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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Please may I blow my own trumpet a little bit? And invite others to blow theirs too?

127 replies

feralgirl · 10/12/2009 20:26

Would anyone mind if I just have a small proud moment because DS was 1 year old last week and I'm one of the 3% of mothers still BFing?

Noone in RL has bloody congratulated me but I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself tbh.

Feel free to blow your own trumpets here:

OP posts:

Original poster

feralgirl · 11/12/2009 20:40

Oh, and for anyone interested, the stat about 5% of mothers BFing came from here

It's actually only 5% of mothers that still BF at 5 months, according to this. So it may be natural, but it's not 'normal' is it?!

OP posts:

RascalMama · 11/12/2009 21:05

Another proud mummy here

DD was born 9 weeks premature weighing a titchy 2lb 1oz. Due to her size it was a long 9 weeks of expressing and attempts at breastfeeding until she was able to feed properly.

She will be 2 next week and we are still going strong and she shows no sign of stopping having 'Boo Boo' anytime soon.

I'm actually loving this 'new phase' of breastfeeding where she can show appreciation of 'Boo Boo'. Each boob gets a kiss and a pat and a cheery 'bye bye' after her last feed before bed - which is more than I get!!

Breastfeeding is by far the thing I am most proud of doing and by far the most rewarding, enjoyable, satisfying and just bloody fantastic thing I have ever done

Well done everyone!!

JacksmamaInAPearTree · 11/12/2009 21:26

Feral, thanks for those stats - was wondering where I could find them.

I remember when DS was tiny he seemed surgically attached to my nipple. Nobody told me I would learn to breastfeed him, go to the loo and then manage to wipe... I honestly never thought that was a skill I might need at any point in my life

bumpybecky · 11/12/2009 21:33

I've fed ....

dd1 for 13 months
dd2 for 8 months
dd3 for 22 months
and ds for 23 months so far

toot toot to all of us

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 11/12/2009 23:29

Oh, ZippysMum, I'm so sorry for posting my own thoughts on a public thread

Did I say it wasn't a good thing? No.
Did I say it was easy? No.
Did I say I had it easy? No.
Did I say it was enjoyable for everyone? No.
Did I say no one else should want congratulations? No.
Did I piss on anyone's parade by saying they shouldn't want congratulating? Er, no again

ZippysMum · 12/12/2009 01:14

Not looking for an argument. Just pointing out that coming onto a 'blowing your own trumpet' thread to say you don't want to blow your own trumpet because bf is normal and you found it enjoyable just seems a little, well, smug. And came across to me at least as a bit 'rain on your parade'ish for those of us who didn't / don't find it as 'enjoyable' as you but persisted nevertheless.

My posts were to try to enlighten you on why some of us do feel such a sense of achievement at having done something 'normal'.

Of course you are entitled to post your own thoughts on a public thread. I don't believe I suggested otherwise - just that perhaps you were on the wrong thread if you didn't want to blow your own trumpet (it being titled 'Please may I blow my own trumpet a little bit? And invite others to blow theirs too?')

JacksmamaInAPearTree · 12/12/2009 01:39

wukter · 12/12/2009 01:49

I am proud of myself, DD is 25 weeks (and roaring upstairs with DP), I don't enjoy it, and the centile charts have given me sleepless nights. Though I'd be awake anyway I suppose. But I will soldier on for another while anyway

LeninGrotto · 12/12/2009 02:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ZippysMum · 12/12/2009 04:19

Sorry for hijack, feralgirl.

Back to the loveliness.

Well done Wukter (though hope you are sleeping now)

Original poster

feralgirl · 12/12/2009 10:07

No need to apologise Zippy; it's just a shame that DoesntChristmasDragOn's apology was a horrible sarcastic one.

OP posts:

santa303 · 12/12/2009 10:57

great thread, congrats to all

ds is 15 months and loves bfing - he developed really bad eczema 2 weeks before he was one just before I went back to work and bfing was the only way to calm him and stop his constant itching.

I have had some negative comments for the first time recently re bf (from my mum!) which have really shocked me. I love bf (was not always the case), ds loves bf, what's the problem?

Rhian82 · 12/12/2009 11:14

I agree, I think I am proud of managing to feed him to this age (and beyond?) in a culture where so few mums do.

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 12/12/2009 12:36

Actually, my apology wasn't horrible and sarcastic because it wasn't actually an apology. I do not have anything to apologise for. I posted on the thread saying the for me congratulations weren't needed. I made it clear that they weren't needed for me and somehow that makes me smug. If I am being smug then so are the whole lot of you and if you're not being smug than neither am I.

I posted my feelings on a thread which encouraged others to share success stories and got told I shouldn't post here. Somehow this makes me a villain

At no point did I say no one else should feel proud - I said I was pleased with myself but that I didn't need congratulations. Where do I say "stop crowing about it"? Nowhere.

everylittlebeat · 12/12/2009 14:09

LeninGrotto · 12/12/2009 14:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

feralgirl · 12/12/2009 16:59

Oh ffs *DoesntChristmasDragOn", you said

"Oh, ZippysMum, I'm so sorry for posting my own thoughts on a public thread"

which sounds pretty sarcy to me. I was taking the piss. And now I'm being horrible and pedantic and everylittlebeat is bored.

Well done for being the sort of person who can get by without the approbation of others. I need a bit of recognition, encouragement and praise from time to time, especially when I've worked hard.

This is why I love MN because there are so many people who are eager to give that support, as has been proved by the overwhelming number of positive responses on this thread.

OP posts:

notcitrus · 12/12/2009 17:01

I planned to quit after 12 months (ttc among other reasons) but kept doing it before bedtime and at night for another couple months as ds kept having colds and waking up, and given the choice of screaming baby versus feeding and quiet baby and both of us asleep again 10 min later, I kept on.

Around 14mo he happily took a 'grown-up' bottle in the evenings and so when he stopped waking at night for a few days that was it. Bf was good in the end but was glad to stop.

Was secretly chuffed when took ds for his 12 month jabs and the nurse said "Still breastfeeding? Congratulations - I can't remember the last time I got to tick this box! Not this year, anyway"

I was very lucky though - got decent help just as I was giving up at 6 weeks and ds happily latched on again after 2 days off.

Northernlebkuchen · 12/12/2009 17:08

I can't believe the 5 month stat is so low! I've managed 47 months across three children and I do feel pretty good about that

everylittlebeat · 12/12/2009 21:18

sorry if my yawn above was misinterpreted - it was aimed at DCDO's very negative posts, not you feralgirl.

Louby3000 · 12/12/2009 21:27

just going on for 12m now, I love BF and it is such a wonderful way to start my day with my DS snuggled in the middle of the bed BF. I feel so happy that I am still BF and hope to go on for as long as we can.

WillowFae · 13/12/2009 00:29

wutker: I know it is hard (my 28 month old is way off the bottom of them but she's healthy) but try to remember that those charts are designed around bottle-fed babies and not breast-fed ones.

missjackson · 13/12/2009 01:12

Great thread. (fwiw, everylittlebeat your yawn was perfect )

I too have found it true that after about six months the support seems to dwindle somewhat. I am bf-ing 10 mo ds with no intention of stopping anytime soon, and am sometimes made to feel that now it's more for my benefit than his. This makes me . So yes, a big pat on the back for me, even though it is a joy to feed him.

Except at 3am. And 3.30am. Etc.

Concordia · 13/12/2009 02:22

Personally, i am as proud of breastfeeding DC1 to 14 months as i am of my first class degree. I don't expect anyone else close to me sees it that way, but with him ending up in hospital on a drip with dehydration in his first week and then over the next six months dropping from 50th to 0.2nd percentile weight wise, i stubbornly refused to acknowledge i didn't have enough milk. (some will probably say this is stupid i know) He's never been the plumpest child but is definitely a small build (i blame DH's family all under 5ft 5 even the men) not my milk. i stopped at 14 months because i was ttc but wish i'd carried on a bit longer. i didnn't know anyone else who was still breastfeeding at that point, or that there were any benefits to breastfeeding beyond a year.
Breastfeeding DD has been much easier, despite some mixed feeding for the first couple of weeks (she was a month early and showing signs of low blood glucose, her body temp also low - cheery midwife said - give that chidl some formula or she'll be in special care and rushed off - after what happened to DC1 i decided to pay attention), she is now 14 months and i'm still bf.
It's so much easier after about 8 months i find, and then more so again at 10 months when both mine just went to morning adn night feeds.
i do feel awkward among friends who didn't bf for as long and felt forced to give up earlier, which is silly as my success shouldn't make them feel bad.

CarmenSanDiego · 13/12/2009 03:37

Well done everyone! I'll join the 1 year club (again) in two weeks time

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