"Dont you wish you did it the NORMAL way?" WHAT?!?!?!?

**Meercat** · October 14th, 2010, 10:47 PM

Today I was talking to a younger friend (I am 26 and she is 21) about how my daughter wont take a bottle, so I havent had a drink since I fell pregnant and will have to wait until she is ready until I can let my hair down.

She says "Ohh doesnt that make you wish you did it the NORMAL way now?"

I just told her "No, not one second would I wish that"

BUT

Now I think about it, how sad is it that people simply believe that feeding from a bottle is the normal way? Even going to the Baby Expo, there were huge displays for formula and bottles... and one tiny little stall in the corner for the ABA

It is sad that some people dont even consider breastfeeding, thinking bottle feeding is normal.

There is my vent lol

**TeniBear** · October 14th, 2010, 10:56 PM

But you are doing it the normal way! Sigh... Hopefully your friend (and many many others) will realise what a silly statement/thought that is...

**~ Zarava Flutterby ~** · October 14th, 2010, 11:03 PM

some people just don't get it but honestly it comes down to education and the environment they have 'witnessed'.
Hopefully come time for your friend to have to make that choice she realises just how wonderful it is to BF and your not really missing out on anything.

I am still BFing DD2, every now and then when i time it right i have a glass of wine, but there is no need for me to go out and get wasted anymore (well not just yet

).

**LimeSlice** · October 14th, 2010, 11:05 PM

*facepalm*

You were much more restrained than I would have been... The soap box would most certainly have come out! lol

**peanutter** · October 14th, 2010, 11:20 PM

God made my boobies and not that bottle ... I'll do it the way He intended, thanks, and be grateful that I'm able!

I mean really, do we run around after calves and piglets and puppies with formula and bottles? NO.

**meow** · October 15th, 2010, 08:04 AM

Ugh!! Normal??? A man-made plastic teat with dehydrated powdered milk-stuff??

When I was waiting for the MCHN once I was BFing my son and another mother was there with her little baby and toddler. The toddler came over to look at me feeding and mother said "The baby is having his bottle". WTF? If saying something about breasts bothers you, at least say he's having his milk... don't call my boobs bottles!

**Early Kids** · October 15th, 2010, 08:42 AM

You were very restrained about it, I wouldn't have been so nice lol.

It is sad that many believe that bottle feeding is normal

**Early Kids** · October 15th, 2010, 08:42 AM

You were very restrained about it, I wouldn't have been so nice lol.

It is sad that many believe that bottle feeding is normal

**~Debbie~** · October 15th, 2010, 08:55 AM

when bf ds2, i was talking to an older friend, she must be in her late 50, early 60's i guess, and, when saying that things where abit of a struggle in general with a new bub, and a toddler, she asked if I was b/feeding. I said I did, feeling very proud of myself... her response.. "oh, you poor thing" !! I had so expected some sort of encouragement, pat on the back type comment, esp from someone of the older generation, I was completely taken back.
Its not just the younger generation that are uneducated I guess.

**NaeNae** · October 15th, 2010, 09:02 AM

I mean really, do we run around after calves and piglets and puppies with formula and bottles? NO.

this made me laugh (we actually DO run around after calves with bottles, sometimes with formula but mostly ECM expressed cows milk

)

Hun, I hope you said, this IS the normal way. I guess thats the ignorance of youth and really something you DON'T think about until you are becoming a mother. I honestly didn't think much about BF, FF, EBM anything until I started TTC. Another thing I just figured out on is that you don't see isles of different boobs labelled for the different ages of baby eg: This row all colostrum (sp?), this row for hindmilk, this row for for milk so on so forth, so its not something that you are exposed to everyday or everytime you hit the shops. I know when I am out I rarely see another woman feeding unless I go into those parent rooms.

it is frustrating though x

**LimeSlice** · October 15th, 2010, 09:04 AM

when bf ds2, i was talking to an older friend, she must be in her late 50, early 60's i guess, and, when saying that things where abit of a struggle in general with a new bub, and a toddler, she asked if I was b/feeding. I said I did, feeling very proud of myself... her response.. "oh, you poor thing" !! I had so expected some sort of encouragement, pat on the back type comment, esp from someone of the older generation, I was completely taken back.
Its not just the younger generation that are uneducated I guess.

It the date is 1940, but by then, over 70% of Australian kids were fed formula. Wasn't until the 70s that breastfeeding came back into "fashion"... wonder where that article is...hmm.

***LittleMissSummer*** · October 15th, 2010, 09:10 AM

I'm FF my daughter and i honestly don't think there is 'normal' way to feed our babies. We all do what we think is best and what we are able to do.

Meow- I don't think the mother intended to offend you she explained to her toddler the best way that they could understand. If she had of said the baby is feeding he would have asked why was the baby doing that and it would have been a matter of why, why, why and so she told him something he could understand right away. I have been there with my niece and was staring at a mother BF and i said the baby is having their breakfast/lunch/dinner whatever time of day it was and she looked a bit confused but then never said anything.

***Efjay*** · October 15th, 2010, 09:10 AM

Man some people are selfish. "Don't you wish you bottle fed so you can go out & get ****ed" lovely *rolls eyes*

**onthefly** · October 15th, 2010, 12:13 PM

I guess it's just a reflection of our societal norms. Bottle feeding is more-or-less the norm here, whereas breastfeeding is the natural way for mammals to feed their young.

I have to agree with meow, calling breasts bottles is just weird. The baby is having his/her milk - that's all we need to say.

**UntoldAngel** · October 15th, 2010, 01:21 PM

It's terrible that you can't do it the normal way and have to use your boobs to feed your child

ZF - I also can time my occasional drinks if I wish to have one or two... If I want to have a few more I make sure I have EBM in the fridge if bub is going to need a feed soon

~Debbie~ I too have been taken aback when my Aunt (in her 70's) told me I could go into the back bedroom to feed P so I could have privacy.... I continued to feed on the lounge

I've had nephews and cousins watch intently when I've been feeding P because they haven't seen breastfeeding before, and they ask what he is doing... I explain he is having some milk to drink. The oldest (5years) has asked if he can have a baby bottle, to which I replied yes but it still has my special milk in it

I've had strange looks in parents' rooms because I breastfeed AND use cloth nappies... I must be the most un-normal person...