Grown up's who were clw? - Page 2

[monkeysmommy]

My mom says I was CLW, but in 1968, she had absolutely no support or information, and she had never heard of a nursing strike. I was breastfed for 9 months. I have never had a single drop of formula, though! I am proud of my mom for choosing to breastfeed because nobody she knew was doing it. I am also proud of her because she fed me on my cues, even though she was advised by my ped to feed me on a schedule. I am very close to my mom, and she is very supportive of my parenting. I never considered formula feeding for a second.

[Persephone]

Apparently, I CLW at two. (That would be 1984) I don't remember nursing at all, I wish I did. I think my mom and I had a pretty average relationship (HAVE, she's still around! ) We've grown closer as I've gotten older.

[JoyofBirth]

On the flip side, my mother didn't bf and "doesn't feel like she missed out on anything". I had asthma (till an ND got rid of it), tons of allergies, I catch a cold by being in the same building as someone with one, I have tons of night terrors (still), can't sleep alone. I also was scheduled and NEVER co-slept. And she wonders why I'm not doing that with my daughter. I do have a close relationship with my mom though. She's a cuddler so I think that helps. I had never considered the connection.

[mother_sunshine]

Originally Posted by JoyofBirth

I had asthma (till an ND got rid of it)

Dd has asthma. Luckily it is still mild, though slowly increasing in intensity (just started using an inhaler for soccer). Can I ask how you were able to get rid of it w/o traditional meds (assuming ND means Naturopathic Dr.)?

[Amaryllis]

My mom said I weaned myself at 11mos, in 1975. I don't understand how a baby could/would want to wean itself before 1 judging from my own daughter's LOVE for nursing. She is 23 mos now, no sign of weaning whatsoever!
For myself, I have no memories of nursing. But I don't have allergies and am a basically healthy individual without need of pharmaceuticals. I also didn't need braces. I also have a very loving relationship with my mom and husband, who was also nursed. His mom has a great picture of my DH's brother in the hospital nursery with a big sign over his head that says "Breast (Last Name)" like his first name was Breast! She said it was because nobody was nursing then and she was really adament that the baby not get a bottle. LOL!
We know a family with four children. They were all nursed, but only the youngest was CLW when he was about 4 or 5. He is the most well adjusted, loving, popular 16 year old boy I have ever met. I was just talking to his sister and she was saying she can't believe he turned out so well after growing up in a turbulant divorce. I really think it makes a difference emotionally to be nurtured this way.
Thanks to everyone for sharing - I've really enjoyed this thread, and it made me realized I'm a CLW baby!

[momto l&a]

I was CLW though I cant remember when Mom said I weaned. I am think 9 months or 12 months, but i have to wonder if it may have been a nursing strike. Anyway mom tells me that she sat down in the rocker one day to nurse me and i didnt climb up. She said she was so sorry to see me wean.
I do know she wouldnt have nursed me past a couple of years being we had a friend who was still nursing her 5 yo son and mom said he was a mommas boy because of his mom nursing him so long.

My second dd weaned herself after I weaned her off of nights. One morning she didnt ask for her milk like she normally did and she didnt ask for it again. She was 19 months.

[mcsarahb]

My younger brother and I were both CLW. Apparently I weaned when my mom was pregnant with him, when I was about 3.5 yrs. He nursed until he was almost 4. I do barely remember nursing, both before he was born and once or twice after (I guess I wanted "just a taste" or something ).

My older brother supposedly weaned himself at 11 mos., but in retrospect my mom thinks it was just a nursing strike - with her younger two she had more knowledge/experience.

My younger brother and I both have perfect teeth - no braces, no cavities. My older brother had braces for three years.

I am generally a very healthy person. I am very close to my mom (and dad), even though we live 3,000 miles apart. I feel that nursing my DD is one of the most important things I will ever do in my life. Nursing her reminds me how it felt - warm and sweet and comforting.

Sarah

[kvan]

My mom says that I clw'ed at 9 months, but that was because I had a TERRIBLE cold and couldn't breathe at all to nurse. I would get all panicky (I am panicky by nature ) so she gave up and I used a tippy cup from then on. The cold lasted weeks and I guess she didn't know about/have access to a pump? I asked her what she did for me from then on, and she doesn't ever remember buying formula or making it...but she must have done something?! Lost in the archives I guess....

I have always been very healthy. No allergies or asthma or anything. My teeth are great. I have a relationship with my mother that gets more and more distant every year since about age 30. I wouldn't say that it is at all breastfeeding related.

[Mama Esq.]

Although my mom's memory is a little foggy on this point, I weaned close to 3 years and my brother was almost 4. Neither of us have memories of breastfeeding. I do, however, have many memories of sleeping with my parents (which I mostly did). I give my mom a lot of credit because no one was nursing (let alone EBF) back then (1968 through 1977) outside of her LLL friends!! Go mom!!

[calpurnia]

This is slightly OT but I find this story so bitter/sweet & you are the only people I can think of to share it with & it seems kind of relevant...

My dad grew up in South Africa - he's white - & his family always had maids etc. When he was a toddler, they had a Xhosa woman, & she used to sling him around the kitchen, & he can remember her breastfeeding him. She was sacked when my grandmother found out. She - the maid, my dad doesn't remember her name - had probably left her children back in her "homeland" or with relatives in the townships...



Carry on with the scheduled conversation.

[Calidris]

aww, calpurnia, yeah, that really is a bitter/sweet story, made me want to cry.

I was weaned around 4 months (and supplemented all the way) thanks to doctors/hospital making my mother feel she wasn't producing enough - but dp's mom nursed her first til 5 or 6, and second (3 years younger) til about 3. There are family stories of her going to school to meet him at lunch time and nurse him She probably weaned both when she was pregnant with #3 and realised that with 2 agressive little boys #3 wouldn't stand a chance, but maybe her milk dried up, sadly she died a few years ago, before I had my dd so I never got to talk to her about it (never thought of it before I was nursing myself, and the stories really only came up when I started nursing beyond the first few months). I know she nursed each of her later kids for 2 to 3 years (except the last who was a preemie and kept in hospital for quite a while and thus bottle fed). This was in the early 60's to mid 70s.

[Rainbowbird]

This is a really interesting thread. It makes me feel sad how little toddlers remember, though. But the benefits clearly last. It's noteworthy that several PPs mentioned feelings of security and comfort with their memories of BF.

I was weaned at around 4 mos. This was 1966. I don't think my mom realized she should do it longer. Also I was a twin and I think she got overwhelmed nursing two babies without support around.

But, my sister and I are very healthy. I have had exactly one cavity my whole life. I had braces (from sucking my thumb til 5, I think) my sister has always had perfectly straight teeth. Neither one of us has any allergies.

My DH was never BF at all. His mother took those horrible hormone pills or shots to dry up her milk. He was FF from day one. He has a lot of allergies and asthma. However, his mother kept Persian cats even though he had allergies and was a smoker and I think that made it a lot worse.... She actually smoked WHILE pregnant...and when he started solids he got a diet of hot dogs and spaghettios non-stop...so who knows what caused what...

It is my dream to BF DD who is due in May as long as she wants. I know after reading all the desperate posts on nightweaning here that doesn't always work, but it would be great to at least comfort nurse an older toddler! And maybe have them remember it.

[nikirj]

Myself and my siblings were all semi-CLW. My mom gave us general reasons we shouldn't nurse (valid ones, like "it hurts mommy a little now, because your little brother nurses so much too" - and not right when we asked to nurse either, just conversationally) but never really refused us.

I weaned at 4 years old. I do not remember nursing. I can't really speak to what the effects were emotionally, although I could be considered a very well-balanced person. Physically, I am a very healthy person. No allergies, no food issues, no sleep issues (I do believe the sleep thing is a direct result of cosleeping), if I do manage to get ill it is never for very long (I'm not one to be sick with a cold for two weeks, usually I'm sick a day and that is it). My whole family is very healthy.

One brother weaned at 4, my sister weaned at 2-almost-3, but my youngest brother made it until either late-5 or early-6 (can't remember when exactly) and he may remember. He is 15 now and I doubt he thinks about it much but he is probably my parents' reward for good parenting behavior, I couldn't say enough about how great the kid is (physically, intellectually, and emotionally).

[annakiss]

I weaned at 3. I don't remember it. I've been a picture of health as an adult and had nothing uncommon as a child. I have no allergies. I'm really quite happy and content. I have other issues with my mother, but am very bonded to her. She caught my son when he was born!

[mountain mom]

Wow what a great thread. You all are sooo lucky to have had that start! My mom didn't breastfeed me at all. I wasn't at the boob, not even once. They bound her chest in the hospital and seperated us.

So we are CLWing and dd is now three. Needless to say my Mom and I have opposing views on this but surprisingly it has brought us closer. Never too late!

Back to lurking and learning.

[Henry's_Mamma]

Thanks for the wonderful stories, mamas. I was also a never-had-bm babe although I am VERY close to my mother. Dh was bf until he "weaned" at 10 mos. He is much healthier than I as a general rule and has straighter teeth (mine were a mess). Interestingly, his older brother, who was weaned (my MIL just abruptly stopped letting him nurse at 15 months -- and he has attachment issues), had perfectly straight teeth -- never braces. My SIL (dh's younger sister) "weaned" at 6 months (at introduction to solids) and needed braces. Dh only needed braces on the bottom. So I really think age of weaning makes a huge difference in braces need (and I know there's evidence to back that up).

Anyway ... thanks for the inspiration, especially since it is sometimes so hard.