Thank you all sooooooo much I feel so relieved and convinced of my decision now

haven't read other peoples replies, but in reponse to your first post -

to be blunt, what on earth has it got to do with your mum? it's your baby, only you and your OH need to worry about feeding and if she gets to feed her grand child then i see it as a bonus not a right! (others may disagree!)

you can express milk for your OH or others to feed LO

my family are not breastfeeders, i'm the first and they found it a little unusual at first but they accepted it and i fed out of people's sight when i was getting used to it and my supply was all over the place, but now i'm quite good at feeding discreetly i'll even feed in restaurants with my bro and dad present and whereas they used to be horrified at the thought, now they admit you wouldn't even know i was feeding

however, even if they hadn't come round i wouldn't give a crap as it's my decision as a mum and something i would live with (i really wanted to BF and if i hadn't at least tried i would have felt disappointed in myself and have to live with that feeling)

i'm 27 and like to think i'm still 'young' (ha ha! ) and i continue to have a social life outside home both with and without isabel! i go out every day doing different odds and ends, as i either find a feeding room (lots of places now have them) or i sit somewhere discreet to feed isabel. Tonight I left her at home with OH while i went for a meal with friends, so BFing didn't stop me doing this at all. BFing does not mean you have the baby tied to you these days however, i have to admit i love the fact that unless i express no one else can feed her so i get to be with her as much of the time as i want (which is most cos i adore her! lol). people have misguided ideas about how BFing ties you to your child...it does but only if you want it to

Thank you , I just want too do the best I possibly can , and it hurts that my family are so horrible about it .

i totally get that at the end of the day they made decisions for you and now its your turn to make decisions for your LO. if they don't like them, that's their problem not yours you need to be at peace with whatever you decide so just follow your heart x

I totally agree with the other posters here. Your mom and others have plenty of other ways to bond and I hardly see how leaving out the feeding part of it is a big deal. Boobs were made for breastfeeding, in my opinion, and it's not an area of baby care that needs to be shared out to others (unless someone wants to obviously and/or there's always the option of expressing your milk as suggested).

I would remind them that breastfeeding is a personal choice for a mother and is not a family affair. They're welcome to not breastfeed their own children as that's their right, but they shouldn't be dictating to you what you do with your baby (and that goes for every subject regarding your parenting choices, not just breastfeeding).

Best of luck!

I would've done just about anything to be able to BF the old fashioned way (instead of pumping I mean)...and honestly wouldn't have given a crap what anyone thought about it. You're the one that will be with your child most of the time and you need to do what's best for your baby.
Just follow your gut and do what you feel is best for your baby and get support elsewhere if you can't get it from your family!

I look forward to being able to do something normal , healthy and natural for my baby, and really have decided my family can deal with it or shove it

go girl

I can totally relate to what you're going through. Although my mum, nan and sister have all BF and so are huge supporters of it, they unfortunately for me live 500 miles away. I have to make do with my hubby's family - NONE of whom have ever BF.

All the time I get from the MIL "its not natural" and she moans and moans and moans not just to me but to everyone she knows that I am stopping her having her grand-daughter overnight because I insist on feeding her myself, she isnt get proper time with Emily cos I'm always there with her blah blah blah.. Emily is 6 weeks old. I didnt have a child to palm her off constantly on other people and I want to give my daughter the best possible start in life... yes, that means that for the first week she was constantly attached to my boobs, but then my milk really came in, and she was happy.

There is no better feeling in the world than being the only person who can give your baby what s/he needs and wants. There is nothing cuter than hearing their cries change as they get closer to you, cos they can smell their milk coming and the cry changes from a "wah wah wah" to more of a "mmm, mmm, mmm". You can see the contenment on their faces, and imo you just dont get that with a bottle.

I single-handedly drove 500 miles to see my family when Emily was 3 weeks old, so it doesnt stop you going out at all.

If you want to breastfeed, GO for it. Stuff everyone else. Your baby, your decision. If you want to express to get your OH involved, that's really lovely and I am sure he will appreciate it. But there are other ways for daddy's to bond. Because my hubby often works abroad for weeks at a time, he always gets in the bath with Emily when he is home, and he gives her her pre-bedtime massage and dresses her and reads her a story. It is so sweet, it makes me cry every time he does it.
Its great you've recognised that it's so important for your OH to bond with your baby.

You're going to make a fantastic mummy, you've a lucky baby. Good luck xx