Anyone came across this (please read)

[joannek]

wow, look at all these posts of people who support your decision to bf your baby. I also had a lot of harsh comments about bfeeding my baby. I didn't care about any of them, but my mom's really bug me. so one day i just said, "Baby cows drink cow's milk, baby goat drinks goat's milk, baby humans drink human milk. and if baby human drinks cow's milk, you figure what's gonna happen" (apologies to those who formula fed their babies, but this was the only way to shut her up) in fact, after hearing this statement, my dad & my sister became very supportive of my bfeeding.

you know, human sizes are half genetic half diet. skinny moms have skinny children, even if their children eat a lot. i bet you're not very big yourself.

 

[jane01]

Good on you for b/f, especially with so little family support. Your bub is just a different body shape, one I'm sure you'll appreciate when your boy is older. I'm sure you will also appreciate that he will generally be sick less than his formula fed peers.

I don't understand the HK wish for enormously fat babies but stick thin adults. I'm no expert, but surely laying down all those extra fat cells from formula and feeding them when they are already full is going to make them fatter/unhealthier/etc in the long run?

 

[JennyB]

Don't forget that China has known famine in living memory... maybe colours the elder generation's desire for baby to be as fat as possible. Although many HK adults are stick thin, being called fat does not have such a negative connotation as it does in western countries. Of course the irony is that the breastfed baby would be much better off in a famine situation - but I'm just talking about the bias towards overweight babies being thought desirable! May help to understand where MIL is coming from...

The new WHO growth charts are based on breastfed babies being the norm: http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/en/
Apparently a lot more overfed formula babies are now in the "obese" category when compared with traditional charts.
If you click on the "software" link on the left-hand side of the WHO page, you can download their software to input your child's data which will tell you exactly what centile your child is or has been on.

You could also try to let your MIL know all the benefits of breastfeeding. Quote her facts and figures about higher IQ, lower cancer rates, etc. I'm sure you could find links to those on the LLL site: www.LLLhk.org

 

[cemily]

May I ask if your breastfed babies are just as tall as the formula babies despite not being as chubby or the bf babies are also shorter?

tks

rgds

e

 

[joannek]

cemily, are you asking us all? or just babi77? my baby was born 50%tile in all aspect. she's been breastfed until she was 15 mths. when she was 1 yr old, she's tripled her birthweight (hence becoming 75%tile in weight), & 60% in height.

 

[usfret]

Cemily,

I am pretty certain height is determined by genes. But to answer your question, my boy is 100% breast fed and at only 6 months people even strangers always comment on how "long" he is. My husband and I both are quite petite and of average height. But I am guessing he has got my maternal family's genes coz both my brother and my sister (who have been exclusivly breastfed too) are really tall - my brother is over 6 ft in height and my sister is nearly 5.10"

 

[babi77]

yes E. My baby is as tall as the other babies and even a bit taller, frankly speaking, and his head circumfrrence is doing okay too, only weight gain is steadily growing..

thanks for everything. I willnever stop my breastfeeding, and will continue until my boy does not want to.

thanks again, I'm so touched and I feel much better now.

:thanks

Babi

 

[geiboyi]

Back when I was an excited new mother and still paid attention to things like this, my (breastfed) son was always in the 95th% for height and 50th for weight. Wish I could same the same for myself....

 

[LLL_Sarah]

When talking about these percentiles, especially reminiscing, remember that the standards have recently changed. For example a 12 month old baby who was on the 50th percentile in the old charts will now be on the 75th percentile with the new standards.

Increase in height and head circumference are as important as increase in weight, although a little harder to measure accurately, which is why weight is the measure that is most often recorded.

Growth in length averages one inch per month and growth in head circumference is about half an inch per month during the first six months and about half that during the second six months.

 

[Wee Kean]

I breastfeed my daughter till now and she is going to be 2 years old next Friday! I really enjoyed this special bonding with my daughter. During this 2 years I had received lots and lots of critisms/comments from friends, families and even strangers! (worse after she turned one) I was so hurt and cried for many times and even thought about giving up. However, I am glad that I have supports from my husband, LLL leaders and mothers who are breastfeeding.

My MIL was very supportive as she breastfed her children too, but my father once asked my not to breastfeed in the public because "police will arrest you as it is not decent to do so in the public!!" I said "first of all, there is no such thing, second, if the police really want to arrest me, go ahead, nothing can stop me from nursing my hungry and crying child, I am her mother!"

Some said "your daughter is slim/petite" I said "yes she is not fat, has good size (her weight and height are always within chart) and doctor said that's because I am not fat and she got that from me" or "good for her, easier to find husband"

Some said "it is bad to breastfeed toddler, etc" I said "WHO recommended to breastfeed till 2 years old" or "look at my daughter, she has good skin, fit, not fat, active, happy, confident, has good appetite, healthy, why is it bad for my child?

Some said "formula is better than breastmilk" I said "you got the info from advertisement who wanted your money and I got my info from thorough research/books/websites" Free things do not mean less good (air is free, sunshine is free, moonlight is free, wind is free, mountains are free, tree and flowers are free, birds flying in the sky is free, happiness is free...)

I have never made any comments about people giving formula to their children (formula is not cow milk, infant cannot drink cow milk until 1 years old). It is the parents' choice. All parents want the best for their children. If a parent think formula is good for their children, they do what they like. If a parent think breastfmilk is good for their children, leave them alone!

I truly understand your problem because I have gone through it myself. It was hard but once you are used to those comments, you will become thick face like me You have to be prepared to face those situation (being critised in the public) and have a few answers ready (LLL website has article about how to face critism) Be confident, and smile to people who are so "kind" to offer you "advise". When you say "I have done my thorough research/WHO said/my doctor said..." people tend to shut up immediately as they don't know anything and have no proof of what they said.

Do what is best for you and your child. Most of all, enjoy it!