did your mama nurse you? - Page 9

[jaredsmom]

My mom nursed my bro back in 1968 for approx. 6 weeks, but then stopped when he started to teeth on her. I was nursed for approx. the same length of time. Funny, I only found this out recently that we were bf for such a short time.

But I always thought that my mom was a rebel type of mom for doing it anyway. She told me that when I was born, there was a fire in the hospital's chapel, and everyone was evacuated. Well, my mom (and 1 other mom) were the only ones that were nursing. She said that she was able to soothe me by slipping me the boob, and the bottle-feeding moms had no idea how to soothe their babies since the nurses couldn't pass out the babies and the bottles at the same time! (My mom tried not to smirck at the other moms as they noticed me so calm and content. It should have given them a clue as to try to do it!)

[hydrangea]

No breastmilk for me . I was born in 1969. My mother was kind of earthy, but the only breastfeeders she knew were also placenta-eaters, so she associated it with total weirdness. I also had my first solids at 6 weeks.

My sister was born in 1979 (Mom had secondary fertility) and nursed until around 6 months, with plenty of supplementation. My first brother was born in 1981 and had about the same. My second brother was born 6 weeks early in 1983, and my mother just assumed nursing was out of the question -- except her doctors actually pushed her to do it. He nursed until about 18 months, with plenty of supplementation in the beginning, but later refusing anything but the boob. My mother wanted to wean him, but he had other ideas.

My mother says she never felt those breastfeeding hormones kick in. She never got much pleasure out of it. I feel sad for her.

[UltimateSerj]

YUP 4 yrs!

I was born in 1979 and i was breastfed for 4 3/4 yrs till i self weaned!! oldest brother was born 1971 and weaned on first birthday.. my other brothers '73 , '76 both self weaned at about 2 yrs, of course my mom was a LLL leader for 21 yrs and has been a IBCLC since i was 7 years old! so the only thing i knew growing up was breatfeeding! I have breastfed both my daughters oldest till 28 months when she self weaned because i was pregnant and she and I were both done with nurrsing, and i am still nursing my 17 month old and i am now 12 wks pregnant with number 3!! so pretty much i have been nuring or pregnant since 97!!!!

My Mom set the way for breastfeeding in my family, She was breastfed for a few months i think (in 1949) i think her sisters were for sometime to but not long, and my aunt never breastfed her boys. As for my dad, the Dr. told his mom she didn't have enough for him, and he was to sick to breastfeed, dad had chicken poxs and measles at 2 wks old so his mom "had " to give him formula (His mother was also all alone for all this because his father was in the navy and in WWII, 1943)

My Husband and his siblings were NEVER breastfed, MIL says she tried with her oldest but but the baby was to sick so she gave her formula, then Breastfeeding just wasn't something you did back then according to her!!LOL My Husband was allergic to all formula and cows milk so he had carnation condenced milk!!: Now Sil and Bil and Dh all have really bad allergys / ashma.... SIL did breastfeed her 3 kids but when they could say thank you it was to old so she weaned them.



Susan

[Graceoc]

I was born in 1976 - my mom said that she did breastfeed me for about 3 months, but since I was so 'fussy' 'they' determined that I was allergic to her milk (and milk in general) and I was switched to soy(?) formula.

My MIL attempted to nurse my DH and his older brother (born '68, '70) but develeped mastis and her DR. told her wean immediatly and gave her a shot to dry her up. When she had her 3rd son in '76 she was determined to nurse him, and when she once again developed mastits she talked to her neighbor who was a LLL and worked through it and nursed him for a year.

[Tanya_Khosh]

I was born in 1975 and was never bf (partially because I was VERY premie and was in ICU for the first month of life) but I dont think she would have anyway (my brother born 9 yrs later was not) I am the first to bf in my ENTIRE FAMILY! Not even my grandmothers bfed! My grandmother on my dads side was told her milk was no good by the doc after a couple of days of nursing only!!!

Anyhow, I nursed my DD and now am nursing my DS who is 7 months old and exclusivly bf (no bottles of ebm either, he wont take a fake!)

So I am the family trend setter, which fits me as I always have been! Also the only one in my family to not circumsize (spelling?) my son, could not see any reason to chop off a normal & heathy part of him that he just got for his birthday!

[Amymom2-2]

In 73, I was my moms 3rd child, but first nursling, she ended up a LLL leader --- woohoo!!

[hydrangea]

I'm wondering, sadly, whether the statistics on this pole are as high as they are for our having been breastfed as babies is a reflection of these boards. Do you think on a more mainstream board where fewer mothers breastfeed or breastfeed for long that those numbers would be much lower? I wonder how many of us have breastfed because of the acceptance and support we found in our families.

I know that even though I wasn't breastfed, the facts that I saw my mother nurse my siblings and my aunt nurse my cousins and heard about my MIL nursing dh and his siblings, all helped set me up for never even considering formula. If I had not had that background, would nursing have been such a given?

I want to applaud all of you here for nursing your babies, especially those of you who have done it without any support or even acceptance from your families. You are amazing, and your babies are so lucky!

[umbrella]

I was born in 1980. My brothers were born in 1976, and 1981. We were all breastfed for 7-10 months, and my moms makes sure to tell me that the main reason was cost. She was very happy to find out that breastmilk was good for babies, but her first thought was that breastmilk is free, while formula is expensive, and we were pretty poor. (my mom was 18 when my older brother--her first child, was born)

[Rachelsmom]

My mom didn't nurse me or my sister at all and we were sickly babies and got viruses a lot when we were older. So when she got pregnant with my brother my aunt suggested that she nurse because of what she went through with us. She nursed him and he never had the problems we did, she nursed him for about 9mths. So they were big supporters in me nursing Rachel. She didn't want what happened to her with us to happen to me.

[Meli65]

I was born in 1965 and was never nursed at all -- my mom says that looking back she wished she would have tried but she knew she was going back to work (when I was six weeks old!). I had terrible colic for months and we think now that I was (am) lactose intolerant -- 'course in those days they weren't so on top of those things. I feel sorry for my baby self. Anyway, mom is now a super breastfeeding advocate.

[aircantu1]

None for me. I am an only child, born in '79. All I ever got was formula. Of course, my mom was only 15 when she got pregnant and her mother had never breastfed, neither had any of her older sisters. So, what do you expect? I truly feel so shafted every time I think of it though... I wonder what could've been. But, I will definintely be breastfeeding all of my children...the first ever in my family.

[DaryLLL]

I was born in 1955, and nursed for 3 months against all odds. My mom just thought it was good for me, and felt proud to do for me what no one else could. My younger sister was nursed for 4 months, and wanted to keep going, but the dr said it was no longer good for her. I have been told my dad spent half a day forcing a bottle of ABM on her until she finally took it.

I nursed my 3 kids for years, a total of 10 years of nursing.

--DaryLLL

[vickiehousemouse]

Born in 1966.

I was breastfed for a year on the advice of my mom's ob because she had breast cysts and he, being ahead of his time, thought it would be beneficial to HER health. Lucky me, though, because the healthy benefits were passed along. I was one of those kids who got perfect attendance certificates at the end of the school year because I was, and still am, rarely sick! Breast milk for HEALTH!!!

[vickiehousemouse]

Born in 1966.

I was breastfed for a year on the advice of my mom's ob because she had breast cysts and he, being ahead of his time, thought it would be beneficial to HER health. Lucky me, though, because the healthy benefits were passed along. I was one of those kids who got perfect attendance certificates at the end of the school year because I was, and still am, rarely sick! Breast milk for HEALTH!!!

[morgan's_mom]

Nope, no boobie for me. My mom "never had the desire," and was feeding me solids at 2 weeks old (because I was "starving, and needed them to sleep through the night" She refers to BF'ing as "the new trend." Example: in response to my telling her that Morgan was going thru a growth spurt and sometimes wanted to nurse every hour, she said "I know BF'ing is the new trend, but you may *have* to supplement with something else...she sounds like she's starving." Yes mom, she's starving to death - even though she never lost weight after birth and had gained 3 pounds at 4 weeks!!! I love my mom, but GRRRRRR!

[Jodi]

I was born in 1970 and was not nursed at all. The doctor told my mom that formula was healthier. My mom is so happy that I am nursing my baby and also a little sad. She has apologized to me numerous times but I keep assuring her that I understand and that she was only doing what she felt was the best thing at the time.

[Lucy]

No way! My dad is a doc, and delivered me at home, but then swiftly left the right track by giving me a diet of skimmed milk mixed with corn syrup. Can you believe it? How did I survive this? Lets just say I do resent this. My mother says that in those days, breasts were meant for the husband! And my dad was too cheap to do formula. Whatever!!!!

[Meiri]

Born in 1962, I was one of the lucky ones in our family, got up to 9 months maybe. Mom nursed some and FF others depending on the situation at the time.

[colleen]

My Grama told me that she nursed my mother and her 3 sisters back in the 40's when they were poo-pooing breastfeeding left and right. She said every time she was in the hospital (to deliver), she heard the babies just screaming in the nurseries for milk, because thanks to good old Dr. Spock, you were only allowed to nurse on a schedule.

When my mother nursed me in 1965 (we were living with my Grama) I was told I was like a "baby bird" and every time I opened my mouth, my mother nursed me. My Grama was not familiar with the concept of demand feeding. My mother wasn't either, she just did what she felt was right. According to my babybook, I was nursed nearly a year, but was started on solids at 6 weeks (simultaneously). My mother nursed 5 children between 65-74 for at least 6 months. Not too shabby.

My mother-in-law did too, so I had a lot of support to nurse both my children for a year and a half until they were done and happily moved on to bigger and better things.

[ragdoll]

No boobie for me. I was born in 1971.
My mother said that she carried me the 9months and that she didn't want to be tied to me any longer. That made me really sad .
~Tamara