Does the BF vs FF debate exsist in real life?

[Nibblenic]

Now I have seem many a debate on this forum about FF Vs BF.
This isnt what this thread is about because let just say its been done before.

However I wondered if youve ever ended up in a 'heated discussion' in real life. Obviously everyone will discuss how and what they feed thier children.
Now in my circle of mummy friends I would say its roughly 50/50 for those who FF and those that BF. Some did so for only a matter of days some months, another over 1 year and continues to BF and one who really wanted to but could not. Then in FF I have one friend who never planned to BF two who would if it worked out but decided against it. So I think Ive got a range.
Now in real life none of us have ever expressed anything other that support for that the other is doing. However on the internets things seem to be very different.

So I would like to stick to specific questions just to try and keep it on topic a little.

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF

 

[Nibblenic]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
No never. Ive only ever been supportive of my friends choices even if I didnt personally agree with them

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
Simply because we're all having a hard enough time dealing with a new born without picking on people and upsetting them. We were there to support eachother and reasure eachother regarding the new experience of having children. On the internet its all a bit faceless and you donthave to worry as much about getting peoples backs up or disagreeing about thier parenting as you arent losing any kind of relationship. You can always block them.

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF
Im somewhere about a 6-7 I think care enough to have created a thread but not enough to jump into every bf vs ff thread

 

[Lightworker]

1) Never really had a heated debate in real life but maybe its cause most of my mommy friends are BFers.
2) As above - also I think with the net, I come on because I like a good debate, and therefore might get abit "heated" (although thats subjective really) whereas with my friends I want to socialize iykwim?
3) I am a 9 on the scale I think, I feel strongly about infant feeding.

 

[lesleyann]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Never its upto my friends/family how they feed their child and if they dont like how i feed mine its tuff


2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
Because in "real" life you know each other and you are just friends talking you may point out so are you going to BF/FF? but thats as far as it goes, online you dont really know the person and also its people that may have never responded to you before who are just having a bad ranting day

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum.
I dont care aslong as the child is fed and happy

 

[OmarsMum]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Never its upto my friends/family how they feed their child and if they dont like how i feed mine its tuff


2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
Because in "real" life you know each other and you are just friends talking you may point out so are you going to BF/FF? but thats as far as it goes, online you dont really know the person and also its people that may have never responded to you before who are just having a bad ranting day

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum.
I dont care aslong as the child is fed and happy

This

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Kind off.

One woman told me the reason my daughter has never had chicken pox is because "she was protected by mothers milk"

When I said she didnt even have 1oz of BM, the lady told me my daughter must be a "freak of nature"

Needless to say, she got a mouthful from me!

 

[aragornlover8]

1) Not really.

2) I'm not sure if it's partially because I'm in the US or not? Formula companies are allowed to advertise and give coupons here, so I imagine it might be more accepted as a whole? Also, my mother and sister both had really low milk supply, so they were there for support and not judgment.

3) I feel like there's a lot more to baby feedings than what type of milk you use. There's a bond there whether you use formula or breastmilk. As long as that bond exists, and the child is healthy and thriving, I'm happy with it.

 

[lily123]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Yes. When i was pregnant, one of my 'friends' (who doesn't have children btw) said "ewww you're not going to breastfeed are you?! Thats disgusting, bottles are much better" so then of course i got defesive and asked why exactly were bottles better? and why was it disgusting? Etc. I don't speak to her anymore ha!

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
Where i live you hardly see ANYONE breastfeeding unfortunately, so i imagine thats where the 'it's disgusting, bottles are better' argument comes from, at least where i live.
Personally i would support any of my friends whichever way they fed their child, it's another difficult parenting choice and i don't believe parents need their ears chewing off when we have hard enough decisions to make as it is

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF.
I would say i was about an 8. I am very pro-breastfeeding and i think every mother should at least TRY it, after all, there's no harm in that. Another of my friends didn't try breastfeeding because 'she didn't want her boobs to go saggy' and then regretted it for months after, but on the other hand i would never judge a mother for FFing, not my place!

xx

 

[smokey]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Never.
The subject has never even come up while I sat with my SIL and cousin, me ff them bf.
It was always just a case of we are feeding our babies.
I have advised every friend and family member to at least give it a go when they asked my oppinion but thats about as much as we have ever even mentioned it.

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
because its never been an issue worth debating, they are doing what they need to do I am doing what I need to do.
It never even occured to any of us to question each others decissions.


3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF
Probably somewhere between 1-5, its just never been a real life issue, it doesnt even registure to me how others are feeding their baby, they just are feeding them.
When I see even a stranger out in public bf or ff it doesnt even registure to me how they are doing it, they may as well be playing with the baby for all the attention I pay its all just another part of daily life with a baby.

 

[Laura2919]

I dont think I have noticed it in real life but then all my friends formula fed apart from one who expressed. My mum breastfed my sister for 2 weeks and me and my brother were FF. Everyone I know actually FF, even SIL.

Actually I dont know if my MIL BF or FF cos its not a conversation we have, I think it goes to show its on internet forums.

 

[AppleBlossom]

1) No I haven't

2) Because people don't want to get this worked up face to face with people. It's a lot easier to argue over the internet because you can say what you like without having to "face" consequences, plus you can really think your argument through when your online. In RL, it's harder to think on the spot

3) 5. There are thousands of neglected children all over the country who are lucky to even get one meal a day. Who cares if we BF or FF, at least our babies ARE being fed.

 

[justlove]

Only ever seen it being debated on internet never discussed it nor have I ever defended my decision to formula feed my LO

1) No
2) because of my answer to no.3
3) 1 - Dont really care

TBH dont see why it is such a bashing of the BF v FF end of day we all aiming for the same, wanting whats best for our babies.

 

[Tiff]

I've had people tell me Breast is Best, but never got into a heated argument about it.


1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life. Never.

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so Personally I find that people are much more brave when sitting behind a computer screen.

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF I think I'm a 4.

 

[tristansmum]

I have never had heated discussion. I tried to BF, it didn't work out for me. Some friends have BF for ages and i have told them how wonderful i think they are. Other friends like me FF due to BF issues or personal choice. All of us support eachother. The thing that gets me upset on forums is when people who have not experienced the same problems try to force you their way of thinking. For example- someone who had a baby latch on wonderfully and loads of milk saying you "just have to perserve" or "lots of help out there" ect. If you've not been in the situation then comments are not helpful. The same goes the other way round if a FF mum is having a go at BF mum. I think it exsists more on forums because firstly its annonomous (sp) and you don't have to look that person in the face and can leave at anytime. Also you get the people with extreme views agrueing who in real life probably wouldn't be friends or in same social group.

How do i feel on the topic... do what you feel is right for you and baby and DON"T LET ANYONE make you feel bad for your choice. whether thats FF from the word go, stopping BF cause its too hard or BF your child until they are a toddler.

 

[mum22ttc#3]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.

Never had a heated debated about this in real life, most of my friends formula feed as do I though so, not sure if this is why?

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so

As above

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF

1. I honestly dont care how others feed their babies, as long as they are feed and looked after then it really doesnt matter too me

 

[LeeBee]

I never even knew there was such a thing as FF vs. BF before coming on this site. So no, never had an debate in "real life".

I'd be on the lower end of the spectrum. I could care less how anyone else chooses to feed their child, as long as they're fed.

 

[Linzi]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Yes & no.... I had someone come and tell me off for feeding in public, but I didn't respond I just left with a crying baby Apart from that ignorant cow, no.

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
I dont know

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF

I don't really care, but I'm sick of being labeled 'breastfeeding police' or other stupid labels just because I have breastfed & plan to again. Im not a judgemental person, as long as baby is being fed its fine.

 

[summer rain]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life. Nope but I have had narky comments and dirty looks from people when I have had the audacity to BF (very discreetly) in public including feeding my one week old in A&E when he was poorly with jaundice. There was nowhere else to BF him (except the toilets) and nor should I have had to go elsewhere. The whole BF vs FF debate thing though I've never come across it in 'real life'.

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
As above

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF
about a 5

 

[polo_princess]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Nope never!!

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
Because everybody minds their own business and just gets on with their life. Life is too short to worry about what everyone else is doing.

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion onf FF/BF
Im a 5 ... i genuinley am not bothered how people choose to feed their child, at the end of the day its up to them

 

[cherryglitter]

1) Have you ever had a 'heated' debated/discussion about FF vs BF in real life.
Nope, never ever ever!!

2) Why do you think the answer you've given above it so
Nobody has ever been bothered about how I feed Jake. I don't think anyones even really asked me to be honest. Apart from when I was in hospital and a few times when I was pregnant. No one was ever derogtory though when I said I was formula feeding.

3) Where do you feel you are on this spectrum. 1 I dont really care. 5 as long as your feeding your child thats fine 10 I have a very strong opinion on FF/BF

1 - I don't really care!!