What is it with MIL's and breastfeeding attitudes?

[Bevziibubble]

It might just be me, but it seems to be a recurring theme where mother in laws are negative towards breastfeeding!
I have to say that my own MIL is fab and has no problem at all with me breastfeeding. My 'step MIL' would probably prefer me to stop BF at six months but it's nothing to do with her.

I was wondering if this is as widespread as it seems, because from what I've seen on the Internet the majority of MIL's seem to be against breastfeeding!

 

[TheNewMrs]

Yep, mine think I'm going to create a big gay lesbian! Which is equally as wrong in her eyes as Breastfeeding past 6wks...

I just laughed and said " least I'll not have to worry about teen pregnancy then!"-- needless to say she didn't find it as amusing as I did!!

 

[pollysmummy]

I think mine thinks I breast feed to be selfish! She wants to take my 8 week old out for the day and when I said no she said she would just give her a bottle!! Er no!!!

 

[ericacaca]

My MiL doesn't like me breastfeeding because it means she can't see him when we visit her house or she visits ours for the day. She doesn't see him much because she lives so far away and doesnt drive and all she does is look at him when she does visit. She expects for us to wait for her to come down to do things for the first time with him (like walk in the pram, first bottle etc...) and there is no way that I'm expressing all day just for her to feed him! Argh! xxx

 

[Leids]

Yep, mine think I'm going to create a big gay lesbian! Which is equally as wrong in her eyes as Breastfeeding past 6wks...

I just laughed and said " least I'll not have to worry about teen pregnancy then!"-- needless to say she didn't find it as amusing as I did!!

Whaaat? How does she think babies ate before the 1900's!? That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard! I don't think I would be able to hold my tongue with that one, that takes some strengths.

My MIL is completely fine with breastfeeding. She only wants me to breastfeed for a year though. I only want to breastfeed for a year, but am going to take my time weaning (so will probably be over a year). It irritates me that she says that and makes me want to go to 2 years, just because I feel like it shouldn't be her business when I stop. I'm being silly though since she just means well and has been supportive. It's me being hormonal basically. She said it kind of odd though, like she would be bothered by it if I went longer.

My own mother would be completely fine with me extended breastfeeding, she breastfed all of us up until 2 years.

 

[Vicky1982]

My mil says the stupidish, upsetting things ever, he are some:-
' give her a bottle, all this breast feeding will give you pnd' luckily I didn't slap her
'she feeds far to often'
'you look awful, shall I go and get you some formula' again luckily I didn't slap her
The best one was
' I've got you some Muslim squares, so you don't get all that yucky stuff n you'

I think her issue is that she wants t give them bottles - not going to happen x

 

[USAF_WIFE]

My mil never says anything about me BF'ing at 15 months! I could give a crap less if she did though! My baby and my say. Sometimes people look at me funny if they know B still nurses and I want to slap people when they make comments like " Oh he has teeth does he not bite you all the time. "... No or I might be in pain a lot... "he does not get any nutrition anymore so why do you keep doing it" *huuuge sigh*, " What are you gonna nurse him till he is in college", "you are making him a titty baby" ( Tech he is a titty baby) hahaha!

 

[staralfur]

I thought mine wanted to feed her too, so I pumped a buuunch of bottles for the last time we went to visit, and I ended up being the one feeding her those too.

 

[CatandKitten]

My MIL never breastfed for long, she had low supply, but is totally supportive of me BF my daughter.

 

[EveEnRoute]

My MIL is supportive, but thinks I should stop at 6 months because that's when she stopped feeding my DH, her only child.
I normally just shrug off her comments and ignore them, but I actually spelt out to her that I'm aiming to feed for a year to her today (planning on ttc after that so will see what happens).
I tried explaining BLW to her too but I don't think she really got it, she kept saying my baby likes eating too much to want to play with food lol.

 

[vintagecat]

My MIL annoys me in other aspects, but as far as breastfeeding goes, she is very supportive. She breastfed my husband and his siblings, so to her, it's completely normal. She would never come out and say something to offend me though. She's generally very respectful.

 

[havingmyfirst]

My MIL had LOADS of opinions and advice to give on breast feeding including how I should get my newborn into a 4 hour feeding routine!

Guess what... turns out she never breast fed my husband!

So now I am ignoring her... but she keeps advising my husband that I should stop... it's inconvenient to her as she wants to take my LO out for the day on her own... he is only 2 weeks old and I wouldn't want him to be off with anyone else yet.

 

[Irish Eyes]

My MIL never breastfed any of hers and encouraged both her daughters to bottle feed as they obviously didn't produce enough milk (she believed babies should only want feeding every 4 hours)

The worst comment was her to my husband that I overheard "There's no such thing as cluster feeding, that poor baby is starving!!"

 

[Fiona100912]

My MIL is very supportive, not just with breastfeeding but with every aspect of my parenting. I have had a few negative comments from other family members but I tend not to listen because I know breastfeeding is best for my LO.

 

[mazzie1984]

Wow I don't think MIL's should have any say, interfering grrr. My MIL was ok with breastfeeding but other stuff grr. Why do they try and butt in so much. GRRR

 

[BintUmmi]

my MIL is very pro-breastfeeding, breastfed all of her children and so completely supports me in that regard. I don't know how she feels about extended breastfeeding as we've never spoken about it, but I'm not sure it will be an issue. Doesn't really matter anyway as that's mine and DD decision. (ETA didn't mean that last sentence to sound so cold LOL)

 

[ChesMik4eva]

Haha it strikes me as ridiculous that anyone (especially our MILs) should even have an opinion about if we breastfeed or how long we choose to. Did our babies come out of their uterus? Didn't think so. I have a pregnant friend who asked me how long I intend to breastfeed and when I said 2 years she looked disgusted. Now whenever I mention that breastfeeding is hard (it's still being established and we're getting the hang of it) she always quips "Still want to keep at it until he's 2 then?" in a really annoying voice. It drives me crazy that anyone should care what I do with my baby and my breasts. Why is it even an argument? That's how EVERYONE was fed before the invention of formula so how come it's even a discussion that we shouldn't? Crazy...

 

[Jaylynne]

Mil is actually supportive of breastfeeding. She did it, her two daughters did it. Same with my mom and my SIL. So it's very normal. Now weaning on the other hand... She berated me for starting with bananas as apparently that will destroy their veggie eating habits for life. Silly woman. DH calls her a miserable woman

 

[JleStar]

My mil would say things like, "you're feeding him AGAIN." (in the early weeks when DS was cluster feeding) I felt as if she had no confidence in me. I often times felt insecure around her cause I felt her judging and watching my every move. Lol she also would question why DS was not sleeping for 3 hour stretches in the beginning; comparing my son to her children which she formula fed. I had to keep bringing up that breastmilk digests faster so they need to eat more often. She didn't like my response. She thought if she held him while he was sleeping that he would sleep longer, which he did BUT my doctor did not want the baby to go any longer then 4 hours without feeding lol...to say the least, those first weeks were very annoying..trying to now convince my MIL to put him down in his crib so that he can wake naturally so I may feed him AGAIN. She thought I was torturing him. She means well, but the lack of confidence in me as a mother pissed me off...sorry that was a longer reply then I intended.

 

[janey1975]

My MIL says things like 'are you STILL breastfeeding?!' and 'you know you don't have to breastfeed, don't you' etc.

She admitted the other day that she still feels guilty about not breastfeeding but I don't think that gives her the right to then push this onto me and for the past year make me feel that I was being 'silly' to be breastfeeding. I always seem to be making excuses as to why I am still breastfeeding, and not just to MIL either. I really don't think society approves of BF past about 6 months. Weird when it is what our breasts were designed for!