Who inspired your breastfeeding??

[Sweetiemommy]

It seems like most people who feel strongly about breastfeeding have families that breastfed. I remember my aunt breastfeeding my cousin and another cousin breastfed her baby - both inspired me. If your family didn't breastfeed, what/who inspired you to breastfeed?

[HelloKitty]

The only person I ever knew that breastfed was my best friend. It was a combination of her and books that inspired me.

[ExuberantDaffodil]

Well, my mom breastfed me until I was 9 months old, and while she greatly influenced me to start breastfeeding, I would have to say I was inspired to extend breastfeeding beyond a year first by a woman whose 2.5 year old I used to be a nanny for back when I was 16-17. This mom was so intelligent, warm, and inspiring. At the time, I was embarrassed by her breastfeeding when she would get home in the evenings. I almost wish I could go back in time and not be so awkward about it. But I think of her often, and that sweet little girl I used to watch.
I've also been heavily influenced by MDC. I found this board when my DS was 11 months old and have been so inspired!
I had never really met anyone else who breastfed, extended or not, at least not that I know of. But I've always been an avid researcher, so I educated myself as much as I could on breastfeeding...

[whateverdidiwants]

When I was 6, I saw one of my aunts bf my then-newborn cousin, and it stuck with me. My SIL nursed my niece and nephew for a few months when I was a teenager as well. Even though none of them were nursed past 4 months it made enough of an impression on me that it seemed like how things were supposed to be done. I ended up nursing dd until she turned 2, even after having gone back to work when she was 11 weeks old and having to pump during the day.

[mom2jolakeil]

My mom breastfed us. I was breastfed till I was two. Not sure how long my brothers breastfed for. I do remember my mom breastfeeding them though.

But really, what influenced me the most was WIC, believe it or not. Our WIC ladies were wonderful and supportive and REALLY encouraged EBF They also were the ones who got me in touch with LLL and from there, well... Here I am, bfing my three y/o and have tandemed my older two and my younger two

[wendy1221]

What I think is really cool is when I was home visiting my parents last winter, I saw my best friend from elementary school. She told me that my mom inspired her to breastfeed! Isn't that awesome!? I'm the 2nd of 5 bf kids and she remembers my mom nursing my younger siblings, apparently. I grew up w/ my mom and aunts bfing, so I always thought bottles were for adopted babies or something like that. I'm not sure what I thought, but I thought bottles were weird. LOL!

[maxomom]

My mom inspires and supports me everyday. She BF'd me 'till I was about 4, and I just always expected to BF. Little did I know how difficult it would be! But my mom was there to get me through the tough times. Now DS is 3 months and BFing is so easy I am SO glad I hung in there... like there is any other option!? Honestly BFing is the best part of being a mom for me! And I thank my mom for BFing me!
-molly

[womama]

I was not breastfed. I have 5 aunts, 5 female cousins, and 4 female friends with children and NONE of them ever breastfed thier children.
I am appalled by this information, knowing what I know now.

I was inspired to breastfeed by my MIL and DP. Even though we see eye to eye about nothing now, MIL was the only encouragement I had to breastfeed during the first VERY rough weeks(mastitis, thrush, low supply, etc).
My mother, aunts and cousins called only to tell me to give it up. It was causing me too much stress and to tell me to stop being a martyr.
Just thinking about it now makes me want to

The lactation consultant and my local LLL leaders were angels too!

I am inspired to continue breastfeeding and practice CLW because of you wonderful mamas.

[Ruthla]

I was bf, my cousins were bf- growing up, I didn't know too many people who didn't bf. I used to "give birth to" and "breastfeed" all my dolls and stuffed animals when I was a little girl. It simply never occured to me NOT to bf.

There was one cousin who we didn't think too highly of overall. I remember her visiting with an infant, and feeding the bottle without taking him out of the bucket. This bothered my Mom so much that SHE took the baby out of the bucket and held him while he drank his bottle. This wasn't somebody we saw very often, and certainly wasn't somebody I was going to emulate!!

The only other woman I knew who formula-fed was a cousin who adopted a baby when I was a teen. There simply wasn't much information available about adoptive nursing in 1988. Her mom held her for every single bottlefeeding- she wanted to make it as much like breastfeeding as possible. Unfortunately that cousin (the mom, not the teenager) is in the hospital with breast cancer right now

[wasabi]

Originally Posted by wendy1221

I'm the 2nd of 5 bf kids and she remembers my mom nursing my younger siblings, apparently. I grew up w/ my mom and aunts bfing, so I always thought bottles were for adopted babies or something like that. I'm not sure what I thought, but I thought bottles were weird. LOL!

Me too. My mom nursed us all. Not for very long but 6-12 months is a lot more than most kids of my generation got. I also thought bottles were for adopted babies. I'm almost embarrassed to admit how old I was before I realized that people routinely chose not to Bf. :

I guess I would say my mom inspired me but that is almost overstating it. Because of my mom it was just never a question to me that nursing was how babies were fed. It would not have occurred to me to give formula. That feeling has only stregthened as I BFed my kids and met more nursing mommas. We all inspire me.

[CRosewhisper]

I was inspired to breastfeed by my Mother who nursed me for a few days and then decided it hurt too much and put an end to it. By my stepmother who formula fed her two daughters because she believes there is no difference. And by every formula filled bottle I have ever seen and I have seen plenty.

But mostly I was inspired by my unborn child.

[IansMommy]

One of my closest friends, Kelly, nursed her son until he was 3 1/2. She was the first person who ever made nursing seem the norm. She got me through my toughest breastfeeding moments.

[mahogny]

I always knew I was going to breastfeed, but until I was pregnant, I never gave much thought as to how long I was going to do it.

When I was in college, I befriended a woman who used to be a LLL leader once upon a time. I remember her telling me that she bf her son for 3 1/2 years. That was the first time I had ever HEARD of anybody breastfeeding that long, and honestly, my first thought was "ewww!"

Like I said, I've always known I was going to breastfeed, and as my BS is in child development, and part of my studies included studying the benefits of breastmilk, it never entered my mind that I would ever NOT bf.

When I finally became pregnant and started reading more about bf'ing and the how to's and all that, and also started attending LLL, I remembered that woman from my college years. I wrote her a letter about how I remembered her telling me that story. She emailed me back and was (of course) very supportive about me breastfeeding.

FWIW, I'm the youngest in my family (I was the only bf one, and that was just for a month or two) and I've never seen anyone else in my family breastfeed.

My friends who had babies before I did bf, but they didn't "inspire" me, as I already knew I'd be breastfeeding when I had kids. So, probably the most influential person was the ex-LLL leader from my college years.

[EmmalinesMom]

I had always assumed I'd breastfeed my kids, but the midwives I saw when pg with my first really helped with lots of good information and support. Then, when Emmaline was born, the pediatrician I was using was incredibly helpful and supportive.

I remember my mom laughing the first time I needed to NIP with Emmaline (she was just 8 days old). I'm sure she didn't mean it to be hurtful, but it still hurt my feelings.

[mommy2boys]

My mom breastfed me until 9 months (I was bf the longest out of all the kids). I also grew up just thinking that breastfeeding is what every woman does. I actually didn't really think that it was a big deal until I got flamed for mentioning bfing on a mainstream message board with my first. But if it weren't for that flaming I wouldn't have become an activist.

[beaches1098]

I was not breastfed and I believe only one of my aunts did for 6 months. I worked with a woman who was a LLL leader and she always told me all this info. Well when I had my first and was having problems she came to my house to help me out and gave me info about local meaetings. I went and that was my support and inspiration to keep going.

[Abby]

My mom breastfed both me and my older brother until we were about 18 months. This was in 1972 and 1976, so pretty unusal for the time. My mom has said that even though she was formula fed (my grandmother was told she couldn't breastfeed because of inverted nipples) she read up on in and thought it was the right thing to do. She had very little support, but I swear, every picture of her and us from those years she is nursing, regardless of location, in the park, in the house, at someone else's house, etc. All throughout my childhood she spoke of breastfeeding as the best part of having a baby, and not the ease piece, but rather the enjoyment of feeding us, and being close to us, etc.

So, I grew up expecting to breastfeed, because I really thought it was the norm. It wasn't until I was much, much older (early 20's) that I even heard of people choosing to formula feed from the begining without even trying to breastfeed. Once I had my 1st son, my mom (who was with me for the 1st 3 weeks) was a HUGE help (oh, you're nursing, here's a glass of water, oh, you're nursing, let me do the dishes, oh, you're nursing, let me get dinner ready, oh, you're nursing, let me clean the bathroom, oh the baby is asleep, let me hold him, go take a shower, etc.)

She continued to normalize every aspect of breastfeeding for me, throughout the time I nursed my oldest, and now with my second. She tells me regularly how great it is, and how happy it makes her to see me nurse.

[jaidymama]

There are two particular women who inspired me to breastfeed once I became pregnant. Before that I had never given it much thought. Growing up, one of my aunts breastfed around us with her 4 kids... but come to find out my mom never bf me or my brothers. My SIL asked if I would be, and then gave me some advice which was helpful in the beginning. She told me that it might not feel good at first, but that it will feel better after a couple weeks. The other lady is a mom of a friend of mine. She has 9 children, and was a midwife in the past. She told me about the book Spiritual Midwifery? by Ina May... and another book something like Secrets of an Unborn CHild? Not sure if those are the right names. I think I fell in love with pregnancy and babies and all that because of her. And my plan to breastfeed was only as simple as to go for as long as I could. Well, I've now been breastfeeding for 11 months!! I'm very happy that I've continued. I was tired of doing it on several occassions, but kept at it.

[dukeswalker]

Are you ready for this one????

My Mother-in-law!!

[AmandaBL]

The first baby I ever saw nursing was my own. My family is very ANTI breastfeeding if you can imagine such ignorance. Mothering Mag inspired me. I owe breastfeeding & no circ to mothering. I'll always be a fan!