An actual conversation with my cousin

[TypicalSituation]

So, my cousin and I grew up in nearly the same type of household... no AP, no bfing, etc. I am wondering how we could possibly be so different. Here is a snippet of a conversation between us. :

amanda: Do you all have any friends up there that you hang out with?

moonlight:Friends??? What are those? No, he has a friend from work. I have a few friends from my La Leche League meetings.

amanda:What the **** is that?

moonlight:My friend Kristal just moved to Arkansas

moonlight:A breastfeeding support group

amanda:EEW!

amanda:Why do you need support for that?

moonlight:Because it isn't easy

amanda:oh....

amanda:You have the equipment for it

moonlight:lol

moonlight:yeah but having a baby nursing for 20 min every 1-2 hours or more gets old sometimes

amanda:Can't you pump some in a bottle and give it to her that way?

moonlight:You can do that, but after a while of doing that if you don't ever breastfeed, your milk supply runs out.

amanda:oh...

moonlight:The baby nursing is what tells your body to make milk and a machine doesn't feel the same to your body as your baby does.

amanda:Alrighty then.

moonlight:I started going because I had thrush (a yeast infection in babys mouth and your nipple caused by taking antibiotics) for like 2 months

amanda:Is formula way expensive?

moonlight:YEAH! It costs aboutr $2000 a year to formula feed

moonlight:Plus is is bad for your baby

amanda:It might be worth it. You don't want crusty nipples!

moonlight:I think formula is why Nate (edit: my brother) has diabetes

moonlight:My nipples are quite soft thank you

amanda:A lot of people use formula and don't get diabetes

amanda:His might be genetic (edit- noone in my family has diabetes)

moonlight:Would you like to read an article???

moonlight:Cuz I can find the info if you give me time

amanda:On what? Crusty nipples?

amanda:I know more people that were formula babies than breastfed and they are fine. I don't think that diabetes has anything to do with formula, or everyone would have it.

moonlightr:Formula doubles the risk of infant death and an
increased risk of death throughout life has been well documented for people who were formula-fed. Higher blood pressure, more heart disease, obesity, diabetes, artery disease, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, asthma and digestive disorders have all been associated with formula feeding.

amanda:I am sure breastfed babies had some of those diseases too.

amanda:What's your phone number? I am leaving work. I can call you on my way home.

Isn't that fun? Everyone in my family is like this. I don't have the place where I got that info... it was just something I was reading at that time. This is the same girl that told me to quit breastfeeding because "boobs are for men."!!!!!!!!!!! I think I just need to cut all ties to my family since I am such a weirdo. Are there any other "weirdos" out there?

[Ruthla]

I feel sad for your cousin and any babies she might have.

[Attached Mama]

honey, you and i aren't the wierdos!!! nak

[TypicalSituation]

She says she is never having kids (thank God) because she wants to "have a life". What a ray of sunshine!

[mamalisa]

To be honest the most confusing part of that converstion is "crusty nipples". What the heck? I understand the lack of knowledge thing, but crusty nipples?

[TypicalSituation]

OH, and when I bf my son past a year, she would keep saying "When are you gonna stop letting that kid suck on your tit? You are gonna make him weird or something." Thanks for letting me vent!

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by mamalisa

To be honest the most confusing part of that converstion is "crusty nipples". What the heck? I understand the lack of knowledge thing, but crusty nipples?

Probably the thrush thing.

[Anglyn]

Yeah, my mother thinks that "A LOT of women CANT bf" and that "women like you"(thats me, that us here) make them feel bad.

I make them feel bad when I say things like, "MOST women CAN, and those who THINK they cant COULD if there were enough education and support for them out there". Thats me being judgemental and pushy. ANd nonunderstanding about all those poor women who "physically CANT". Bullsh&*t.

I point out that if so many woman physically CANT, the species would have died out long before gerber. She insists that "women have ALWAYS supplemented, thats what cows were for". I point out that people were around forEVER on this planet before we domesticated livestock.....

Oh God, and when I decided to tandem nurse, my toddler was going to "take all the babies milk". I said the body works on supply and demand, the more a baby nurses, the more it makes. She rolls her eyes and very sarcastically says, "if you say so". I ask her why twins didnt die from starvation before gerber if the body cant possibly feed two at a time.

So yeah, Im the freak in my family too!!

[Storm Bride]

I'm feeling more grateful to my family by the minute. My mom breastfed. My aunt breastfed. My cousins breastfed. In fact, I think my sister is the only woman in our family for the last three generations who didn't. And, none of them think I'm nuts for breastfeeding, not even my sister. (She does think I'm nuts for going to the Breastfeeding Challenge last year, though.)