Did you/do you exclusively breastfeed?

That is why people in positions such as these need to be educated to respect the mother. Even by saying "if she came back with a no answer, it's her choice"...you are saying it is her choice to DIE so she can nurse her baby? No matter what it is a reflection on La Leche League. It only takes one bad apple in the bunch and unfortunately I have run across many bad apples.

BTW, I feel opposite and I know it is where I live. I felt so in the minority because my daughter weaned at 10 months (herself, she just wouldn't take it anymore). I feel like it has become a race to see who can nurse the longest...and that winner is the best mother. I just wish we lived in a society where people didn't get so smug about mothering issues and would just support each other and their choices.

 

I breastfed my daughter till she self weaned just before her 3rd birthday.

The people in my family who weren't breastfed were more likely to have allergies and milk intolerance problems as children and adults. i almost didn't feel like it was a choice,for me,it was something I worked really hard to do.at one point-when I introed the bottle(of breast milk) ,she had nipple confusion and I panicked..i was afraid of how she would react to to formula,and I almost turned to donated milk..luckily I was able to take a few more days of work,and get her back to breast ,and to take a bottle so i could go to work..
I worked fulltime(when she 6w to 1yr),and pumped .
I KNOW it has kept her healthy and thriving,I know it has helped her immune system ,and fight illness.It IS the best choice.

..but I also understand there are MANY reasons why a woman can't or doesn't make that choice,and they give formula and they still are doing what is best for their baby ,in their situation.

I do however wish there wasn't such a taboo in our society about breast feeding, NIP,donated milk, and wet nurses.
The biggest problem is that soo many people know nothing about breast feeding,until they have a kid...many people are only exposed and taught about bottle feeding babies.
It is sad that breast feeding- feeding your baby,something so normal,healthy and natural would be hidden away from society.

 

jgirl I wish that was true here. I hid extended nursing from almost everyone I know.
My daughter did come close to self weaning at 10 mo- and I have heard of other kids who did...I wish she would have!

 

I agree and thats unfortunate, because the organization itself has done so much to give the breastfeeding option back to our society at large... and I think you misread what I was saying, what I was saying is that if she decded not to ask herdoctor for something that would not affect breastfeeding, that would be her choice, I never in any way would put breastfeeding over the life of the mother, but usually there are medications that can replace others that interfere. I was not breastfed at all and I'm not bitter about it, that was my path, I don't put breastfeeding above all things, I know that though it does have long-lasting impact, merely breastfeeding versus not does not make someone a good or bad parent for life. Another thing you have to realize about LLL leaders is that they are volunteers though, they mean well or they certainly wouldn't be doing what they're doing at all. But if I was there I would have stood up for that mother's decision, as empowerment is the best gift a mother can have in my opinion, since we are put down so often for our decisions, and I would've let that leader that was not appropriate at all.

I hate the competiton of it all, I sometimes feel it myself when people talk about how cute, good, active, smart, my or someone elses's baby is.

 

hi i breastfeed my 2 year old son and so does my 5 year old for comfort.i use my breast milk as a skin medicine sometimes.

 

I'm exclusively breastfeeding my four month old, except for one day about two weeks ago when my partner and I had a 'day off' while his sister babysat. I expressed milk but we misjudged how much he would need and ran out early, so he had a couple of bottles of formula.

I was gutted. I really wanted to stay away from formula, but I'm trying not to get too down on myself

I'm hoping to breastfeed til my son's a year old or so, but I might reconsider when he gets teeth.

 

I'm without child for now (not a bad thing) but my mum had to give me formula because she has hepitits shortly before I was concevied and my mums doctor said it would be best if she didnt. She got very ill after her labour.

I'm 21 now, and I'm very healthy, no allergies, and VERY bonded to my mum. I don't really think that it's the lack of breast feeding that makes the child different from if they were breast fed rather then the way mothers parent their children.