My friend was told yesterday (by another 'friend') that she was 'common' for breastfeeding.

[moondog]

Any wonder that we get riled??????

[MamaG]

I do hope she just laughed in her face.What a moron.

[sancerre]

Eh?! What a loon!
BUt agree MD, it's maddening to think people can spout this sort of crap

[zdl]

What a snob. What else would this person consider "common"? Working in a shop? Working in a factory? Wearing low-heel shoes? Wearing high heel shoes? Eating healthy food? Eating crisps? Laughing at Little Britain? Laughing at Dead Ringers? Voting in a General Election? Meaningless soubriquet, methinks.

[PinkTulips]

common? love to see the persons reasoning behind that statment!

[moondog]

It was quite interesting.In the morning I saw a friend with a new baby,bottlefed from birth.She said she didn't feel 'she could manage' b/feeding because she was big.

In evening,talking to this other girl (after a lot of rose) She told me she felt uncomfortable b/feeding anyway but a trendty arts centre in town,because it was the only place she had seen a b/feeding logo.
I asked her why she felt she had to seek permission which really struck her.

She also said that her (very supportive) dh was horrified that she was feeding the baby in a darkened cinema and pointed out the loos to her.
The next day,she left his toast and weetabix on the cistern in their en suite.

[sancerre]

ugh at loos - why why why does anyone EVER think it'd be a good idea to feed a baby in the toilets?! Mentalists!

[PinkTulips]

pmsl at the husband having to eat his brekkie in a toilet MD! serves him right i'd kick dps head in if he said that!

[Kelly1978]

pmsl at leaving his breakfast in the loo, that is jsut great!

[3andnomore]

grrrrrrrr at the op....how sad that attitude is...!
Funny enough thoughm it is often said that mums that bf are generally better informed, more intelligent and have often better backgrounds are more mature...etc....so, where does that come in!
but rofl at dh getting his breakie in the loo...that is soooooo funny! Well deserved, too!

[beckybrastraps]

How odd. I think it's actually VERY middle class mum to either breastfeed or agonise about not doing it.

[FillyjonktheBananaEater]

its not "common" by which I take it she means the "poor people" do it. If bloody only.

I was told that the health benefits to a child born in poverty of being bf for something like 6-8 weeks-ie not massively long even-are equivalent to increasing parental income to professional level. So it massively reduces the health impact of crap housing, poorer diet especially low fruit/veg consuption, restricted access to leisure facilities etc.

And this is the group with the poorest bf take up. . For a myriad of reason, one of which, imo, is that its harder to access decent professional support if you are 16 years old and live in a tower block...not so many NCT meetings there, IME.

[kamsmum]

3andnomore - "Funny enough thoughm it is often said that mums that bf are generally better informed, more intelligent and have often better backgrounds are more mature...etc....so, where does that come in!"

A different kind of snobbery?

[3andnomore]

kamsmum...I was just stating what a lot of research has found....didn't say that that was necessarily my own personal opinion
But must admit I do not see anything "common" in Breastfeeding!

[Frizbe]

rofl at breakfast in the loo
its such a shame about the bf thing in places, really nice the round our way (old mining area) theres now a huge list of places that are bf friendly given to all new mothers, which it turns out has nearly every eaterie and shop in two towns in, the BF movement is out in force here (Derbyshire!)

[kiskidee]

common?? wish bf was common. then mentalists like her would just have to put up and shut up.

[FillyjonktheBananaEater]

no think 3andnomore is right that bf mums are more likely to be older, wealthier and have more academic qualifications.

At the end of the day, as a group it is easier for them. They can access support more easily and they are listened to better when they have accessed the support. They are likely to be better informed. Also, they will tend to face less anti-b/f propaganda from peers. And there is more of an expectation that they will b/f.

Its absolutlely great that so many so these mums are b/f and I don't want to knock it at all. But, IMO, more (much, much more) needs to be done to improve bf rates among younger, poorer, less "well educated" women.