Proud BF Mummy

[SarahSteedman82]

Many of my friends didn't or couldn't so don't quite understand but I'm so proud to have got to 4 years of breastfeeding, our 4 year old stopped when his little sister came along 2 years ago and she has now been 3 days without following on from my 4 year boobversay a week ago :)

Now I have my boobs back lol

Congratulations to you! BF my eldest was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done so I do feel proud for persevering. My second has been a doddle and even though I’m feeding him for longer I don’t feel proud.

Well done to all us mothers - it’s a bloody hard job no matter how they are fed!

Don't worry OP... Everyone is just jealous of the diamonds.... As am I actually!

Have you heard of breastmilk jewellery? Now there's a thing to properly divide the Internet

Congratulations OP!!! I breastfed until my daughter was 2 as well and unfortunately not everyone understands the time and effort (and sometimes agony) that’s part and parcel of it.

I mean, I’m happy that you are happy, but presumably you did it because you wanted to and wouldn’t have done if you didn’t. It doesn’t matter either way.

@partyatthepalace

I mean, I’m happy that you are happy, but presumably you did it because you wanted to and wouldn’t have done if you didn’t. It doesn’t matter either way.

Sigh. It matters to the OP.

Sigh. It matters to the OP.
Sigh. But not to anyone else.

That’s fab! Well done! 🥳 I fed for a total of 10 years with my four, and yes am very proud of the fact, it was hard work at times!

Being proud of an achievement isn’t criticising someone who hasn’t managed it, that’s like saying you can’t be proud of running a marathon because if you do it’s criticising everyone who can’t run 🙈

OP, I'm sorry you are having such a hard time on this thread. There has always been a woeful lack of support for BF in this country and any campaigns to try to rectify the situation have only served to make it worse. It's such an emotive topic.

@GreyhoundG1rl

Sigh. It matters to the OP. Sigh. But not to anyone else.

Sigh. Speak for yourself.

Speak for yourself.
The irony 😂😂😂

Fecks sake this is cringing, it’s not a bloody competition

@GreyhoundG1rl

Speak for yourself. The irony 😂😂😂

Not at all. It matters to the NHS and to the World Health Organisation for a start, hence the push to increase BF rates and all the interest in pregnant and post-partum women. It matters to professionals in my area of work. And it does matter to some people personally too, to hear others' experiences. So yes, you can only speak for yourself and not claim it doesn't matter to anyone else.

It's a shame that a thread that was started by someone who is happy to have completed her BF experience and is proud of her achievement, has turned into yet another BF/FF bunfight.

to everyone who has got through the difficult early weeks and months, whatever the feeding method. That's the hard part.

Well done op I'm proud of you
There are a lot of things I have done as a mum that I'm not proud of but breastfeeding my three is something I am proud of . My three have all turned out very differently but i definitely think my middle one who has the most appallingly fussy diet now must have had some long term benefits from breastfeeding as she eats terribly now and thankfully seems very healthy despite rarely touching fruit or veg
There's enough to feel rubbish about as a mum particularly at the moment when things are all a bit crap so take pride wherever you can !
And you can feel proud of breastfeeding without feeling anything negative about formula feeding

@Somethingsnappy I don't think many would deny that support for breastfeeding mothers is lacking and many of us have voiced our disappointment online and in real life to try and rectify this.

I don't think it's fair to say that people who are confused by someone posting about getting diamonds for keeping their kid alive. Be proud that you've done your best sure, but bringing gifts into it is bizarre. it's like the whole god awful "push present" trend.

And the old playground argument that any one who disagrees is "bitter" (I'm not I managed to formula feed #1 and breastfeed #2 for 18 months with very little effort) or jealous (jewellery holds absolutely no value to me) is ridiculous.

@Myxisaprat

Boobversary?

I fed one of mine to 4 years ago when it wasn’t the done thing. Honestly, no one cares and it won’t matter when they’re 20 and necking kebabs and beer.

Hahaha this

I’m not sure that’s something to be celebrating. (Unless you’re celebrating coming to your senses??)

It does come across as quite smug and harsh - "couldn't or wouldn't so don't understand."
I couldn't, and we really tried as my daughter was in the NICU, but my milk never came
In. Posts like this, having diamonds on your "boobaversary (really?), it just comes across arrogant. Im sure you are very proud, and congratulations on your achievement, but there's better ways to word it, if you even have to post. Surely you can feel proud in yourself without posting for strangers to validate you feeding your kids? You got your diamonds, isn't that enough?

I’ve known quite a few bf mums - there seem to be two types. The ones who do it without shouting about it and the very self-congratulatory ones who let it take over their whole identity and start posting on social media about achieving gold and silver boobie awards and using words like ‘boobversery’.

@underneaththeash

I’m not sure that’s something to be celebrating. (Unless you’re celebrating coming to your senses??)

WHO recommends breastfeeding until 2 years as the healthiest thing for a child. OP has managed to do this with two consecutive children. There seem to be a lot of posters on here very bitter that they didn’t do the same. Fine to feel that personally, but very rude to make comments like this to OP

Boobie awards, Christ on crutches 🤪
I'm quite firmly in the first camp. No bitterness or jealousy here, just bemusement at the desire for accolades from online strangers.

That's the point I take issue with too @wildeverose.

Whether the OP intended to or not, she has differentiated herself from her formula feeding friends because she has a "boobversary" when they obviously don't and that they just wouldn't understand.

This is a personal thing that some do/don't "get" and has nothing to do with whether they did or did not breastfeed.

Well done!
I don’t understand why some posters are getting wound up about OP being proud of ending her breastfeeding chapter. If her her husband wants to appreciate her efforts. Why would that annoy anybody else?

I breasted both my children to around 3, so 5 years in all. I look back on it fondly and also with a sense of achievement as it was a real effort, especially when I returned to work. That said, the importance of it does fade with time as your children get older. There are so many other things which take up your child rearing headspace that breastfeeding, although it was nice to have done it, doesn’t matter hugely in the great scheme of things.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, feel proud op because it is an achievement to have breastfed for so long, but be aware that in time, it’s really not the be all and end all. There are far more challenging times ahead!

@wildeverose

It does come across as quite smug and harsh - "couldn't or wouldn't so don't understand." I couldn't, and we really tried as my daughter was in the NICU, but my milk never came In. Posts like this, having diamonds on your "boobaversary (really?), it just comes across arrogant. Im sure you are very proud, and congratulations on your achievement, but there's better ways to word it, if you even have to post. Surely you can feel proud in yourself without posting for strangers to validate you feeding your kids? You got your diamonds, isn't that enough?

I think this is exactly how I feel. I'm pleased for OP, but was it necessary to boast about? And it is boasting.

Congratulations OP, genuinely. But don't feel victimised if other people are defensive about how your post made them feel. You wanted a discussion, be prepared for others to react to your words.

Well done OP but no need to tell the world,you know what I have a family member who suffered breast cancer at an early age and really could not feed her baby, not everyone has a choice