# Breastfeeding Family History



## mom4peace (Mar 5, 2008)

Oops! The poll should ask:
How long did your mother breastfeed you?







I don't think I can edit it!

The other day in my mom's group we discussed whether we were breastfed or not. Most of us weren't, but some were. Of those who weren't, a few expressed resentment towards their mothers. I'm just curious about the current mom generations' breastfeeding family histories. Were you (and your partner) breastfed. If so, how long? Do you have any stories or remember it? Do you know if you parent's were breastfed, or the last person in your family who was? If you have any siblings, do they, or their partner, breastfeed? Also, if you weren't, or only for a short period, do you attribute any sicknesses/disorders (physiological or psychological) to your formula-fed infancy? How does your extended family feel about your decision to breastfeed? Lot's of questions, share what you want. I'm just curious!

I was not breastfeed and neither of my parents were breastfed. I have one sister, and she FFs. I don't resent my mom because I think she did the best she could with the information presented to her at the time, and I feel that she was very nurturing in other ways. I do have allergies, and had a lot of respiratory illness as a kid--I believe if I were breastfed I probably wouldn't have been as sick.

My dh was breastfed for six weeks.

My family doesn't disapprove, but I wouldn't say they're supportive. It's just another one of my things to them. My sister is quite defensive because she's felt attacked because of decision to FF. It's a complicated, interesting dynamic.


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## medicmama (May 5, 2006)

My mother didn't even try with me or my sister. But I can say we both were cloth babies. Our family is very anti breastfeeding. They get all jittery when I nurse my almost 2 year old. I just tell them My pedi says to keep her nursing,and they are all ok with it. They do anything the doc tells them to.


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## kittyhead (Oct 28, 2005)

my mom told me that i was breastfed until 18 months, and then the doctor told her to quit so she did. i never had a bottle. my husband was breastfed, but i dont think for long because his mother asked me when the baby would "go to formula" when my son was fairly young. but in her defense, when she asked how long the baby would nurse and i told her at least two years she didnt seem phased at all and now the whole family thinks its super cute when my toddler demands "booasha!" when we go over there for a visit.

despite being breastfed, i had a lot of food allergies as a child and i still react to dairy.... so does my cousin, who was breastfed until he was over two. my husband has jaw problems, which i have heard can be caused by being bottle fed. but in all, we are healthy people.


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## veganone (May 10, 2007)

My mom never tried - had the shot in the hospital and was told "formula was best". I had environmental and food allergies as well as a ton of respiratory infections and ear infections (to the point of tubes) as a child. I am as dedicated to bfing as I am because I hope to save DD from the same issues (although, she has food issues already). She is, however, extremely supportive of my bfing and I think regrets not doing it with me.

I know DH was, but have no idea for how long.


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## deditus (Feb 22, 2006)

My mother breastfed all 4 of her children. We weaned ourselves or were gently weaned between 4 and 5 years old. I weaned at 21 mo, probably because my mom was 3 mo pregnant. My dh's mom bf'd for 6 mo beause she was a Jehovah's witness and she was pressured by the church to bf. Honestly, I do believe that poor nutrition (not just being partially ff'd) has affected my dh's health.


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## tanyam926 (May 25, 2005)

My mom was the only one in her family to BF her kids, I was BF for about 9 months, then went straight to whole milk. I have seasonal allergies and sensitivities to dyes, fragrances, etc.

My dh was never BF, has some food sensitivities.

My sister and I both BF our kids, for a long time, and our extended family is not very supportive but we don't get a lot of flack because we (like our mom) won't just keep our mouths shut, and they think we are great moms in general. My dad is the one who encouraged my mom to BF as she had never even thought about it. I am thankful for that. My in-laws are supportive of my BF even though they had no previous experience with it.

NO ONE else in my extended family breastfeeds, they think we are weird (especially me because I homebirth, cloth diaper, etc.)


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

I was not breastfed. the only health issue I have is being overweight, which is from a number of factors. Who knows if not breastfeeding is one of them.

I have no resentment. The doctors told my mother formula was best.


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

My mom and everyone is supportive of me bfing.


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## Mrs-Mama (Jul 2, 2007)

Neither of my parents were BF'd at all, and neither were my brother and me. DH was EBF'd for 4 months and weaned to all formula bottles by 6 months.

Both sides of the family (including extended family) are very supportive of BFing now, though


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## WaitingForKiddos (Nov 30, 2006)

My mom bf'ed me for 3.5 years. Dp's mom bf'ed him for just under 3. Neither of us remember it but we both grew up thinking that babies eat breast milk and that anything in a bottle was breast milk. Both our moms were nursed, no idea how long. I don't think our dads were. Dp and I were really healthy kids...nothing but a common cold/ear infection. Neither of us have had a broken bone. Both of us score well on IQ tests.







:

I hear that Dp's mom got flack from the family for bfing her boys as long as she did and for bfing Dp's bro as she was pregnant with Dp. I've thanked her already for paving the way for my 'crazy' ways.









ETA: I also think that Dp's exposure to nursing made him have the idea that there's a part of pregnancy/birth/child raising that NEEDS to be about doing things you may not want to do for the benifit of the kid. When talking about women who chose not to bf he's less about the kid not getting breastmilk and more about what else that mom isn't doing because she doesn't want to.


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

I was bf'd 11 months until I went on a nursing strike. Then went to WCM. DH was bf'd but less than a year I think. We were both given spoon fed solids at a very young age. We are both mostly healthy. I have seasonal allergies. Neither of us have food allergies.


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## jldumm (Sep 6, 2006)

I was breastfed but not exclusively, and i never remember my brother nursing and he was 5 years younger. It was the only option for me and my little one so i am glad we have had an easy time of it so far. The interesting thing is that the first time i was around my extended family with our newborn they started in on how some people bf too long and how they hoped we wouldn;t be doing it at age 6 or 7. Funny they never asked me how long i planned to bf just assumed it would bee "too long".


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## HarperRose (Feb 22, 2007)

I was bf for 4 days, my brother1 was not at all, brother2 was bf for 11 mos, and then brother3 for 8 mos.

I bf my oldest for 12m, 2nd for 2y 9m, and the baby is 5 mos. Not sure how long we'll go. Couple of years, most likely.

Brother2's wife has breastfed or currently breastfeeds their 3 kidlets. She's expecting #4 soon and has tandem nursed #1 and #2, then #2 and #3, and probably will do the same for #3 and #4. #1 and #2 are both fully weaned now, they're 5 and almost 3. For #1 she overcame inverted nipples and relactated and hasn't had a problem since.









My mom has real issues w/ us nursing in public and nursing without covering up. Both of us just do what we need to do to feed our kids, though. My mom is supportive, otherwise, though.

My mil is very supportive. DH was bf for 18 mos.


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## harmonymama (Feb 4, 2005)

I was breastfed 2 1/2 years, and my dh 18 months. I am surprised there aren't more breastfed mamas on this poll. I thought we would have been overrepresented here at MDC


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## kittywitty (Jul 5, 2005)

I was bf for a little over 6 months when we had nipple confusion issue thanks to a paci and I had to go to bottles of formula/milk. I had med issues, but probably more due to her smoking when pg. I am a little resentful that I didn't get to bf as long, but I blame the paci for that. My gma breastfed all 6 living children, all of my aunts and my uncles' wives bf. My brothers do not have kids yet but I told them their wives have to go through an intensive screening test by me first. 

Everyone in my family except two of my cousins' wives breastfeeds. And both cousins asked their wives to please do so.

Dh was never bf, neither was anyone in his family at least going back to his grandparents. They have tons of medical issues. Except *maybe* his aunt bfed her two kids, but we never see her but she's a "hippie".


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## katheek77 (Mar 13, 2007)

I was breastfed for a few days, I believe. I was put on rice cereal at 2 weeks









DH wasn't breastfed at all. His mom says she couldn't because she's a Type I diabetic (I have no idea if that's accurate - that she couldn't, I mean. I know she's Type I diabetic).

My family supports it, although my younger sister is a little squicked out that Katie gets bm at this age.







My grandma recently made a comment about how I don't have to worry about what Katie does or doesn't eat if she's still getting breastmilk, and how great it is for her.







DH's family, outside of his father, does not support breastfeeding. His mother and sister have commented on how gross it is, and how formula is "good enough for them". His father, a very wise man







, hasn't said anything to me one way or the other.


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## momtokimari (Mar 8, 2008)

My mom tried a couple times in the hospital to nurse me and that was it. She didn't try with my siblings at all. Her mom (my grandma) nursed her until she was 2 though. And my DH was nursed until he was a toddler as well.


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## hannybanany (Jun 3, 2006)

My mom BF me for a few months. She BF the middle child for about 9 months and my youngest brother for 3 years.

DH was BF for a year and all three of his siblings were breastfed for at least a year.

Both of our families are supportive of breastfeeding and extended breastfeeding.


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## Contrariety (Jul 16, 2007)

My mom BF me until I was somewhere between 6-9 mos. She nursed me longer than either my older sister or younger brother.

DH was nursed, but I'm not sure how long. He was definitely NOT nursed into toddlerhood.

We are generally healthy people, aside from needing to lose a few lbs. DH sucked his thumb for a long, long time, into his pre-teen years, I believe... which may be due in part to premature weaning... but his sibs are very close in age and there are also a lot of them, so self soothing could have had much to do with that, as well.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

My mom "bucked the system" to BF me and my brothers in 1968-1973. She's not sure if she was BF as an infant or not, but she knows her younger sister was fed a homemade formula.


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## springbabes (Aug 23, 2003)

I was breastfed until I was 9 months when my mom claims I self-weaned. I do feel lucky that I was breastfed at all. It was 1974 and my mom knew absolutely nobody who breastfed. She read about it in a book and decided she could do it. She stuck with it even though I had a lot of trouble gaining weight at the beginning.

Both of my grandmothers FF their babies. My mom's mother really wanted to breastfeed her last baby but was unknowingly given a pill to dry up her milk following the hospital birth







:. My dad's mom said she didn't make enough milk







.

My mom went on to nurse all 7 of my younger siblings, most well into toddler-hood. All of my aunts breastfed their babies. A couple of them credit my mom for her example and expertise







.

My DH is adopted so he was definitely FF. His mom didn't BF the babies she gave birth though. Like my grandmother, she mysteriously didn't have enough milk. So glad I didn't give birth in the 50s!


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## KyrieNioMama (Apr 14, 2008)

My mom breastfed me for over a year (same with all my siblings) but I was given breastmilk in a bottle for a few of the first months when my dad was out of a job and she was working.

My DH wasn't breastfed at all.


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## Violet2 (Apr 26, 2007)

My mom tried. Made it 6 weeks and got fed up

First, the docs were no help b/c formula was king. She told me her bfing was considered counterculture.

Second, the bfing mythology/popular ideology set her up to fail. Bfing is natural, but not easy and can be stressful for the first few weeks/months and my mom was not prepared and had no support.

Third, she hated sweating and sitting in clothes that smelled like sour milk (I was a summer baby) and they had no a/c.

She is amazed I've lasted as long as I have with my DD. So am I!

V


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## kriket (Nov 25, 2007)

I'll have to ask my mom how long she BFed us, I think it was only about 6 weeks. I'm pretty sure she BFed my youngest sister (7 yrs younger) for about 4-6 weeks. I will have to ask her why. I don't feel _resentment_ but I feel a little let down. Like I missed out on a party.







I really hope that I can BF my children until _at least_ 2. Every child is different, but I want to give mine the best start I can.
I know that my family will be supportive. I have an amazing family.







Even my inlaws (although nuts) love me. Plus everyone says my MIL is a "hippie". That and they know I'm a headstrong bioch.









A pill to dry up your milk?! WTF.... I've seen some of the "recipes" that they game women in the 50's for homemade formula... kyro syrup... *grumble*








good thread!


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## notwonamesalike (Nov 13, 2007)

I would have had to use a different response. "I don't know". Mom is gone, and her sisters don't know if she breastfed or not.


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## mumm (May 23, 2004)

My mom bf each kid different amounts. She said I was fully bf but I have bottles in all my baby photos and she never pumped. I don't know about my older siblings. Of my younger sibs one got more than 3 years and the next 'weaned herself' at 9 months.


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## HappyFox05 (Apr 11, 2007)

I don't know. I'm in Korea, she's in New Jersey, so we don't have many big conversations. When I was pregnant last year, I asked & she said that we did a some breastfeeding & some formula. Born in 1970.


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

My mom didn't try. I was born in 1970 and I don't think it was at all common. Neither of my parents were breastfed, "that was what poor people did" so neither of my grandmothers were about to even try.

I will say that I do have an amazing immune system, I was hardly sick as a child, and I only have occasional seasonal allergy issues.


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## JANmom13 (Sep 15, 2007)

My mom breastfed me for a little while, I think maybe 6 months. She said she went longer each time, feeding my youngest brother the longest. I actually remember her feeding him once but I was about 7 when he was born.

I actually am lucky, quite healthy. I don't know how long I was on formula. Didn't they switch to table milk sooner back then?

I guess I attribute my health to luck (my cholesterol and bp run good on my mom's side only), and to the amount of exercise I got when I was younger- I was always outside and running around until we moved up north. Even then, it was ok to bike ride without a helmet on back country roads and you'd never see a car! Nowadays it's different- kids aren't allowed to do as much for safety reasons. Plus, we probably are much busier and more likely to feed to make the baby less fussy...just my guess.


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## WinterWillow (Apr 17, 2005)

My mom didnt breastfeed any of us girls (2 sisters). She thought it was icky







. She was supportive of me though


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## momtoalex (Apr 5, 2007)

I am Russian and I don't know of anyone on my side of the family who was not breastfed or did not breastfeed. My American husband, on the other hand, is the 3rd (or later) generation who was not breastfed.


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

My mom was the only one to breastfeed in her family. She comes from a family of nineteen on one side and 9 on the pther and not one of her cousins bf. She bf all fou of us for at least a year. No ff what so ever I CLW at 11.5 months, no wlooking back she thinks it was a nursing strike.
#2 was bf until 15 months #3 17 months while she was pg with #4 and #4 for 22 months. No one on my Dads was Bf or Bf some tried one time but quit right away.
Dh is one of ten and all of them were Bf. I do not know how long most of them had solids very early but none of them have any health problems which is surprising because they drink like fishes,smoke like chimneys and are rail thin because they do not eat much. Must have been that breast milk. I know Dh was the one who nursed the most and the longest but I do not think It was over a year. Sad only one person on dh's side has bf's, on eof my SIl's bf #1 for 2.5 months and her #2 for a month. The other 7 nada ff from the start.


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## patronia (Nov 28, 2007)

My mother breastfed me for 6 months, until she went back to work. I don't know about any other family history.


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## holothuroidea (Mar 30, 2008)

I was breastfed for almost 2 years. In fairness, though, it was 1986 and I think formula was somewhat fading out by that time. My maternal grandmother BFed 9 babies








, but mostly because they were "too poor for formula."

MIL did not breast feed any of her children, and claims that she did not make any milk. This seems like a very rare occurrence. I don't know the truth about that. DH attributes his asthma to a combination of not being breast fed and being exposed to cigarette smoke regularly as a baby (and in the womb).


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## kawa kamuri (Apr 19, 2006)

I don't remember how long I was breastfed. My mom had four kids in four years and I know she BF my youngest sister till 4. I'm the oldest. My granny did not BF my mom because a doctor told her she didn't make enough milk


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## rrs (Jul 11, 2007)

I weaned during sometime towards the end of my mom's second trimester with my sister. It was after I turned a year, but not much. My sister did the same, and my brother weaned on his own, around 2.

We're each 18 months apart.

ETA: My husband was not breastfed.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

She didn't, she was told she didn't have any milk and I was too small, formula was her only option.


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## nevaehsmommy (Aug 6, 2007)

I am not sure how long I was nursed . Baby book says 3 months. Mom says 8 months. At any rate I was given rice cereal at 5 DAYS old.

Sister was nursed until she was 13 months old. Mom says she thought she would never stop, that she ALWAYS was on the breast.

Brother nursed for 6 months. WIC was willing to give mom free formula but not a pump. Turns out brother was allergic to all formula and had to be given goat milk

Grandma was unable to nurse her children due to severe prematurity. Doctors told her to give the PET milk and formula. She is my biggest supporter

Great Grandma nursed all but one child for 2 years each. For a total of nearly 25 years of nursing. She has 15 kids of which 2 died in infancy. The first child was unable to nurse. She was fed mares milk. We think Great Grandma did not have her breast developed enough to nurse when the first child was born ( she was barly a teenager)


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## wryknowlicious (Apr 19, 2006)

My mother BF'd me for 6 months.

She went back to work when I was 3 months old, and could only hand express.
So I got hand expressed BM for another 1 1/2 months, and then a Bf/Formula combo untill I as switched over to full formula at 6 months.

My mom breastfed all of us (4 kids) and 2 of us for over a year.

My grandmother breastfed her 4 kids for atleast 6 months each as well. And they were all born between 1948 and 1960









ETA: I was born in 1980.
But I think it was more my familiys history of BFing then societys swing towards BFing tolerance that influenced my mother. Her older sister had a premmie in 1972 - and she pumped for him the whole 4 months he was in the hospitol.


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## sasayaki (May 6, 2006)

My mom breastfed me for 6 months. I think she must have weaned me straight onto solids & cows milk, because she said I never got formula. She breastfed my younger brother for 1 year.


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## angelachristin (Apr 13, 2007)

My mom says she tried to breastfeed me but that I "wouldn't do it." I don't know how true that is; she was 16 and this was 1975. So I was completely FF. I don't have food allergies but I did have severe problems with a too-small mouth and jaw and had to have teeth pulled and a spacer put in the roof of my mouth as a child, and I wore braces. I definitely can "see" the effects of being bottle fed in my face, I have a long face, etc.

My husband was also bottlefed. MIL says why would she breastfeed when she was able to get formula for free? This was in 1967, and my husband was a preemie who was not expected to live in those days, but he did live!

I am still breastfeeding my first DC at 16.5 months and plan to until he is at least 2, and then we'll see how it goes from there. I have been getting comments since he was 6 months old from both sides about how I need to wean him and how "some people" are grossed out by the idea of a child of my son's age (whatever age he may be at the time of the comment) still nursing. I just tell them it's a good thing I could not possibly care less what anyone else's opinion is because I know I am doing what is best for my son. that pretty much kills all discussion each time.

and now my sister, who was opposed to breastfeeding with her older children, has just had a new baby and is breastfeeding her...my family says she's just doing it "because she saw me doing it" haha~


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

My mom tried to breastfeed me, but I had undiagnosed tongue tie.







She had small breasts and my dad has said things like "her breasts were not big enough to breastfeed", so I think that's the spiel the doctors passed on to them.

I don't think my grandma even tried. It was definitely not the thing to do in the 40's for urban women. She told me about making all the bottles of condensed/evaporated milk for her babies.

DH was not breastfed. His mom was very young and listened to all of the doctor's orders. DH was quite premature and I suspect MIL's milk dried up before he came out of the NICU. She did breastfeed her first child for six weeks; her third for two years and her final child for an undisclosed amount of time. I am not sure whether HER mother breastfed, but DH's father's mother breastfed.


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## nataliebassoon (Feb 20, 2008)

My Mom bf both me(1985) and my brother(1988) for about 1 year, but she supplemented with formula for both of us, more so with me and brother would projectile vomit it back up no matter what kind of formula it was. I kind of feel sorry for her that she weaned us at 1 year. She told me about pouring all the leftover freezer supply down the drain and crying when she did it, and I thought, why didn't you just give it to us in a cup until it was gone, but I didn't say it because I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

DH was not breastfed (1968), but his little brother was.

My Mom (1957) was not breastfed, but that was because her mom had to deliver her early so she could have a brain tumor removed, so she was recovering from major surgery and having chemo, etc. I think my uncles were breastfed, but I'm not sure.

My dad (1957) wasn't breastfed just because nobody really did it then, but Grandma says she tried to breastfeed her second but her milk never came in which was so emotionally difficult for her, she simply chose to ff the other four.

Going back farther than that, I really don't know.


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## nuwavemomma (Jul 20, 2006)

I was BF until I was almost 3. I don't have a single baby picture of me with a bottle. I was weaned intentionally while my mom had to travel for a couple of weeks, and as soon as I was I developed severe asthma and allergies, requiring lots of hospitalizations. I'm sure I would have developed them sooner if I'd weaned.

My mom was FF, totally.

My fiance was never BF at all, and never missed school growing up. But I can tell you, I honestly think that he was "conditioned" *ahem* to ignore being sick. Who's ever heard of a kid not getting a single ear infection? Seriously.

And he says no one on his family BF that he can recall.


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## ErinBird (Dec 5, 2005)

My mom breastfed me for 3w exclusively. She says I wasn't getting enough, so she started offering bottles. Then I was colicky (sensitive to dairy?) and she stopped breastfeeding entirely. She discovered that if I was suckign on the bottle I was content (high sucking need?), so she just offered me a bottle frequently. I was 24lbs at 12w 

The ped advised my parents to switch me to rice cereal and skim milk. So I started solids and had skim milk for the next four years, until my mom pried my bottle out of my bottle rotted mouth. I tehn started biting my nails and still do.

My mom had similar successes nursing all five of her kids, though none of the others were over fed to the same degree.

My grandmother had 12 kids and breastfed them all for a few weeks at most, before they got too hungry and she switched them to 'milk'. Milk was some combination of sugar and condensed milk, I think.

My paternal grandmother never tried nursing any of her six children. She had inverted nipples and was told she couldn't,. so she never tried.

My DH was nursed for 6mo, which might have been the official recommendation at the time (early 80s). MIL wanted to go back to work part time and weaned DH to solids and formula. I don't know if MIL was nursed, but FIL and his siblings were not for long at all- GMIL says shes wishes it would have worked out:/


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

8 montths for me, 4 for my little sister. i was born in 82, sis iin 84


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## lilepad (Sep 17, 2007)

I was colicky & had health issues so my mom thought that I "hated" her (PPD anyone?) so she weaned me. She recently told me that her doctor scolded her for weaning me without talking to him about it!


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## ShannonT (Dec 6, 2007)

My mom tried bf me (born in '75), but for how long I don't know. She won't talk to me about it, but I've heard second hand that her MIL was always pestering her and she was uncomfortable bf with her around, so she just put me on formula. I went on to be a very colicky, unhappy baby. My parents used to joke about how much I cried and screamed. And I was always sick as a child.

I know she didn't bf my brother ('77), but did my sister (born in '81). I remember her bf, but don't know how long.

And early solids of course, as recommended by the doctors.

My DH was breastfed, rice cereal started at three weeks old. His sister was born when he was 15 months old, so I'm sure he wasn't bf much past 6 months. He had severe allergies and ear infections as a child, to the point of being hospitalized with ear infections when he was 7 or 8.


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

Mom makes no bones about the fact she thinks breastfeeding is disgusting and didn't even consider it (I was born in '75).


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## ElkMtnsMama (Feb 26, 2008)

My mom breastfed all four of us for over 2 years, stopping each time a few months before giving birth to her next baby. None of us ever used a bottle at all. My youngest brother nursed for a little over 3 years before losing interest and self-weaning. My mom was not breastfed at all; my dad was, but I don't know for how long. Mom had asthma and allergies very badly as a child, and she says one of the reasons she ws so determined to breastfeed us was because she believes her poor health was at least partly a result of being formula fed.


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## Ofwait (Feb 16, 2008)

My Mom Bfed us a little over a year (79) twins, and a second set of twins in '80. Then I guess she started bfeeding all four of us for a while, but the younger set was bfed for almost 3 years. At the time it was very hard for her as no one did it, and she was trying to feed twins as well then another boy in 91 who was bfed 3 years and a boy in 96 who was also bfed about 3-4 years.
Nether she or my dad was bfed, and neither were either of Dh's parents though Dh was for about a year.


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## bloominmamas (Apr 17, 2007)

I don't think my mom had the right support around her so when it hurt to breastfeed she quit. She said I took the skin off her nipple, makes me think it was positioning or latch problems. But who knows, with dd it hurt alot more than with ds1 or ds2, didn't hurt at all with ds2. Anyway...


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## Claire and Boys (Mar 27, 2007)

I was bf for nine weeks, until one week I did not gain weight and the dr told her to switch straight onto formula. Which she did. She always told me I did not gain at all on breastmilk, but I have since seen my records and I was in fact gaining half a pound a week up until that one week - they had no knowledge of growth spurts, or cluster feeding - I use to scream a lot in the evenings and they took that to mean I was not getting enough. I was also on a 4 hourly feeding schedule.
Mum has learned a lot about how nursing is meant to work thru me BFing my kids. She wishes so much that she had someone around to tell her.


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## WNB (Apr 29, 2006)

Mom nursed me until about 8 months, it seems, from the baby book, but by no means was it the exclusive feeding method. Very early on she fed me and my brother solids, beginning with oatmeal, and progressing through other normal foods put through a food mill.

I have no idea why she chose this course. I think it followed what her mom had done, and possibly what my paternal grandmother had done (though I don't know very much about that side, since Grama died before I was even thinking about having children). Last month, I was able to look through my Mum's baby book, kept faithfully by my grandmother so that grampa, who was overseas in WW2, would have some record of his daughter's first 2 years (!!!). Before Mom was even a month old, gram was giving her orange juice, in addition to nursing. She was feeding "cereal" (probably rice cereal, I guess) by about 4 weeks. I didn't get a chance to figure out when Mom was weaned, but I'm pretty sure it was well before Grampa got home from the war (which happened after Mom had already had her 2nd birthday).

Anyway... no resentment here. My mom loves me, took good care of me my whole life, and still does take good care of me (when she gets the chance, anyway). Can't change what happened back then, can only pay attention to the information we have now about the value of breastfeeding for long-term health, and make our decisions about how to feed our children with that in mind.


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## rrs (Jul 11, 2007)

Wanted to add that neither my sister nor myself were ever supplemented. My brother was though, as my mom was a reservist. Her annual tour was too soon after my brother's birth for her to save an adequate breast milk stash.

She came back from her tour and he had a serious nursing aversion. Despite a complete lack of support from my grandmother, she worked through it. He went on to be her longest breastfeeding nursling.


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## vanauken (Oct 10, 2007)

My mom nursed all three of us; I'm not sure exactly how long, but pretty sure it was about a year. I know she nursed my sister longer because we were living in a foreign country at the time and she didn't quite trust the water there.

My husband was breastfed too, and I have to say, it's been nice having both my mom and my mom-in-law be supportive of me breastfeeding their grandchildren. Not in huge, gung-ho sort of ways, but just in that, "Oh, of course that's what you do with babies" sort of ways.

None of us kids have any food allergies that I know of.

Neither of my siblings have kids yet, but I know my sister plans to nurse.


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## sewingmama (Mar 15, 2007)

We are very blessed -- both my mother and MIL breastfed all of their kids (6 total between them) for over a year. That was back in the mid-late 70's and early 80's. (I don't think any of our parents were breastfed, though one of them may have been.) My mom was a bit of a rebel.







I grew up seeing my mom nursing my siblings and her friends nursing their babies; it just never even occurred to DH and I that we'd feed our babies any other way -- breastfeeding was always very much the norm, and formula was for emergencies.

So, no, I've never gotten anything but complete support from any of our children's grandparents, and I'm pretty sure they'd have at least tried to change my mind if I had decided not to BF. I know that we are a bit "crunchier" than our parents -- neither of ours have been close to weaning at age 3, and I've nursed through pregnancy and tandem nursed -- but our families also don't comment on those choices either unless it's something positive. I feel for all of you whose parents and ILs, etc. are unsupportive -- blah.

As for other family members, only one sibling has kids so far, but they've breastfed for at least a year. Of the others, I'm pretty sure they'll breastfeed too. (Heck, I've got one brother who thought my cloth diapers were cool and is now interested in EC'ing, and I'm pretty sure several of them are very open to cosleeping and babywearing too.)


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## Jes'sBeth (Aug 30, 2004)

I was breastfed for just over a year. My mom wanted to breastfeed my older brother but she ended up having an anesthetic during his birth (preemie, footling breech... I don't know the whole story) and she woke up having been given a shot to dry her up. She was NOT happy.

My partner was breastfed for 7-8 months. All of our family is completely supportive of our 'extended' breastfeeding. They trust us to make parenting choices that suit our family.

Funnily enough my brother and his wife are FF their adopted daughter. So... I was breastfed and am breastfeeding, my brother wasn't and his family is FFing. (albeit for a totally legitimate reason! My SIL would breastfeed if she was able to)


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## loveatfirstbike (Apr 16, 2008)

My mom did extended bf'ing for myself and my 2 brothers. I'm not exactly sure how long my youngest brother and I nursed for (+2 years, for sure) but my middle brother nursed until he was over 4 years old. The interesting thing is that he is BY FAR the brains of the family. His mind amazes me. I read recently that there is a correlation btw. length of bf'ing and intelligence and he would certainly prove that in our family!

My DH, on the other hand, was not BF at all and while he is super smart (IMO - ha ha) he has chronic health problems - food sensitivies, allergies, a 2 year bout with an undiagnosed chronic-fatigue like sickness, etc...

My family is very supportive. We'll see what happens with DH's family as I continue to nurse DS beyond a year...


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## MotheringHeart (Dec 18, 2005)

My Mom breastfed me until I was close to 18 mths (then she had my sister and I quit the boob). She breastfed my sister until she was 3. My mom actually knew Cynthia Mosher back in the day in LLL in Alberquerque.

Anyhoo, my Dad was breastfed (born in '53) and my Mom was breastfed for six months or less(born in '52).


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## pookel (May 6, 2006)

My brother was breastfed for about a month before my mom developed severe PPD and was told by her doctor to stop breastfeeding. She didn't breastfeed me at all (I was the younger child). I have allergies and asthma, and my brother doesn't.

ETA: My MIL ff'ed entirely by choice, and my husband and his sisters are pretty healthy as far as I know.


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## EvansMa (Jan 19, 2008)

I was BF for a little over a year I was born in 73. My mom also BF my older siblings. They were born in the early 60's. It was quite uncommon to BF back then. I liked that she gave the finger to "the man"!

My DH was adopted so he was fed formula. My DH is very pro BF-ing.

My family is very supportive. My 70 year old dad is pro co-sleeping, BF and SAHMing, although he does get a little hebbee-jeebeed when I feed my son. I cover up for him.

It makes it much easier when you have your family supporting your BF .


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## Fyrestorm (Feb 14, 2006)

I was adopted in the 1960's...I don't know if my mother was even aware it was possible. She was also a Peds nurse and I'm sure was convinced that formula was better and only poor people and immigrants breast fed, since that was the view at that point in time in this area.


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## Flower of Bliss (Jun 13, 2006)

My mom BF me and my 2 brothers for 18 months, 35 months, and 26 months. She was one of 8. My grandmother BF all of her children for about a year each. She's told me several times about expressing milk for when she went out with my grandfather. She's also made a few weird comments about how my DD "has to share the milk" with DH!!! Makes you wonder. As far as I know, the chain of BF has never been broken in my maternal line. All of my first cousins on my moms side were BF for 1-4 years each. We were also mostly all cloth diapered (in the 80s) and mostly co-slept. I had some wonderful role models growing up. I grew up assuming that all of that was normal









My DH was not BF. He's the baby of 4. His mother "tried" to BF her first, but her doctor told her it "just wasn't working" and she was "so relieved". She didn't try with any of her children. Neither of her daughter have succeeded in BFing. They both "tried" but "couldn't". My BIL's wife just had a baby with the same outcome. However, my MIL and her siblings were all BF (though my GMIL told me when DD was just a couple of weeks old that I absolutely needed to be giving her bottles of water, just ask my doctor, he'd set me straight). The first time my DH recalls ever seeing anyone BF was when he was 24 and staying with my aunt who was BF her then 11 month old (weaned at over 2 years).


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## hipumpkins (Jul 25, 2003)

I wouldn't eat anything else according to my mom so i breastfed until at least 1.

My older sisiter got formula around 6 mos b/c as my mom tells it...she gave in to pressure and regretted it.


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## bandgeek (Sep 12, 2006)

My mom nursed me for about 2 1/2 years and DH's mom nursed him for a little over a year. She would have nursed him longer, but he weaned during her 2nd pregnancy. She nursed her 2nd for 3 years.

My mom tells me that she hated weaning me, but she was going nuts because she was pregnant again and it hurt. I've told her like 10 times that it's fine and I wasn't traumatized for life by her "premature" weaning. LOL

2 1/2 years in the 80's was awesome!


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## TayNKegsmama (Feb 20, 2008)

My mom breastfed me until I was 6 mo, she probably would have breastfed me until I left for school tho lol. SHe says that around 6 mo, she gave me a bottle for one reason or another and me being the super independant one I am I never wanted to go back to the teet. I wonder sometimes if it was just a nursing strike but with no access to the support mama's get today she didnt know and just gave it up. She looks at my PIS in awe, wishing she would have had a milking machine like that.

SHe was breastfed, who knows how long. My grandma was a huge lactivist from way back in the day lol. I remember a Thanksgiving we didnt have pumpkin pie because someone bought Libby's pumpkin pie filling and my grandma refused to use it lol. Man she would be so proud of my nestle-free home!


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## momtoafireteam (Aug 8, 2007)

Everyone in my family breast feeds. My Mom breastfed me when it was not fashionable to do so and received a lot of flack from people she was friends with and worked with. Then again, she also co-slept, CDed and didn't vax and that got more people riled up. lol.

I was breastfed for 18 mos til I self weaned. So was everyone in my family. My GMa is a home birth midwife who BF my father til he was quite old.

My DH on the other hand was not breastfed. My MIL thought it was gross and for "poor people". Then again, she also had an elective c/s under general anesthetic for the same reasons. She despises a lot of natural parenting choices, and has expressly forbidden me from breastfeeding in her home if FIL is there. She has also researched "father rights" in overturning my decision not to vax. As in, can DH override my choice and get the kids vaxed against my wishes. She is a strange cookie....


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## belovedofbast (Apr 4, 2008)

My mom bf me for about 12 months-ish, and if I had a bottle, it was expressed milk. Same for my brother, but he only made it 9 months I think when he started to bite her really really really hard and she had had enough. I was born in 1982, my brother in 1990.

My DH, born in 1972, was bf. So were his 3 siblings. My MIL used to shoot the older kids with milk in the eye when they were being annoying


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## hanno (Oct 4, 2006)

Maybe 6 weeks. I have never really known anyone to breastfeed.


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## lanamommyphd07 (Feb 14, 2007)

I am so very proud of my mom. In small town Menominee Michigan, she was a 19 year old first time mommy when she had me in 1970. She bf'ed, and tried to join other women together and have a LLL group. They were refused LLL membership or charter or what have you, because none of the interested moms had bf'ed "older kids". The called themselves the "nursing mothers group", had a photo in the paper, etc. They would go to the hospitals and recruit new moms. Ha! I see where I get it from. Go mom.


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## limette (Feb 25, 2008)

both my mom and grandma claim that therir doctors told them that their milk was "rotton" so they couldn't breastfeed.

I had a ton of health problems as a child including allergies and asthma. I even had pnemonia (sp?) when I was two.

My sister wasn't breastfed either and she had numerous bowel issues as a child.

I breastfed dd1 until she was two and has yet to be sick. I'm now breastfeeding my newborn. My sister is not breastfeeding her son. I guess it interferes with her partying.


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## Onemagicmummy (Jul 27, 2007)

me and my half sibs (1 bro 1 sis) were all BF for 3 months then mum lost her milk. (with me caused by inability to keep any food down she got postnatal sickenss, with my sibs it was cos her then husband was an abusive man who kept calling her fat and a pig if she so much as looked at food so she quit)

DH says he was BF but cant remember how long for and his sister was born when he was 14 months old so it may have been less than a year.

i hold no feelings against my mum for stoping feeding me as that was jsut what happened then.

i managed 12 weeks with DS1, 10 weeks with DD1 (purly selfish reasosn for quiting and i regret it but cant do anything about it)
14 months with DS2 and 7 months and still going strong with DD2. so far i am the only person i know who BF for taht long in my family
cousin was not BF, she FF her first and BF her 2nd for 6 months

Kiz


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## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

my mom weaned me at a year. pretty good, especially considering i spent the first 2-3 weeks in a NICU and she had to pump for me with an old fashioned manual pump!







:

but i didn't get any formula!

and of course i got the milk through a bottle, so there was a huge risk of nipple confusion. but i went to the breast easily, luckily.

she told me once she felt sad weaning me at a year, but she didn't really know she could go longer. i don't think she'd ever seen anyone do longer nursing. i bet if she knew it was "okay" to keep going, she would have.

DH was nursed for 18 months









both our families are moderately to extremely supportive of breastfeeding. i guess we will see where everyone falls on the continuum once DD is a bit older! but i do have a SIL who nursed my nephew for 3 years and is still nursing my niece, who is almost 2. and she is an MDC mama, too!









ETA: about health problems, DH had really bad excema (sp?) and food allergies as a kid despite being BF'd. he has sinus allergies still. i have neither issue. but overall i'd say he is healthier than i am, not due to being breastfed because i have congenital health problems--though we are both pretty healthy!


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

My mom BF'd me over a year, not completely sure how long though.

My MIL BF'd DH until he was 18 months.

My dad was BF'd until he was 6 months, when my grandmother said that he no longer wanted to nurse, he only wanted solids after that. But, she wasn't able to BF'd his sister because of some medication she had to take after she was born.

My mom was BF'd, and her siblings were, but my grandmother has since passed on so I can't ask her for how long.

I am the only one of my siblings to have a kid so far, but my SIL BF's (and is active on MDC too).

Most of my cousins BF'd too.. not all of them, but most of them.

So.. we are a pretty BFing friendly family.

ETA: My mom did give me formula, even though I was BF'd. She didn't think her breasts were large enough to produce enough milk.

As far as health problems- I don't have any allergies, and DH has some seasonal allergies. My dad has a lot of them. But I think that's it.


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## birthmommom (Apr 25, 2004)

I wasn't breastfed, but dh was for about 4 weeks and then his mother was convinced that she wasn't producing enough for him and switched to formula.

I don't know if my parents were. I have a brother and a sister and my sister has kids but has formula fed both of them. I formula fed my birthdaughter b/c of lack of knowledge and my mother wasn't supportive b/c she didn't understand.


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## Katie Bugs Mama (Feb 1, 2004)

My mom bf me for 16 months. Beginning in 1969. My father's very conservative, Italian-American family was scandalized. They said it was too "lower east side," meaning too "immigrant" and not Americanized enough. They all ff, of course.

DH was ff from birth. His mom talks about how the hospital nurse showed her how to put formula in his very first bottle because "big babies are hungry babies."







He has allergies and is generally much more prone to illness than dd and I are.


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

My mom bf'd me for about 7mo. This was in 1973, and she was a maternity nurse until she retired to 'raise her family'. Given the atmosphere in the medical world at the time, it's actually well to her credit that she still chose to bf.

She did the best she could, but insists that I self-weaned at 7mo. She didn't understand about "nursing strikes".

But despite that, and despite getting fed cereal very early, etc, I give credit where it's due and I know I was better off than most babies in those days.

My younger brother was BF'd for 3mo, then the youngest brother for just 3 weeks. She said it was just too difficult to keep it up with 3 young kids. She does wish she had done things differently.

I have digestive issues, which I think are mostly attributable to early solids, rather than duration of BFing. No major allergies.

My youngest brother who was mostly FF'd, has the most severe allergies of all of us.

My mother was not BF'd herself. She had "homemade" formula. She has *severe* digestive problems, as in she has needed surgery and takes daily medication to get by.

On to my DH! His mom was an LLL leader so he was certainly BF'd, not sure how long but it was at least a year. He has no digestive problems, he can eat anything.

But, he does have allergies and lots of them. Allergic to pet fur, hayfever, and severe exzema or psoriasis all over his body (and I do mean ALL over).

Some of the severity of his skin conditions might be due to an acne medication he took as a teenager which has since been pulled off the market, skin problems and anxiety/depression (which he also suffers from) were unknown side effects.

It's so hard to isolate one thing from another, with so many potential causes and effects!


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## Blueena (Apr 3, 2007)

My mom did not bf me, I feel no resentment towards it, she was 19, had a emergency c-section and I was in the hospital for a week after she left, but regardless I would never resent my mother.

I do know, however, that she came from a long line of long term nursers, my grandmther nursed all five of her kids past 2 years old, her mom and grandmother did the same and both were wet nurses for other children.

My hubby was bf for 6 weeks until my Mother in Law went back to work and neither one of us has had any health problems.

My mom did nurse both my brother and sister and the ironic thing is both of them have major allergies, skin conditions, etc and me miss formula had none of the above..go figure.

However, my mom was super supportive of the breastfeeding and when I had a breakdown with my daughter at the hospital and begged my mom to give her a bottle (48 hours without sleep, she was nursing every hour on the hour for more than 25 minutes and I was just spent), my mom took her, put me to sleep and didn't comply because she knew with sleep I would recommit to nursing and I am so glad she did that.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Sorry, I haven't read all the replies but wanted to post my story b/c it breaks my heart to this day. My mom BF my older brother (1971) for about 6 weeks, then the dr. told her he was "allergic" to her milk and to switch to formula








(He was colicky). Now for me (1976) my mom BF and pumped (!) until I was about 4 months old and she had a nervous breakdown (working full time, husband no help, a baby and a 5 year old) and spent 6 weeks in the mental hospital. (She was then diagnosed with bipolar). Now, this is the part that breaks my heart: she cried every day from pain (and missing her DD) b/c her breasts were so engorged and the hospital did not supply her with a pump or any relief! After the 6 weeks I guess her milk had dried up and and she could never BF again. Needless to say she is very supportive of my breastfeeding b/c of her horrible experience. I think when my DD was born she was reliving having me as a baby all over again. Sheesh, now I'm crying!


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## tonimk19 (Feb 7, 2007)

I was bf for 6 weeks as were my 2 brothers and sister. Then we were FF. I give my Mom credit for doing 6 weeks but sometimes wonder why she didn't continue after that (after the first 3 weeks it was easy for me). My Dad always said we had the best, most expensive formula







My older brother and I never had health issues by my lil sis and bro did growing up (though it may be the SoCal air vs. South Dakota).

They support me bf'ing DD but I know sometimes they think it's wierd I'm still going at 6 months strong... but I always tell them breast is best and formula is way too expensive so why? When I was PG my goal was 6 months (as I went back to work FT timeat 3 mo) but now that I've hit 6 months I plan to continue for as long as I can... I love it! Just the looks and noises DD makes when she knows she's getting her boobie









DH was never BF (not sure if his brother was or not) but it was in the 70's and they though formula was best. He had major allergies and health issues growing up. They were really wierded out by me bf'ing but they've come around!


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## madamepril (Apr 13, 2008)

I am one of four children. I was bf until it was almost time for the 'new baby' to be born, and then I volunteered to quit when mom talked to me about it (17 months, I talked like an adult). I was also supplemented with weak cereal bottles (with breastmilk) from 2 weeks old on due to a VERY hearty appetite. I never had any real issues, a little reaction to cow's milk til I was 3 or so. My brothers all self-weaned between 6 & 8 months. They just refused one day, and my mother said it always hurt her feelings alot. So, then they went straight to milk with vitamin drops. We all had weak cereal in a bottle from 2 weeks on, except the youngest who was premature, he started about a month later. Noone has any real allergies or illnesses we would contribute at all.
I bf all my kids, different lengths of time. oldest, I think 15 weeks or so, then stupidly dried up when I didn't pump enough at work. The twins, I bf exclusively for about 3-4 weeks, then supplemented with pumped bottles here & there for one, because he had latch issues and I wasn't sleeping almost at ALL. They had formula 1/2 & 1/2 with breastmilk (only goodstart!) here & there to cut me a little slack timewise. My kids wanted to eat constantly. We hit some thrush issues and at the same time, I had to return to work. They stopped getting bf at about 14 weeks as well. My daughter & I had *major* freakin non-stop PAINFUL thrush issues, and sadly ended our bf at about 9 weeks. ALL of my kids recieved weak cereal in breastmilk from about 3-4 weeks old, and it helped them sleep 4 hrs thru the night so mom could rest. My ped. told me as long as they didn't respond badly, go for it. None of them have any allergies or issues at all!







I sincerely hope to bf this one for a year..... I have always wanted to, it never worked out right though.


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## BF124497 (Mar 29, 2007)

I was BF til age 3, including through my mom's pregnancy with my brother. The evening before my 3rd birthday, she said, "Three-year-olds don't need to nurse anymore; they drink big-girl milk." I said okay, and ran off to play, and was totally cool with it. She was very helpful with me establishing a nursing relationship with my DD.

DH was BF for about 3 months, after which his mom stopped because "he was always hungry." He's always been supportive, and when I recently told him I might want to BF past 1 year (my initial goal), he thought it was great.


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## Kirsten (Mar 19, 2002)

I couldn't vote as you didn't have an option that fit me. I know my mom breastfed all three of her kids - as we have photos of it, and I remember her nursing my sister and my brother. We also have a DARLING photo of my sister nursing her doll as she sits right next to my mom who was nursing my brother on my gramma's couch. We were also all cloth diapered and she was a SAHM.

But I have no idea how long she nursed us. If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere between 6 and 12 months but I don't really know, and she's been gone for 24 years next month.

I don't know if MIL nursed dp at all, but if she did it was just for a very short while. She tells all about making a formula for him by watering down cans of condensed milk.

All three of my kids were breastfed for about a year average.


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## weliveintheforest (Sep 3, 2005)

My mother breastfed me for about 6 weeks, and was happy to stop. I don't think she was breastfed at all, my grandmother put her on rice cereal at just a couple of weeks old


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## weliveintheforest (Sep 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *madamepril* 
I sincerely hope to bf this one for a year..... I have always wanted to, it never worked out right though.

I hope you can achieve this, you may want to check out some LLL meetings for support.


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## JessicaS (Nov 18, 2001)

My mom BF me for nine months.

Though, at the hospital they told her to supplement me with rice cereal since I was a "big baby"

Guess which kid in the family has food allergies?










My older sister ENed two kids by the time I had mine. BF is normal and expected in my family.

MIL did not BF. As far as I know she never intended to, she questioned me on it quite a lot.


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## althara (Jan 21, 2007)

My Mom breastfed me and my brother. She says I weaned at 9 months and I'm pretty sure they put me on whole milk at that time as my Mom has expressed how disgusting she thinks formula is to me several times. I am sensitive to dairy (causes excema flare ups) so I wish she had breastfed me a little longer as it may have helped with that.

ETA: In my extended family breastfeeding is the norm too. My cousin was still nursing her toddler while I was pregnant (she weaned her DD at 2). I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that at our family gathering.


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## KurumiSophia (Nov 28, 2007)

My mom tried with me. Unfortunately she had a hospital acquired infection and between that and what ever they used to treat it, it killed her supply. I lost 1/3 of my body weight in my first few weeks of life because there was nothing coming out even though my mom was constantly trying. In the end, I was a formula baby and she contemplated bfing my brother but ended up ffing him as well.

I still had the worst time convincing her that yes, I'm going to bf successfully. There's still a CASE of formula at her place that she tried to give me that I refused to take.

Sad to say my environment for bfing is kinda non supportive. I'm relegated to using a cover that my baby hates and makes me feel like I've got a big sign over my head that says "Nursing Mom! Look! Nursing Mom!" But it's the sacrifice I'm willing to make to make sure my DD has the best.


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## leafwood (Jun 15, 2004)

My mom BF me for 6m. She said it was really tough b/c she had an emergency section and they didn't want her to hold me to nurse but she insisted. Dad's weren't allowed to stay in the hosp. and she had to beg the nurses to bring me to her overnight. She was finishing nursing school when I was 4m and started bottles of formula b/c she didn't have a pump and couldn't hand express enough. She says I self-weaned at 6m but I doubt that. She BF my younger brother for 18m with support from LLL.

Dh was not BF and neiher was his younger sister.


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## bellacymom (Apr 3, 2008)

My mom tried really hard with me but ended up quitting after I started losing weight rapidly. She had no idea how to get help or where to get it from then. I don't think I ever latched right because my mom will look at Lacy BFing and say "You never latched on like that". I think I just got the end. OUCHIE! I give her credit for hanging with it as long as she did which wasn't that long. She caught a lot of flak for waiting so long to put me on formula since I was losing weight and crying all the time.

DH was born in 71 and given up for adoption so he wasn't breastfed at all.


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## bhawkins (Jun 5, 2005)

My mother BF me for 10 mths. She brags that she had us weaned to the cup and on cow's milk by that time







. My DH was never BF. She thought it was "gross" and I was the first person she could bring herself to look at while I was actually nursing







:.


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## boigrrrlwonder (Jan 18, 2007)

My mother didn't breastfeed me. I was a twin. My mother had a c-section. She knew she would go back to work a couple of weeks after she had given birth, so she didn't fight to get her milk to come in.

Even though she did have a c-section the second time around, she breastfed my little brother for a couple of weeks, but quit once she returned to work a couple of weeks later.


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## J's Mombee (Aug 21, 2006)

My mom never breastfed. She said she tried to breastfeed my sister, and claims that my sister bit her on day 3, so she said "never again." My brother was never breastfed.

DH was breastfed for 6 months, and his mother stopped bc her MIL told her that breastfeeding for more than 6 months would "spoil a baby." (This same woman, my MIL's MIL, DH's Paternal Grandmother was floored when she heard that my DS was still nursing after 17 months).

Anywho, I find humor in hearing the stories from my mom and her 3 day old bitting babies, and DH's family with the spoiled babies due to breastfeeding. I have to laugh, it keeps me from thinking that they are completely crazy.


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## MummaLitt (Feb 21, 2008)

I was not breast-fed. The reason my mom has given me was because my father felt that her breasts were "his toys" and not for me. I feel no resentment towards my mom for this as knowing my father the way I do, I can understand why she gave in to his demand. I DO resent my father tho.

My sister was BFed for 6 weeks. I'm very proud of my mom for that cause she told me that she had a lot of trouble with it and felt like she was starving sis. Altho looking at pics of sis at 4-6wks, she most definately was NOT starving









DH was BFed for a little while but MIL says that her milk "was not good enough" for him.


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## columbusmomma (Oct 31, 2006)

I was breastfed for awhile, I think at least 3 mos. maybe a bit longer. my Mom said at the time the dr. said something about it not being enough or some crap like that, so she stopped. My sister was breastfed for about 18 mos.(she is 3 years younger then me). One cool thing I've discovered from talking about nursing over the years is everyone in my family was breastfed!







My parents, their siblings, my cousins, aunts, etc. I'm not sure how long but at least they got some of the good stuff for a period of time! DH was also breastfed and ditto for his brother!


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## pookel (May 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *columbusmomma* 
I was breastfed for awhile, I think at least 3 mos. maybe a bit longer. my Mom said at the time the dr. said something about it not being enough or some crap like that, so she stopped.

I hear this so often and I just don't get it. If it's not _enough_, why would you _stop_? Wouldn't you just supplement a little?


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## louloubean (Apr 25, 2006)

it was the 70's, i got 6 weeks.
i nursed DS for 14 months.


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## BostonianBaby (Feb 25, 2007)

My mom nursed me for 3 years (born in 1978). Apparently I used to ask when we would stop BFing, and she told me "probably when you're around three." So being Little Miss Type-A, on my third birthday I announced that I wouldn't be nursing anymore, and that was it.

She nursed my brother for 3.5 years (born in 1985). She told me she felt a lot of pressure to use formula with him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She herself wasn't breastfed because she was adopted.

DH wasn't breastfed because he was 2 months premature, and apparently his mother wasn't given the option. She nursed his brother "until his teeth came in."


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## Writerbird (Jun 1, 2007)

I was born overseas, so I was BFed - the local women thought my parents were insane to even consider any other option unless Mom died during delivery.

We moved back to the States when I was six months old.

The American doctor was horrified that my mother was still BFing at six months and essentially shamed her into quitting.

My husband is four years older, and his mother's doctor told her it was much more scientific and accurate to FF.

However, after a few weeks of trying to hand me a blanket to cover up, my MIL realized she couldn't see anything while I was nursing, and is very supportive. She says she hopes I won't go past a year, though. Not sure where she got that, though.


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## jessica_lizette (Feb 3, 2008)

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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

My mom breastfed me and my 2 sisters until we weaned ourselves...about 1.5-2 years. She said one day I was just done and wouldn't take it anymore. Sounds like me...just making crazy decisions out of the blue. She cloth diapered and co-slept too. We are very breastfeeding friendly. I am glad my mom raised us the way she did, because my grandmother (as sweet as she is) did things very differently than my mom. My mom was raised from day one on Carnation canned milk. Yuck!!!! However, my mom is the healthiest person I know.


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