Were you breastfed and how do you feel about it?

I think it goes from a nutritional issue to a comfort one after a while. A toddler doesn't need breast milk if they have the correct diet.

I'm sure a lot of mothers and children like the bond long after it is necessary.

Czarcasm wrote: »

I never asked my mother but I know my youngest brother was breastfed so I presume I was too. My wife tried the whole breastfeeding thing but it just wasn't working for her, too sore, frustration, etc. I don't know were they around in my mother's time but at least these days there are breast pumps and all sorts of options available. The idea of wet nursing, cross nursing and breast milk banks for me does raise an eyebrow though.

Breast milk bank are very useful especially for sick and preterm babies.Breast milk has immune properties that help protect babies, there is a condition called NEC that can kill preterm babies but evidence has showed that breast milk can help reduce the chances of a preterm baby getting this disease. All the Neonatal units accept donor milk from the milk bank in the north. I know mums who have had still born babies and expressed milk to donate to sick babies, a wonderful gift to give to another woman's sick baby.

I was breast fed, as far as I know. It's perfectly natural and every child should be breast fed. Women who don't to protect their tits should be made feel shame.

World health organisation say.......

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.

Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

I was breastfeed and have just stopped breastfeeding my older child, I'm due number two in a few weeks. I plan on breastfeeding again. Its a pain in the hole and I didn't really enjoy it, but its a very handy method of feeding and the benefits are worth it.

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I can imagine that night feeds are handy though. No getting up to get a bottle. Considering how expensive bottles, sterilisers, formula are. People would be mad not to.

On the flipside it means that the woman is the only one who can do nightfeeds, so that's a lot of pressure for her.

Sure, but can someone tell me what is actually wrong is breastfeeding your child for first say 3 or 4 years? Try and avoid the presets created by society etc - something rational or logical?

There's no specific reason why a child should not drink breastmilk up to whatever age. Adults can drink breastmilk with no ill-effects.

The main issue is that the amount of nutrition which can be provided has a ceiling, a mother's milk supply will increase to meet demand, but only to a point. She simply cannot provide enough milk to exclusively meet the needs of a child over about 9-12 months.

As the child grows, the milk becomes less and less of a important part of the diet, and after two years a bottle or a breastfeed is more of a treat than a meal.

Anything wrong with breastfeeding after two? No. But it is certainly out of the ordinary.

Would you just not stick baby in beside you?

A few mates of mine only did night feeds at weekends as they still had to go to work. In fact close friends of mine just had their third baby and they bought look as wrecked as eachother. I don't envy them. Lot of hard work as you can no doubt testify to.

kylith wrote: »

I know they say you won't, but I'd be worried about rolling over and squishing the baba.

It's a weird 6th sense. Your arm could be falling off from pins and needles but you won't roll over. There's also another thing where you could be in a room with 20 crying newborns, but you'll know your own. Even if it's only their second cry ever. Creepy stuff!

OP, I was breastfed. My mam breastfed us all against her own desires. With my older two brothers she was sent to a room to figure it out by herself, every minutes of the 4 months for each of them was agony. When I was born, my Dad was too cheap to give her money for formula and let her endure it again, with no help from anyone. When my younger brother was born she finally broke down to her sister who sent her money for formula.

The poor thing, it really really didn't work for her but she had no choice. Me I lasted around the 4 months with my guy, it wasn't hugely pleasant for me but I managed. I'm going to try again with my next baby but if it's making me miserable like last time I'll stop. I'm lucky to have the choice!

How do I feel about being breastfed? Apart from sorry for my Mam, nothing really.

How do I feel about breasts now? Love boobs!

positron wrote: »

My personal opinion is that we should co-sleep with our children for first few years... but I know that's not going to be a popular one...

Co-sleeping is a known risk factor for SIDS.

It's another one of those "ah sure it did us no harm" things which is known to actually be an issue.

Rolling over and crushing the baby I think is exceptionally rare, but nevertheless does happen.

You can still breastfeed the infant in the bed without having to get up and massively disturb yourself, and it's perfectly safe if you remember to lift them out again once they've finished and fallen asleep.

Yes, but for millions of years humans didn't sleep in relatively airtight rooms, wearing clothes and 13.5 tog duvets. And besides, just because something has been done for a long time, doesn't mean it's inherently safe. Other animals also appear to encounter SIDS, which shouldn't be the case if your theory held out.*

It's a mistake to presume that "natural" behaviours are inherently the safest or best just because they've evolved organically.

*Interesting to note that many SIDS researchers will say that SIDS is uniquely human, but ask anyone who has bred large numbers of any other animal and they will have hundreds of examples of infant animals that went to sleep and never woke up again, with no obvious cause of death. That's SIDS