Were you breast or bottle fed - and when were you a baby?

[SallyJayGorce]

Do you think it has affected your own decision in any way an if so why?

I was ffed. I was born in 1970. No, it hasn't affected my decisions.

Formula fed, born in 1987. My mum ff me and my older sister, but bf my little sister.

Her decision to ff was down to her mum and sisters looking down there nose at breast feeding and thinking it was 'inappropriate' or something. By her third she grew some balls and ignored them, and did what she wanted.

I don't think her decision influenced me. I bf for 7 weeks and then switched dd to formula. I was quite young and shy so I think it was what made me stop bf. If I had another I would give bf a good bash again though.

I was born in 1978 and was breastfed for 2 weeks before my mum got mastitis and was told to stop by her GP. She is still about it now. She was living with her Mum at the time who had fed her on diluted Carnation, and near her SIL who had ff her children. So the family support wasn't there either.

When my brother was born in 1980 she had read Sheila Kitzinger and was much better informed. She bf him for 2 years.

I am bf my 18 month old with no plans to stop anytime soon. I think my Mum's experiences have influenced me, she is very pro-breastfeeding and is upset that she didn't breastfeed me for longer.

[Disclaimer] Breastfeeding will not improve your spelling, grammar or punctuation. ILMDAMO this isn't pedants corner is it?

Ooops, pedant's corner

I give up, pedants' corner! See why I don't spend time there?

FF in late 70s. I think my mother tried to bf, but with a 4 hour schedule and no night feeds. Apparently some people actually managed to bf after this hospital imposed schedule!
Didn't influence my decision to BF. My Mother was very dismissive of my efforts at first - lots of 'Oh, just give ehr a bottle'. But having seen me bf for a year, and seen how easy it was after a while I think she's changed her mind. She actually said she now wishes she'd 'given it more of a go'. Switching to FF was the norm then. I was amazed the other day - someone she knows was 'topping up' a newborn and Mum actually thought this was a bad idea!!

Breastfed in early 1970's. My 2 cousins were also bf in the early 1970's and my mum and all 4 of her siblings were bf in the 1950's (and in the case of the youngest, the 1960's). DP and siblings were BF in the mid/late 1960's. Definately affected my decision to BF as i didn't know anyone who FF.

1965 breast fed for a year and my brother 1968 aslso for a year.
My Gran breast fed her three and I always felt proud to come from a line of comitted breast feeders.
Mother in law on the other had had 4 children and gave up afet a week with her first and ff the others from birth. She couldn't get her head round why it was so important to me.

My favourite family story is when I was 2 weeks old and the gp called. Mum was breast feeding me and he said 'What a beautiful sight' Gran almost threw her arms around him and kissed him in agreement.

i was bf in 81, my mum would have anyway but my g'ma insisted she did as 'it must be best for your baby'.
I also saw my cousins 911 +13 yrs younger) being bf and all my family have to some extent bf so for me that was how you feed a baby. The 'norm' so to speak.

I was BF for 7 months in 1963, until I got teeth . My brother in 1965 only got 5 months. We both went on to dilute Carnation (no wonder we're so fat!)

Mum always talks about having to listen to me cry until it was "time for the next feed" as I was on a 4 hourly schedule.

My cousins were born in 1974 and 1975 and both BF, and my neighbours' children were BF in 1970 and 1979 so it always seemed "normal" to me.

I'm a bit at the number of people born in the 1980s on this thread... I've got children that old

Born 1972, bf. I suppose it must have affected my decision because I never really considered ff. It certainly made things easier having family who saw it as normal and understood the pros and cons.

Born 1974 (in the US), bf 28mos. My mom was a bit of a hippie, she said it was hard and everyone thought she was a freak. I have 2 younger brothers who were also bf'd so it was normal to me.

BF'd both my DDs although having to supplement DD2 now, don't know where the milk's gone.

Born 1970, my mum always proudly told me that my sister and I were breastfed - only when I had my own children did I find out that she only breastfed me for 6 WEEKS!!

DH born mid-sixties was bottlefed of course(and his mum was a midwife)

Didn't affect our choices, always intended to breastfeed anyway.

I was born in 1982 and breastfed for four months. Apparently, at four months, according to my mother, I simply 'pushed her away and refused the breast', so she fed me solids and diluted cows' milk from then onwards....Apparently she'd never heard of a nursing strike!

I always assumed I would breastfeed, and fed DD for 2.5 yrs

Born in mid 70s and was breastfed. I have no idea how long for, but since they weaned at 4 months then I doubt my mum kept it up for long.

It hasn't affected my decision but my younger brother was breastfed and seeing my mum feeding him normalised BF for me. I remember wondering why aunts would go upstairs to feed their babies when there was no need. I have always been comfortable feeding anywhere, except for on the first day out of the hospital when FIL kept zooming his camera in on my boob...

FF mid 1970s. My mum tried to bf, found it very hard, anf the nice midwife told her not to worry, and give a bottle.

Weaned at 10 weeks (bare in mind I was born a month early) onto baby rice and rusks as I was small baby, as opposed to all those babies who were weaned at about this bime because they were big babies.

I always assumed that I would not bf, as I only ever saw one woman bfing when I was a child - it just wasn't the done thing.

Was definitely breastfed, but for a few weeks only I think. Not sure exactly how long. Then bottles.

Had absolutely no effect whatsoever on my decision to breastfeed.

Sorry - 1978

I was born in 1979, and was bf as were both of my sisters. Was bf until over a year, but my mum stopped as she couldn't get pg whilst bfing.

I very very very much wanted to bf my children, but I think this was because I thought it was the right thing to do. Having seen my mum do it (youngest sister is 10 years younger than me), it seemed natural and easy. Mum was a great support when going through thrush, mastitis, engorgement etc.

DH wasn't bf, and wanted me to bf because of this - he puts his asthma and other conditions down to the fact that his mum FF him.

I bf DS1 to 22m (was 22w pg then and it got too much), and am still bfing DS2 at 34m.

My grandma (who had BF 5 children) continually told my mum to give us a bottle of formula when we cried as babies as obviously her milk wasn't enough for us. . My mum's other sister FF her three children.

Breast, 1983. I don't think the fact that I was bf affected my decision, but certainly being about 10 or 11 when my little brother and sister were born and were both bf must have had some bearing on the decision I guess. Just because it seemed like the normal decision I suppose. My mum only bf all 5 of us for abour 3 months though. WIth dd I stopped at 10 months, ds has just turned 11 mo and we're going to keep going til he wants to stop I think

I was bf for 2 weeks then ff, in the 70s. It kind of affected me as I thought 'well my mum only bf a couple of weeks and we are OK,'. I tried bf all mine, giving up between 2-6 weeks with older 4 and still bf DS at 25 weeks now. DH mum didn't bf. Think she tried but he wouldn't latch on so she after couple hours ff first day.

1972, bf for 6 months. My brothers were also bf for 6 months, both have asthma. I did intend to bf DD but only managed to last two days.

born '68, ff. No bearing on my own choices at all.

But it did seriously lower my IQ

I was a preemie (born at 30 weeks) in '78 and was given someone elses ebm (mum couldn't pump any apparently). Not sure how long I got this for, my mum was heartbroken that I got someone elses milk and not hers. She still remembers the name of the womans baby ("xx's mum had enough milk to feed the ward and I sat behind a door trying to express and got nothing").

I don't think it affected my decision to BF. I am not sure why I didn't consider bottle feeding first, I just always saw myself BF.

My mum did bf my little brother though in '85 and there are pictures of me with my top up holding a doll to my boob so perhaps that had more of an effect!