

Hunker - you helped me through 2 growth spurts.

Mears has helped me this week.

I love b/f, did it with my first and now with my 2nd. But even those adept at it have the odd wobble. I have found the advice here useful at those times.

yes I would have bf if is wasn't for that bitch harpsichordcarrier, put me right off

(happy now...?)

Hunker, you & the others have already helped me loads. Any chance of a little more help here please?

Budababe asked down thread about her concerns that babies who are struggling may need more than reassurance that things will work out, and Harpsi said usually, the poster is asked the relevant questions that rule out anything serious.

I'd agree. I do see 'inappropriate' reassurance sometimes - a mother describes something in not enough detail perhaps or in fact with detail that shows there may be a problem, and then a reply is posted that tries to tell her everything is fine, when it might not be.

I don't think I have ever seen a thread which has just been left at that. Within a short time, one of the usual suspects (me included) will come on and ask for more detail, or suggest that all may not be well.

The typical situation is someone who says her baby is not pooing in the first weeks, or who has lost weight, or is gaining only very slowly if at all....none of these things mean we all have to panic, but all of them may justify a mother's concern, and they all need something more than reassurance. My experience is that the 'something more' does happen.

Thanks for the nice things you have said about me, guys

i ended up mix-feeding dd but reading the posts on MN have made me quadruply determined to stamp my feet for joined-up care if there's a next time. many thanks.

As a formula milk user, even I don't think that posts about bf and the issues surrounding it would actually put mums to be off breastfeeding, they'd just be more informed on the subject.

I would say however that being more informed on the subject won't necessarily change everyone's mind, just some of the undecided floaters and even then they could jump either way.

I wouldnt still be breastfeeding today if it hadn't beenfor mumsnet. I really struggled for the first 7/8 weeks but every time I thought about giving up I came on here and read some of the breastfeeding threads and they somehow kept me going. Never looked back since - now almost 6months.

It has also made me really passionate about breastfeeding.

hey, I have a stalker
hurrah!

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ah happy days pruners.
do you know we are all under water here btw?? Abingdon, Wallingford, west of Oxford.

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oh no harpsi, are you flooded out? grim.

yep it's bad and getting worse

i htought you wewre nto staying on bf threads