General Chat

Just watched this programme after recording it last night. First of all I would like to applaud the mother that breast fed her twins until they were 2. Showed her weaning them. If that was me I would have weakened and given in. So well done to that lady. I also applaud the lady that adopted a foreign girl and tried to breast feed her along side her own son. Apparently the average age to wean is 4 in Europe. Did not agree with the 7 year old still being fed and then at the end she stuffed her bra and said when she gets her own she will be able to drink from them!!! I find that absurd. Gloria

Just like to point out that my unbreastfed son is one of the highest achievers in his year. His six year old sister is also in all her top groups at school Both are rarely ill. I also know a child who was breastfed who was last in the Que when it came to handing out brains and intelligence. He is ill often, normally catching every bug known to man ! I agree breast is best, but intelligence wise, in my opinion, genes and parental help and support have a great hand in creating intelligent children. Being fed well as a baby helps, whether it breast or bottle. Elaine x

I breast fed all 4 of mine until they were between 7-14 months, they seemed to wean themselves once they could hold a feeding cup, I didn't like the idea of bottles (all that sterilising). The best thing for me was the freedom to be able to feed them when and where I liked, I could leave home in the morning with just a few spare nappies and some baby wipes and know I always had just the right amount of milk to last all day. I believe the baby also acquires the mother's immunity to diseases as when I was still feeding my 3rd child my older two both had chicken pox quite badly but the baby only had a few spots and the health visitor said this was because I was still breastfeeding. He's never had it since either despite being exposed to it several times. I'd recommend breastfeeding to anyone, both for the convenience and money saving, and I've always thought that if we have to carry breasts round with us all our lives we might as well get some use out of them! Carolyn

Georgeous was a Booby Boy for 2 years and he's perfect so it definitely works!

Fed the first for 11 months - would have been longer except for medical problems I had at the time. Fed the second for 17 months. Both are now in school and well above average intelligence/achievement levels. Also both have had very few illnesses. Point made I think. Angela

Both of our two boys were breast fed but I don't think that anyone was any the wiser when they needed a slurp in a public place. They were both weaned about 18 months, and by two years eat the same food as we did, mashed up. What I do object to is the small number of women who insist on making a thing of it as if to say, look at me, aren't I clever with boobs on view for all to see, whether we want to or not. However 7 is far too old, my two were on 8oz steaks by that age.

Two of the mothers on Richard and Judy........ children do not go to school.... are home tutored...I feel the children are not experiencing life in the real world. Do the 2 things go hand in hand in these cases? Both women said they had read up on it and it is a deliberate act on their part as they understood that children benefited emotionally and also had higher IQs. Children evidently loose the power to suck and give up naturally sometime after 7. Sorry but I find it quite repugnant. Fed both my girls until they were six months and then shut up shop believing it was time I had a life as well. Jean x.

well i won't be watching this programme, as it clashes with who do you think you are!!!!!!!!!!! and to whoever it said they are comfort sucking at 7, aprently not.....quote from tv guide......... 7yr old elder sister 9, has fond memories of breast feeding, ' I remember it tasting really sweet better than anything in the world' This is the elder sister who want a breast feed as her 10th birthday present!!!!!!!!!!

I fed mine till they were 8-9mth, I could have gone on longer,but decided it was time to stop. I saw a clip on TV this am and it was a woman feeding two kids at once, not sure how old they were but at a guess 2-4yr. To me it looked disgusting,she sat there with boobs just haning out and a kid on each one lol. I am all for breast feeding but I would leave the room if it was a BIG kid. I think it's a bit weird anyone going over 2yr,and as for 7 there must be a want about them. Marion

Pmsl Elaine!!

Bump (Or two) Elaine x :o))

Seven is way too old. Very weird if you ask me. What I find even odder is the 10 year old sister wanting to breast fed as a birthday present! Deb

I breast fed my daughter until she was 9 months old. I went back to work when she was 5 months old and still managed it ( had to express at work but hey ho!). Fortunately I was producing so much milk that I managed to freeze 3 months worth so she actually had breast milk until she was 12 months old. I find the thought of feeding a 7 year old a bit weird - my daughter is now 8 and I certainly can't imagine her being interested a year ago! I was also asked once at a restaurant to go into the loos to feed my baby and gave them the 'would you eat your lunch in a toilet?' speech - that was the only negative experience that I had. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of breast feeding but felt that a year was enough.

I breast fed my 3 children the last one until aged 2. Quite topical this conversation as yesterday a woman that had a baby shortly after I started working in this shop came in with her daughter must now be aged about 3. Usually she is pretty quiet but kept screaming and shouting 'want my booboo' The woman was getting quite distressed and I just said to her I can only guess what she wants and she said she wants my boobs.!!! Couldnt beleive a kid of that age would be crying out for such a thing. I dont think its embarassing if somebody feeds in a restaurant or anywhere in public. I was the one that was feeling embarassed if I had to feed. I even ended up feeding my newborn in a cemetry as my brother died when my baby was due and I couldnt attend his funeral so the first opportunity I had to visit his grave meant a day out for me and my 3 kids so had no choice but to feed. Never was able to express milk for bottle feeding later. My daughter manages to express her milk so her partner can feed their baby whilst she is at university. GLoria

Hi Shelli, I breast-fed my first, but only for a month. Had to stop when I got a breast absess. Was advised not to attempt breastfeeding again as the same thing was likely to recur. Yes, 7 is way to old!! 2 is about the average, isn't it? Are these mothers still producing milk? I would guess not! So surely this is just comfort sucking - not that the children need breast milk anyway. Wouldn't a dummy do the same job?? When do they stop -10? 20? God forbid!! Why are people in this 'modern' age so freaked out about breastfeeding babies in public. It wasn't so long ago in the 'prim and proper' age, when it was the only option. People didn't make a fuss then. It's the most natural thing in the world!! Do these people show their horror when visiting farms/zoos etc, when animals are feeding their young in front of them???!!! Debbie

I breast fed my son, born in 1982, and had lots of help whilst in hospital to make sure he latched on ok. By the time he was 2 1/2, I was mainly comfort feeding - never had a problem with his teeth or the privacy part, and never had a complaint from anyone whereever I happened to do it. I had to stay in for 11 days at the hospital as I had no one to help me at home, and on about the second day the Rotosept? nipple ease sprays had run out in the hospital stores. I was a bit sore, and was dozing on my bed after lunch when the nurse came in with two of those little pots of honey you get with toast, in hotels etc. She told me to smooth the honey on my nipples and leave to dry. I did this and dozed off again with the curtains closed and my boobs exposed to let the honey dry. Next thing I know the whole ward, visitors and all had an eyeful - someone had come in and said 'visiting time' and yanked back the curtains, and no-one had realised I had carried on sleeping and was not properly dressed. The honey certainly helped tho and my son loved honey sandwiches when he was older.

I breast fed all 4 of my children for varying lengths of time and they gave it up when they wanted to. I fed my elder daughter for the longest time, until she was 14 months old. I was very lucky as I had no problems feeding any of them. I even fed my best friend's premature son, who was 6 weeks younger than my younger daughter. He was a twin and his sister spent most of her short life in hospital, so, whilst his Mum was with his sister, I fed Adam while I was feeding my daughter. It worked well for all of us and I'm as close to Adam as I am my own children - 25 years later! Unfortunately neither of my daughters were able to breast feed, although the younger one persevered for a month, but both she and grandson were so stressed it wasn't doing either of them any good. I really wished I could have breast fed him myself - but at 50 I was just a bit too old. :o((( I do agree that 7 is much too old, although I did have a neighbour once that fed all 3 of her children at the same time! While the baby was on one side, his older sisters aged 2 and 4 took turns on the other side!!!! Sue xx

I fed my bf eldest until she stopped herself at 22 months - then I found out I was pregnant again!! Not bad considering I was using bf as a form of contraception (or Russian roulette!!) Also bf youngest until 22 months - but I made her stop - I wanted an evening out!! (at 22 months, the bedtime feed was the most important). My friend has 2 sets of twins, she bf the eldest pair until they were 5, then had the younger set and bf them until they were 4 (bedtime feeds only by then)!! My grand daughter (3 years old) was bf until she was about 27 months. I never had any problem with bf in public, you had to look very hard to see. I was b feeding the eldest at the baby clinic, and the nurse didn't even realise - she got in a right strop when I didn't jump up to see the doctor immediately!! People are odd about it though. My mum's husband 'disapproved', and used to regularly 'tut' at me when he thought I was breastfeeding. I didn't like to tell him I never bf in front of him, cos it wasn't worth the hassle, so the poor misguided creature thought he was seeing more than he was LOL maggie

Interesting debate. I was desperate to breastfeed my 2 but failed with the first as the nurses gave him bottles while he was in special care so I couldn't get him used to me. I managed 3 weeks with my second but stopped as my dear hubby seemed to find it offensive - he hated coming back from work to find me feeding the baby on the sofa. It was far less stressful to stop, but I have never forgiven myself for either failures, even though they are both healthy and intelligent with no allergies. I have no objection to seeing people feed their babies and simply cannot understand those who do. I do think though, that it should be stopped before the age of 2 or so - there is no need for it then. As for breastfeeding a seven-year-old - I think that IS disgusting, bordering on the obscene. I hated the 'bitty' sketch in Little Britain, and do not watch the programme as a result. Whatever is the mother trying to achieve? Liz x

I breast fed both of mine up until they were old enough to hold a beaker confidently which was 10 months.