I think because both my sisters had babies before me, and they both BF that it was just normal for me - and I didn't even think about NOT BFing!
It was the same with having an epidural - my sisters have had 6 children between them and never had an epidural - so my attitude was if they didn't, why would I need to?
i was FF pretty much right from the start i think & im an only child so had no real exposure to BFing via siblings or anything like that either. it didn't have a huge influence on my decision - i think i've turned out okay but i have chosen to BF & plan to do it until DS is at least 12 months. BFing just seemed right for me/DS & i felt it was the natural/best choice for us
I was not breastfed. My Mum tried feeding my brother (older) and her milk 'went off' in hers words and so she was unable to breast feed, when I was born her milk simply did not appear at all.
I do not remember anyone in my extended family breastfeeding (although appartently my aunty did feed 2 of my cousins, 1 for 6 months and the other one longer, I cannot remember this). I have 8 neices and nephews (between 5 Mums) and not one of them were breastfed. My cousin also formula fed her DD. To be honest, I do not know anyone IRL (apart from BB girls) who breastfeed!
I, on the otherhand do breastfeed. I expressed fulltime for my DD1 until 11 months, when I fell pregnant with DD2 my supply dropped dramatically and so I finished expressing, when DD2 was born I started expressing for DD1 again (she has 750mls of EBM a day) as well as breastfeeding DD2.
Mum breastfed all 4 of us kids. I don't know how long I was breastfed for, but it was considered the normal thing to do (small town NZ). My Mum assumes I'll have no problems breastfeeding (cos she didn't) and doesn't think I'll need to get an expresser (we were looking at buying one). My Dad's even printed me off the latest research on BF, which is sweet.
DH was FF, so doesn't understand my emphasis on it, but is supportive of the idea. He does feel like he might miss out by not being able to feed bub a bottle though. We'll see how it goes when the time comes.
Mum BF all 3 of us kids. I was the longest BF however Mum weaned me at 10mths but even then I didnt' want to stop (understandably!) she was told to put us on cows milk from 9mths onwards.... ()
I always wanted to BF my own babies and having known I was BF also helped influence me too. For me, its the only way to feed a baby.... I never saw feeding my baby as a 'choice' between FF and BF you know? (but that is me so please noone attack me on that statement)
We plan to continue BF for as long as DD and I are happy to.
I breast fed #1 for 7 months and #2 for 4 months (reflux which required medicating formula).
To be honest i breastfed due to social pressures and other than the closeness with my children i felt i didnt enjoy it at all. it was messy, painful, unco and frustrating lol.
I always wanted to BF and I managed 12 weeks with DS and about 9 with DD. I was really pleased that I did this for both my munchkins.
My Mum not BF didn't have any influence on my decision to try. I just thought BF was "normal" so I did it. I remember the midwives being surprised when I told them I was going to BF. (I've had breast cancer so could only feed from 1 breast). They assumed that I would formula feed. I asked for a lactation consultant after the first day as they were neither helpful or supportive of my decision. I had the most wonderful lactation consultant (she was an older lady) help me, and most importantly give me the confidence to do it, that BF was easy and enjoyable for us both!
I was breastfed for 6 weeks, then on to formula as that apparently was the thing to do back then according to mum.
I'd never really been exposed to b'feeding before, my two SIL's never b'fed, they used some lame excuses as to why they never did, and were always asking me when I was going to wean DS, so obviously this nor my mum had any bearing on my wanting to breastfeed for so long.
I was bottle fed as mum had really huge boobs and aparently got no help with working out how to feed me without my choking on her boobs.
I was actually on solids from 6 weeks too! scarey stuff hey! The funny thing about it is that I was the only one in my family to be bottle fed (i am the eldest and mum got some help after having me) and to be put on solids so early- YET... I am the one and only one out of 6 kids without allergies. Everyone in my family has allergies!!
I however bf my girls DD#1 for 15months and DD#2 only for 4 months as i didn't have the supply which i was devistated about!
i was bf, till i was about 7months i think..
i must admit it did influence me in the beginning to bf, until i learnt all the positives and health benefits bfeeding had on my baby to which i stuck with it for almost a year, would have been more if i didn't have to go in for spinal back surgery in a few weeks.
i was BF for 4 weeks i was making my mum bleed and getting more blood than milk
and was then found to be lactose intolerent
i BF DS for 5 days but i had planned on doing it longer and i also plan on trying to overcome and BF this time till at least 12 months be it successful
I was BFed for almost three years. My Mum still tells people (anyone who is listening) and is very proud of it - she weaned me when she fell pregnant with my sister, by telling me that I had drunk all her milk. This came back to bite her later, because I told her she couldn't BF my new baby sister because I had drunk it all
My Mum was Secretary of her local Nursing Mothers (now the ABA) and I used to wear a t-shirt that said "Breast Fed is Best Fed!" when I was a toddler. Oh, and my Dad was infamous in our local community for "teaching" other mums to BF (he was a nurse). I remember mums and their bubs coming to our house for a lactation lesson with my Dad. Where's the "proud as punch" emoticon?
I hope and plan to BF. No doubt my attitude is partly due to being brought up in such a pro-BF household. But it never really occurred to me to not BF, and I will be sad if I can't.
Mum regrets not having Bfed us all for longer. I think I was the longest Bfed of three of us, weaned at 7 months.
Most of the kids I had relationships with were bottle-fed (cousin, nieces etc), ABM or EBM.
None of the above has had any bearing on how I've fed my babies. I am however grateful that my immediate family has been very supportive of my breastfeeding - no one ever suggested to me that I try a bottle. It therefore never occurred to me not to BF.
I wanted to add:
After I was born (early 1980's, Australian hospital, vaginal delivery) my Mum was actively discouraged from BFing on demand. She made a sign for my crib "I am 100% breastfed" to stop the nurses at the hospital from topping me up with formula. She was scoffed at and told "this won't last." She says this only made her more determined to BF exclusively, but I can see why so many other mums gave it up or only ever tried FF, with such a lack of support.
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Were you BF or FF?
but i have chosen to BF & plan to do it until DS is at least 12 months. BFing just seemed right for me/DS & i felt it was the natural/best choice for us
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