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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Does personality type affect breastfeeding experience? Anyone got any info? Lets do a mumsnet bit of research!

194 replies

mears · 18/08/2008 22:24

I have had a google briefly but can't find anything at the moment.

I have had a lot of discussion about personality type recently and just completed an online test

It got me to wondering whether personality type has a bearing on the experience duration of breastfeeding.

My test result was ESFJ and I had a great experience.

My sister is ISTJ and had a completely opposite experience to me.

I thought it might be interesting to see what personality types and experiences were in the vastness of mumsnet.

The test doesn't take long if you are up for it

OP posts:
hester · 19/08/2008 21:10

I know a lot about Myers-Briggs; am accredited to administer it and use it all the time at work. It's very well researched and reputable but it's important to be clear about what it looks at and what it's for. It assumes we all have inbuilt preferences in where we draw our energy from, what information we prefer, how we make decisions and communicate, how we like to organise our lives. It's important to be aware that this is about preferences, not abilities: i.e. if you have a preference for feeling over thinking, that's about you preferring to give higher priority to feelings/principles/values in your decision-making, rather than logic/reasoning. it doesn't mean you can't be logical and objective where you see the need to do so. For that reason, we never use Myers Briggs for recruitment or promotion, or to tell people what their strengths and weaknesses are. It's a tool we use to help people understand their motivations and preferences, not to put them into restrictive boxes.

Lecture over! Fun thread, mears. I'd be happy to do a tongue-in-cheek analysis of the responses if you like - and what it might mean. (If no one else has offered to yet - I haven't read the whole thread.) On the strict understanding that this is just a bit of fun and the reasons for successful breastfeeding are far, far more complex than any personality test. After all, I'm an ENTJ, which I'd guess would be the least 'earth mother' type, but I loved breastfeeding and kept it up for 22 months - only Ireally stopped because of social pressure.

Ceolas · 19/08/2008 21:22

I can't get the result. It's asking me for money

midnightexpress · 19/08/2008 21:22

ISTP the crafts(wo)man here. Two very different experiences of bf:

ds1 - latching problems, feeding problems, weight gain problems, persevered with exclusive bf for about 5 weeks, then mixed feeding for another 5 weeks and then gave up

ds2 - pain at first, but immediately felt that he 'got' it, an dstill bfing at 18 months

mawbroon · 19/08/2008 21:25

GATECRASH

hester - you really must pop on to the post natal thread. There are a couple of us still there! We would love to hear how your dd is doing!

hester · 19/08/2008 21:28

Hi mawbroon, are you all still over there?!
I'm on my way...

mawbroon · 19/08/2008 21:32

I've just bumped the thread hester. should be in active convos now

Original poster
mears · 19/08/2008 21:36

ceolas - you are typing on the wrong box. Select personality types

OP posts:
hester · 19/08/2008 21:37

Found you, mawbroon! See you over there.

Original poster
mears · 19/08/2008 21:38

hester - that would be great if you could.

I am glad that this thread has not got all heated and peolpe are seeing the silly side of it.

OP posts:
ElfOnTheTopShelf · 19/08/2008 21:43

I am INTJ - The Strategist

BF DD until she was 18mths, found it slightly difficult in the beginning, but once we started, it was fine.

Will bf again

morocco · 19/08/2008 22:16

ESTP 'Persuader'

gosh that was uncannily accurate!

bf all 3 through a wide variety of setbacks, sheer bloody mindedness. I'm proud I've bf all 3 but don't nec see my stubborness as a positive quality in this respect

nooka · 19/08/2008 23:04

INFP here. I had no problems with breastfeeding (I felt my babies seemed to know what to do). But I found it quite suffocating, especially with dd (no2) who was a frequent feeder and also insisted on being carried around all the time. I was very glad to stop with her (fed ds for 6 mths, but dd for only 3).

thumbwitch · 19/08/2008 23:19

ooh, it will be very interesting to see what Hester comes up with if she does do a collation of the results - lovely!

I would just like to say that I am very glad that this thread hasn't kicked off as so many of these do - no one was suggesting for a moment that the women who, for whatever reason, didn't continue bf'ing were in any way less anything than those who did continue.

rascal1979 · 19/08/2008 23:26

I am ESFJ

Perservered for 9 weeks expressing and trying DD to breast at every available opportunity cos DD on SCBU. Spent a further 3-4 weeks at home only able to feed off one side. DD had reflux which meant lots of sickingup for the first few months.

Despite all this still BF at 8mths old and LOVE every minute of it EVEN the fact that I have to get up at least twice a night to feed her.

NotAnOtter · 19/08/2008 23:33

infj - dont love feeding but successful at it

SparklyGothKat · 19/08/2008 23:41

ENFP - The "Advocate"

After a rocky start with callum being in SCBU and BF not going as planned, I am still feeding 11 months on.

Petall · 19/08/2008 23:51

Just did the test and couldn't get a result after waiting 5 minutes! Think I must be too much of a fruitloop to be tested!!
Hated BFing and am a Midwife and lactation consultant who spent years helping other muns, but after 3month nighmare with DD couldn't perservere past a few days with DS.
Does that explain not getting a result !!

Shitemum · 20/08/2008 00:00

INTJ - Stategist
Fed DD1 to 17m and DD2 to 20m
Easy both times, slightly harder second time around, but no real setbacks. I researched breastfeeding thoroughly beforehand, was determind to make it work and convinced it was the best thing for me and my baby.
Luckily for me it all went to plan...

mamalovesmojitos · 20/08/2008 00:08

ENFJ the teacher.

found bf very difficult and uncomfortable but persevered and fed for thirteen months.

attempted to give up after ten months (xmas time ) but dd would not take formula.

i did miss it a lot at the end funnily enough. i would absolutely do it again if i had another child.

Soapbox · 20/08/2008 00:10

ENTP - originator

DD - very, very easy experience bf for 14 months or so

DS - awful - just didn't work out - we struggled on for 8 weeks or so, with expressing for another few weeks after that until I had no milk production at all. It turned out that he had oral dyspraxia, so probably had a lot of difficulty latching on which impacted on my production.

But several years later, the awful experience with DS is gradually receding into the mists of time. The rawness is not so raw although I still wish with all my heart, that things had worked out on the bfeeding front.

bythepowerofgreyskull · 20/08/2008 00:11

ENFJ - the mentor

breastfed both boys until they gave up.. I would have carried on forever I loved it.

bythepowerofgreyskull · 20/08/2008 00:14

just noticed on the test it says I am a visionary perked me up for the evening

didoreth · 20/08/2008 01:12

INTP
DD - over 2 years, found it easy
DS - now 3months, easy again

Ceolas · 21/08/2008 08:54

ISFJ - Defender

I found it hard first time.

Easy second.

Difficult third (but probably more to do with having 3 children in just over 3 years than my personality type).

Very easy fourth.

See a pattern emerging here? - think I should quit while I'm ahead...

Anyway, I've got over 4 years breastfeeding experience now

hester · 21/08/2008 21:26

The thread seems to be slowing... shall I do the analysis now?