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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

B`Feeding toddler

33 replies

motherearth · 04/02/2005 09:04

Hi,
Just wondered if anyone has any good "one liners " for irritating unhelpful comments about bf`ing an 18 month old .Its perfectly natural and we are comfortable with our morning and bedtime feed -just getting pi*d off with the "Little Britain " comments and " oh its time you stopped all that now " .Always seems to wind me up and would love a terriffic reply ready to drop next time-any ideas ??????

OP posts:

anxiousia · 04/02/2005 17:15

motherearth I sometimes told people that nestle are working really hard to try to isolate the thing in breast milk that they know contributes to infant brain growth. They want to add a synthetic version to their formula. Clearly it is not exactly the same thing that makes a calf's brain grow or a soya bean grow or they wouldn't spend so much money trying to work out if they can copy it!BTW I heard that from the Laleche League, they are another great source of info and arguments, you could try their website. .
There's nothing better than a BF support group to help sustain feeding , do you have one?

beansprout · 04/02/2005 17:27

Could you ask them what they would prefer you to feed your child? A substitute powdered milk?

highlander · 04/02/2005 19:21

I seem to remember Twiglett being a bottomless source of pithy one-liners for every situation

morningpaper · 04/02/2005 19:23

I never got any comments while bfing a toddler. What kind of thing do people say? Is it your family?

coffeebean · 04/02/2005 20:10

Who is making the comments - family / friends / strangers? If it's right for you keep going - I am sure the W.H.O. reccommend b feeding for at least 2 years. I think it would really help to have some +ve role models - why don't you ever see anyone b feeding on the telly?

coffeebean · 04/02/2005 20:11

moondog · 04/02/2005 20:17

I b/fed for 2 1/2 years and didn't get one negative comment.Surprised ones yes, but that's different.
Pithy comments? Go f* yourself springs to mind.
Seriously.... depends on what kind of person you are. Ths topic was covered in the ABM magazine in the last issue (I think.) They had some good ones.

frogs · 04/02/2005 20:46

The words "off" and "fuck" spring to mind, not in that order.

Be glad that your little one still wants to feed -- I'm a wannabe earth mother whose children all lost interest in bfeeding from about 12 months, and weaned themselves over the next couple of months. Dd2 is coming up for 14 months and only really feeds when I have to wake her up from her lunchtime sleep to pick the others up from school. Then she's all sleepy and disorientated, and really wants to feed. The rest of the time she's much more interested in what else is going on to bother with boring old booby.

Even so I've had the 'How long are you planning to carry on with that?' comment. I found that the answer, "Oh, I expect we'll stop sometime before he/she starts school" did the trick for me.

But if you're just doing a morning and an evening feed, there isn't really any need for anyone else to know that you're still feeding, so shouldn't be too much of an issue.

good luck!

Posey · 04/02/2005 21:01

The only person who is slightly negative about me still b/fing at 25m is my mum. Don't know why really as I only do it at bedtime, not in "public" (not that it would matter if I did)
Other responses are surprise and encouragement. I must say I never expected to go on so long and don't know anyone else who has fed as long as this.
My advice is develop a thick skin and go with what makes the pair of you happy. If you both still enjoy the feeding, then its no-one else's business.

beansontoast · 04/02/2005 21:05

i would hold my hand up like a puppet and repeat what they said back to them.....im really mature.

pixiefish · 04/02/2005 21:26

I'm still feeding my dd during the day and at night (she's just turned 1). Do get some comments occasionally from my mum- I just say that she'll wean herself when she's ready. A newcomer to my bfing group also had a look of surprise when I turned up with dd- oh are you still bfing? FFs she's only a baby still even though she's toddling.

I have definetly been supported to carry on by attending a bfing support group- in the early days i saw that it was possible to carry on after returning to work so i changed work to p/time and am still bfing

cheekychops03 · 04/02/2005 21:41

Someone once asked me how long I was planning on feeding my son for (when she obviously wanted to say don't you think he's too old) to which I looked at my watch and said "about another 10 minutes or so I would imagine" then carried on drinking my drink. The woman went bright red and my husband almost choked on his coffee trying not to laugh!

pixiefish · 04/02/2005 21:42

cheeky-

Original poster

motherearth · 04/02/2005 23:10

Some very positive comments-ta.
Think i`ll just zip it and if i cant thanks for the few ideas.

OP posts:

Prufrock · 04/02/2005 23:18

I got the "ho long are you planning on feeding him for" about my - admittedly rather large- 9 month old. I said"Well, I don't think it's fair to expect them to buy their on food until they leave home really". Unfortunaely she just didn't get it adn looked at me as if I was the wierd one

frogs · 04/02/2005 23:25

Prufrock. My dd2 is very dinky and looks more like a 9-month old, so this hasn't been an issue for us. I just get fed up with how daft people can be. [fed up and bored emoticon]

Clayhead · 05/02/2005 00:12

Prufrock

Wish I could have thought of something so witty. I only got as far as, 'Why do you ask?' which was enough to shut most people up but not very clever at all

colditzmum · 05/02/2005 00:15

Ask them why they are watching!

bobbybob · 05/02/2005 03:07

"Is he getting a bit big from that?"

Yes you're right, I'll move onto the sofa.

"How long are you going to feed him for?"

Until they invent something better.

"it's time you stopped all that"

When you give up chocolate I will consider it.

"Once they can ask for it they are too old"

Or just really early talkers because all this breastfeeding has developed their mouth muscles beautifully.

"Are you sure that you are making enough?"

Well Bob did tell me the other day one of them was broken, but he fixed it for me.

"It's embarrasing"

What - more embarrasing than drinking the milk of another species?

Or even "they did research and found out the probably natural weaning age of a human is about 7". The thought of a seven year old send people into deep shock and suddenly anything under 5 seems reasonable.

suzywong · 05/02/2005 05:49

these are good, very good

pixiefish · 05/02/2005 17:07

bobbybob- excellent- will have to store some of these for future reference cos i'm sure i'll start getting comments soon

bobbybob · 05/02/2005 18:29

Ds is almost 2 so I have had an extra 6 months to think them up.

cheekychops03 · 05/02/2005 22:30

Bobbybob - I love 'em!
I'm having the first meeting of my breastfeeding group on Monday so may very well print this thread off for people to see. Hope no-one minds!

aloha · 05/02/2005 22:45

I love LIttle Britain...mostly...but I HATE the breastfeeding sketch. I think it contributes to negative images of breastfeeding, especially breastfeeding anything but a newborn, and makes breastfeeding seem ridiculous, embarrassing and even disgusting. I actually find it quite upsetting, to be perfectly honest.

I think it's very interesting about the natural age of weaning being seven. Primates space their offspring so they are the equivalent of seven years old in human terms (developmentally and in terms of lifespan).
I fed until about 14months. I have no regrets about stopping then, but I do know that social pressure played a fairly large part in my decision.

slobetta · 06/02/2005 10:15

I have to admit that I find the bf sketch really hilarious but I totally agree that it strongly reinforces the negative stereotype of bf mothers as somehow entirely SELF-indulgent and with an undercurrent of something slightly creepy that they might be doing it for some non parental physical fulfilment. It makes me so so angry. BFing is so natural and positive and science backs us up but the culture in this country seems so screwed up about breasts being for sex alone IMO! Ironic considering their function is primarily for feeding the young.
But even worse, did you see Ricky Gervais on Room 101 ages ago telling that story about a woman making rice pudding (I think?) with her spare breast milk and she had long grey hair (which was presented as an equal crime...).
But the one liners here are great, I just loved quoting WHO and the Nestle thing too, brain growth usually shut people up.

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