Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Yes I would like a bloody medal please!

44 replies

fruitstick · 04/09/2009 16:25

I've been breastfeeding DS2 for nearly 7 months. I stopped feeding DS1 at 6 months as I thought that's what one was supposed to do but am planning to carry on with DS2 if I can, at least until he can have cow's milk.

I'm quite proud of this. Not that I think ff is wrong or worse or anything like that but I would like some credit without having to feel guilty about it. I feel like I have to make excuses for continuing (I'm lazy/neurotic about pig flu etc)

So far nobody has said well done and the only comments from family and friends have been 'so are you going to stop now'

So I thought I'd come here instead

OP posts:
PortAndLemon · 04/09/2009 16:28

Well done!

moondog · 04/09/2009 16:29

Oh you will get tonnes and tonnes of virtual medals from us!
Bloody fantastic.
You've done fantastically and the pride and joy will stay with you forever.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 04/09/2009 16:30
mosschops30 · 04/09/2009 16:31

You can have a HUGE medal from me well done you, I take my hat off to anyone who has managed to bf longer than I did (2 weeks )
Am determined to try again though and get a medal

FromGirders · 04/09/2009 16:31

Here are two gold stars ()()

moondog · 04/09/2009 16:32

A medal for the two weeks too I say!
It's a hell of a lot more than a lot of people do!

weegiemum · 04/09/2009 16:33
mawbroon · 04/09/2009 16:34

Well done fruitstick.

I dealt with all the 'are you stopping soon' stuff by saying that I would review it at a year, then I said I would review it at 2 years, and now they have stopped asking! (ds is nearly 4!)

Don't let them get you down, you are doing a grand job.

BunnyLebowski · 04/09/2009 16:35

Good bloody woman yerself!!!

You should be immensely proud of yourself!

My dd is 11 months and exclusively breastfed and all I get from my mother are not so subtle hints about it being time to stop.

DD is happy, I'm happy, DP is happy - why the hell would we stop!!

Once again CONGRATULATIONS!!

Original poster
fruitstick · 04/09/2009 16:42

Why thank you ladies thank you

(takes bow)

OP posts:
CharCharGabor · 04/09/2009 16:51

Hurray for you!

juuule · 04/09/2009 16:54

Well done

Good for you

...and your baby...literally

Jacksmama · 04/09/2009 16:56

Here you go. A medal for anyone who has ever breastfed, even for just one feed.

Jacksmama · 04/09/2009 17:01

DS is almost 19 months, still nurses, and neither he nor I want to stop. DH has said he thinks it's time to wean and I told him it wasn't his decision. Even my GP asked in her "silly mummy" tone how long I was planning to continue. I told her "as per the WHO recommendation, at least until two years". She at least had the grace to .
I'm tired of people insinuating that natural term breastfeeding or nursing is toddler is weird or unnatural. It's gotten to the point where, if DS wants to have a nursey-cuddle when we're out, and people even look like they think that's odd, I put on my "seriously - fuck off" face... apparently it's a bit scary .
Sorry, rant over.

ShowOfHands · 04/09/2009 17:09

Aah lovely. Well done you.

I went out for lunch today and the lady on the next table was breastfeeding a newborn. I realised I was staring at her without meaning to (remembering the early days with dd) and she looked rather embarrassed. I stopped staring and hoped she hadn't thought I was being critical. As we left, dd (2.3) wandered over to look at the baby and said to him "I have milk from my mummy too. It's delicious. Bye baby." I stopped to herd dd away and have a coo over the baby and we both started saying well done to each other at the same time. It was awfully British. "No you're doing well", "no newborns are much harder to feed", "no, no, honestly, you are doing well".

It was lovely and has put me in a proper breastfeeding appreciation society mood.

Ladyem · 04/09/2009 17:20

Well done!! I am currently trying to get into the swing of breastfeeding DS who is 2 weeks old and having a lot of opposition to it from family (lots of 'little Britain' remarks). I BF DD until she was 5.5 months when it seemed to come to a natural end, and am hoping to do at least 6 months with DS, but find it hard when I have to keep having to leave the room so as not to make everyone feel uncomfortable. I know it's more about them than me and their issues with breasts, but how did you all cope with this?

I say well done to all of those who have continued to BF!!

kittykittybangbang · 04/09/2009 21:07

Well done! I am still breastfeeding at 16 months and I feel a warm fuzzy glow when I think of how well DS has done on MY milk!

You're doing a great job, keep up the good work

DitaVonCheese · 04/09/2009 23:19

Bloody well done

Ladyem, that is awful, I'm so sorry. Hoping a MN medal will help a little.

Original poster
fruitstick · 04/09/2009 23:44

Thank you again, I don't know what to say .

LadyEm, well done you too! I must say I really miss those newborn days already. It seems an age ago that DS2 was a curled up little bundle as now he's stuffing toast into his mouth. Make the most of it, it's gone in a flash. As for your family, just whap them out! Honestly, if they are uncomfortable they can leave the room not you!

I take a perverse delight in making my father in law feel as uncomfortable as possible until he leaves ... serves him right for asking if the baby was hungry, did he need a bottle EVERY TIME he cried for the first 3 months.

Ignore them and enjoy!

OP posts:
TrillianAstra · 05/09/2009 00:09

A medal? Nah. Congratulations? Sure.

Well done for persevering with the thing that you think is right, even when it has been difficult, but a medal might suggest that people who have not done the same either didn't try hard enough or didn't know that it was the "right" thing to do. And I don't necessarily agree with either of those. Again, I am pleased that you are happy with your achievement.

Penthesileia · 05/09/2009 00:41

I totally disagree, Trillian!

You are implicitly spinning the falsehood that celebrating BFers somehow diminishes FFers. Recognising the achievement of a BFer doesn't have to mean diminishing or denigrating a FFer. It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.

By analogy, you are implying that - for instance - those soldiers who are not awarded medals for exceptional deeds "didn't try hard enough or didn't know that it was the "right" thing to do". No one thinks that about soldiers who don't receive medals; we still admire their service. We simply recognise that some soldiers, in some circumstances, deserve additional recognition. The special achievements of the few do not diminish the achievements of the rest. (And BFers like the OP are the few, statistically speaking, in the UK ).

Given that the OP is continuing to BF in the face of unhelpful opposition ("so are you going to stop now"), I would argue that she does deserve additional recognition for carrying on.

Besides, you do know, don't you, that all soldiers receive decoration (campaign medals) for tours of duty. So, in a way, you could also argue that medals are par for the course for those "serving".

Motherhood is a bit of a tour of duty, TBH. We all deserve medals!

BunnyLebowski · 05/09/2009 01:11

Brava Penthesileia....Brava.

MoochieHomma · 05/09/2009 01:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Jacksmama · 05/09/2009 03:39

Hear, hear!!
And here is a medal for you.
(This one is the George Cross. It is awarded for outstanding acts of courage in dangerous conditions.)

mathanxiety · 05/09/2009 03:40

Not only a medal from me but a big Can't Hear You sign for you to wear on your forehead when your family starts commenting.