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

People also do it even if it's hard

@Justgettingbye

Congratulations OP that's an amazing achievement! (From a FF mum of 2 who is confident in her feeding choice so doesn't need to tear another woman who made the other choice down).

Enjoy the jewellery! I certainly wouldn't turn it down!

Love this

God I hate so many of the responses on this thread. OP has been called smug, goady, desperate for validation etc. If you can’t post about this on an anonymous parenting forum, where can you post? Do people really read someone else’s thread and think “wait a sec, this is all about ME and how it makes ME feel! I better shit all over OP.”

There are plenty of mumsnet threads along the lines of “just wanted to post to celebrate that I got a new job”, “no one to tell IRL but I’ve lost 3lbs and I’m proud”, etc. People don’t normally pile on and say “well I’M not enjoying my career along with MANY WOMEN who struggle, and OP is a goady twat for mentioning her pay rise. No one cares!!”

Even if you’re thinking that, what is it about BF threads that makes people think it’s okay to post it!?!?

In reality all BF mothers have friends/family members who FF (obviously!) and understand the nuances and are supportive of all feeding (who isn’t, it’s 2021 ffs). But does that mean BF mums can never ever start a thread!?! Apparently so.

Some women here should really be embarrassed by their responses.

But it's not like celebrating getting a new job is it @Tangled22 . Everyone knows what an emotive subject breastfeeding is for many many mothers. Would you start a thread saying, I'm so, so proud that I managed to have a child, when you know loads of people struggle with fertility issues?

I'm happy for the op. Really I am. But starting a thread about it seems a bit superscilious tbh. Plus, it's not like she "can't tell anyone else", Her husbands buying her a present as a way of celebrating.

Congratulations OP. Breastfeeding is bloody hard work ... Relentless in the early days and can often make you feel alone as no one can help especially during the long nights. There is a sense generally that you can't be proud of your achievements with breastfeeding incase those that FF see it as you shaming them

The poster that finds it weird to BF a toddler, it's a shame society (in the UK) has made you feel this way and many people I know too. Many many toddlers still have a bedtime bottle of milk - why is it so hard to understand that a BF toddler would automatically stop feeding once they can talk/walk etc. It's all they've ever known from birth. Makes me sad that I had ignorant comments from friends (not trying to make me feel sad of course) about still feeling my toddler when in reality, it is our society that is strange making it out to be a taboo thing when like many have said WHO recommend BF to 2 and beyond and is the norm and not judged in many countries.

Well done! I made it to 2 years with my first and was sad when it was over, my second never fed well and we had to stop at 5 months and i was very sad about it!

@ilkleymoorbartat So you think breastfeeding mums shouldn’t be allowed to post about it? You could just NOT click on a thread if you aren’t interested/think it would make you feel crap, rather than clicking on and trying to tear down the OP like so many have.

It’s not the done thing on mumsnet (probably for privacy etc) but on plenty of parenting forums people will make birth announcement threads.

And I said “where else can you post?”, e.g. you wouldn’t post it on your Facebook would you. But I expect OP just anticipated a bit of camaraderie and shared experiences by posting anonymously on mumsnet. Shame BF mothers aren’t allowed that apparently.

But people do post on fb/mumsnet etc about having children, getting married, promotions etc and there are people that struggle with all of those things. My brother struggled for a long time to find a job but he didn't reply to his friends fb posts about getting a new job and being really happy by saying 'well I'm struggling and this makes me feel shamed'. How the hell would a woman look if she posted on persons post about a wedding being the happiest day of a person's life by ranting about how marriage didn't work out for her and people should be more sensitive?!

Everyone has struggles, but it doesn't mean they have to look at other people who have a positive experience and make it about them.

I wouldn't personally start a thread about bf, or if my child sleeps through the night (another common thread/post I see that could be hurtful or whatever to a parent struggling) but when I do see them I mostly just shrug and think 'good for them'.

Congrats OP!! I did 2.5 years and I'm very thick skinned to judgement but towards the end I really felt pressure from all sides that BFing a toddler was wrong. I would get annoyed at my husband for blurting it out when we were with other people. It's sad that BF is something to be proud of at the very start but eventually becomes more secretive (morning and evenings) and in the end it's more of a shameful but enjoyable hobby akin to smoking weed or something!

Perhaps the answer is to have this moved to infant feeding in that case.

@ilkleymoorbartat

Perhaps the answer is to have this moved to infant feeding in that case.

The answer to what?

@ilkleymoorbartat

Perhaps the answer is to have this moved to infant feeding in that case.

Sadly, I expect there would be just as many negative responses there.

@ilkleymoorbartat

Perhaps the answer is to have this moved to infant feeding in that case.

This.

I wouldn’t have answered if it had been in infant feeding.

Why not, just out of interest?

As I said. I avoid the infant feeding board due to the judgement of FF.

I’d this thread had been there I would not even have opened it.

@Myxisaprat

As I said. I avoid the infant feeding board due to the judgement of FF.

I’d this thread had been there I would not even have opened it.

Having opened it you’ve posted and stayed on it for 8 pages. That’s not OP’s fault or anyone else’s! And no one is judging FF here. Praising breastfeeding isn’t doing that.

Show me the posts that judge FF?

Well, they are.

And the op came across as smug. Which has upset me. And I’m not talking about the striking amethyst and diamond necklace.

No one would know looking at my adult children which one wasn’t BF. It really isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of child rearing. And the idea of a boobversary makes me cringe. I don’t even know when mine was.

@MiddleParking exactly.

@Myxisaprat you're really not very nice.

Oh dear. I shall beat my inadequate breasts in penance forthwith.

Amazing, you're very lucky. Still so sad that I didn't manage to bf my now 4-month-old for longer than a few weeks before tongue tie made it too stressful for both of us.

Myxisaprat you're welcome