We were all FF nearly from birth. My second brother (baby #3) was BF the longest at 1 month but then she gave up because he was constantly on the boob and she found it hard to do that and look after my other brother and I properly. But she is a heavy smoker I'm actually glad that she didn't feed us I would rather have all the goodness of formula than all the chemicals of cigarettes. What she did in no way impacted on what my plans were for my babies.
Dh was BF exclusively for about 3 wks and then he was supplemented with formula and rice cereal because that's what her mothercare nurse told her to do, so she did it.
Last edited by Trillian; March 18th, 2010 at 07:44 AM.
i was prem (almost 4 weeks early) so mum said it was too hard for her to BF (going back and forth to the hospital) i HONESTLY think its a cop out and if it were me id do whatever it took to BF my baby.
I only got to 4 and a half months, which for us was AWESOME we had so many problems so i am so proud of us for making it this far, so sadly now she's FF but she's getting what she needs and thats all that counts.
My mum bf 2 out of 5 (but didnt bf for very long)
My next baby i will work as hard if not harder to make sure i can BF until they are ready to stop, i know i did all i could this time but ill be armed with experience next time.. this time i walked into it blinded thinking it was all going to be so easy and natural..
next time ill know better
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!
Breast - not sure if I had anything else, but quite probably did. 4 hourly from birth then at 6 weeks feeds were dropped so I could have rice cereal and water instead of a feed. By 11 months I was fully weaned.
I let DS self-wean at 16m. He had the occasional bottle of formula (the hospital were most insistant that I'd never BF and DS needed formula at just 3 days old) and I prefered to feed him over giving him food. But he liked his solids too much.
I was breastfed until I self weaned at around 2yo.
I always knew I was going to breastfeed as I have 3 younger siblings and I remember mum sitting on her bed feeding my baby sister. She had already normalised it for me so it was doubtless a huge influence on my decision to try breastfeeding 5 of my 6 kids. Only DS1 wasnt bf at all and that was because I was told with DD1 that my milk was no good and I would never be able to bf after her FTT. (I was 17 and 18.. Naive and all that.. also no interwebs back then)
BB is the only reason I am still bfing Phoebe now. You ladies taught me that my milk is good. That I can do it.
Last edited by Inertia; March 18th, 2010 at 12:03 AM.
This is so interesting thanks for all your input ladies
As I mentioned before I was BF but my sister was FF from 5 months as my mum had terrible supply issues due to stress before she was born (premmie) and pretty much had PND from the start. Mum always says how my sis put her off more babies for life I never grew up with other young children in my family so never really formed an opinion on BFing. I saw mum bottle feeding my sister so always thought oh yeah you get a choice. When I was pg I was so unprepared (I spent most of the pregnancy getting my head around the fact I was having an unplanned baby) that the thought of BFing made me rather uncomfortable, I felt too young to be putting my boobs to such uses I always knew that it was the best thing for babies but secretly hoped that it wouldn't work out so I wouldn't have to. However I was lucky to be supported by lots of wonderful people like my mum, doula and especially DH and since having DS I have become quite the passionate breastfeeder, joined the ABA and once I've finished uni I'd love to train to become a counselor so I can help out other young mums like myself. I wouldn't have it any other way!
I was breast fed for 4 months, but because my Mum had 5 children I can remember watching her feeding the youngest 2 (and also gaining the impression that she had fed for far longer than 4 months). The reason I remember is because it was such a special priviledge for me to be in the room with her to sit and watch. I am hoping to breast feed my own child for this very reason - the special feeling that you get from breast feeding. She formula fed after this, so I have seen both methods (btw this was over 25 years ago for the last child!)
I was breastfed... I grew up seeing my aunts breastfeed my younger cousins. I watched my sister breastfeed her son... I saw my SIL breastfeed her two children and become quite passionate about extended breastfeeding...
Breastfeeding was normal, it was accepted in my family and it was all I knew.
And then... I had no milk. None. I had a premature baby who could not suck and there was no way in hell a pump was going to stimulate my stubborn boobs enough to get them producing milk.
I had no choice but to make the heartbreaking decision to full time formula feed my son. I felt like a freak in my family, but there was nothing else to be done.
For me it wasn't a matter of what influenced my decision, it was a matter of medical issues taking the decision completely out of my hands.
I BF DS for 10 months
and DD was early and couldnt suck well at all.. I tried expressing etc, but then had some serious stress in my life and my milk dried up right away.. I was devastated as I feed DS why couldnt i do it with DD..
I find this thread very interesting. I am amazed at how many of us were ff from such an early age. I've notice a lot of us were ff because of supply or quality of milk issues (apparently).
I wonder if our mothers had readily available and instant support that we have through the internet or telephone if we'd been bf for longer. Our mums didn't have a computer and some didn't have a phone or car.
I know BB and the ABA has helped me more that I can quantify. I do regret not feeding my older 2 for longer but at least by feeding DD3 my other girls have witnessed bfing and they are so involved with the whole process that I think the know the bfing is "normal"
I was bf for about 15-18 mths (Mum's not exactly sure, but weaned me to TTC my sister). Both of my sisters were bf, one for about 12 mths and the other for 10 mths.
Yes, it influenced me in that I wanted to bf, for at least as long as I was bf for, but as I gathered more information (especially after having my DD) I developed my own stance and progressed to letting DD self-wean (at almost four years of age).
DP was only bf for about 6 weeks, as was his brother, and then ff. He's an even bigger bfing advocate than I am as he and his brother have dreadful allergies.
It would probably be a bigger deal to me if DD didn't want to bf her babies than what my Mum had done though!
Last edited by Jennifer13; March 18th, 2010 at 02:24 PM.
FF all the way, my brother and I. Actually, probably not even formula! Probably would've been carnation milk or something. My Mum had trouble getting to bf us, and she was not encouraged to persevere at all, even though now she wishes she did. I don't know if it influenced me or not. She is very proud of me though for bf my two at all.
I was BF for 3.5 years until my sister came along, then she was BF for 4 years.
I always knew I would BF but personally I think my mother fed me for too long. I fed my DD until 11 months (self weaned) and my DS is nearly 11 months and going strong. Probably won't feed for any more than 15/16 months though.
a post in here just reminded me, mum had severe PND after her 4th baby (my youngest bro who was BF the longest out of any of us) all I remember from those times is her never getting out of bed, and never wanting to play or do anything with us.
She says she cant remember much about it now, it all seems like a black fog has blotted it all out, but, she also says that the only thing that got her through it (not one for meds or counselling, my mum!) and made her get up each day was the fact that she had to feed my brother, thinking that this little baby was dependant on her to keep him alive and happy.mum says she is forever greatful that it was the case that she could BF him, otherwise she doesnt know where she would have ended up.
(I do also know that this isnt always the case with BF and that sometimes it is thought to contribute to PND, just sharing my mums experience )
This is such an interesting thread. I was born just a few months before Nursing Mothers were - me Dec 1963, NMAA (now ABA) Feb 64.
Neither me or my siblings were breastfed. I could have used those extra IQ points too!
History lessson: Post war breastfeeding was in decline as it became common to birth in hospital with routines that were mother/baby/breastfeeding unfriendly. 4 hourly routines and routine separation of mothers and babies is a killer for breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding was at it's lowest ebb in 1971 with only 20% of babies *ever breastfed*. Throughout the 70's and 80's breastfeeding increased slowly. So it's no wonder that most of us were not breastfed and not breastfed for very long.
Sadly for me, there are still days when I feel we are fighting the same battles our mothers faced - and not necessarily winning. Many hospitals don't have "Baby Friendly" status, and persist with information that effectively torpedoes breastfeeding. Mothers and babies are still often separated at birth and given formula comps. Many mothers don't access the fabulous services available- especially provided by the Australian Breastfeeding Association, and many don't realise it's normal to breastfeed for 2 years or more. Early problems are common - but nearly always can be overcome, usually fairly easily. Joining ABA and attending their classes and meetings is the best insurance anyway could have for a successful breastfeeding experience.
Me - I was going to breastfeed "if I could" for 6 mnths, if possible. for way more than a decade
My mother was determind to breastfeed myself and my brother...she had no help excpet a few trips to the doctors when she had mastitis which she recalls being so painfull..but nothing would stop her, she said it was so hard yet she keep at it as she knew it was the best thing. She had emergancy Csections with both of us and didnt see us untill an hour later...yet we never ever had formula of any sort? I am really proud of my mum for trusting her body and even after many many hudrles she fed us till we were over 1! She never bought a bottle either....pretty stubbon hey!
In saying that my mum is a BF corporal..there would be no way that I could of FF...well if I had to of course she would have been supported...but it was always said that BF was natural...I am lucky that it has been so easy both times so far...she even gets narky at me about trying to give DS2 a bottle of EBM...sigh sometimes its tough being her daughter she is very black and white!
This is a great thread its great to se some insight into our generations!
My sisters and I were all breastfed. I was the longest at 18 months. Mum was a member of the Nursing Mother's Association which she said provided so much support to her. She tells me stories of horrid child health nurses pressuring her to comp feed because her milk wasn't good enough. Thankfully my mum knew better. . My Mum demand fed, wore us in slings, co-slept which in the early 80's made her a 'Hippy'. Mum has always been very encouraging if me bf'ing my sons. Thankfully in our family breastfeeding is considered normal.
I should also say my 90 year old Grandmar breastfed all her 4 kids which in the 50's was revolutionary.
than all the chemicals of cigarettes. What she did in no way impacted on what my plans were for my babies.
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I never grew up with other young children in my family so never really formed an opinion on BFing. I saw mum bottle feeding my sister so always thought oh yeah you get a choice. When I was pg I was so unprepared (I spent most of the pregnancy getting my head around the fact I was having an unplanned baby) that the thought of BFing made me rather uncomfortable, I felt too young to be putting my boobs to such uses 
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