Your area and 'acceptance'

i thought i wouldnt be the only one. we live in clacton in essex so its pretty bad here, i cant believe some of the responses that people have got 'proper milk' what do they think breastmilk is then!

Reading your original post, I did think you'd be in either Clacton or Southend, but didn't want to presume. They are pretty bad. We like to visit them, but I wouldn't want to live there.

oh my GOD it is that bad then that you recognised it, no you really wouldnt want to live here, pace is slow, winter is depressing, almost as bad as summer tourist season, and the elderly...they...are....everywhere!

i thought i wouldnt be the only one. we live in clacton in essex so its pretty bad here, i cant believe some of the responses that people have got 'proper milk' what do they think breastmilk is then!

Reading your original post, I did think you'd be in either Clacton or Southend, but didn't want to presume. They are pretty bad. We like to visit them, but I wouldn't want to live there.

oh my GOD it is that bad then that you recognised it, no you really wouldnt want to live here, pace is slow, winter is depressing, almost as bad as summer tourist season, and the elderly...they...are....everywhere!

I only recognise it because I don't live that far away. I'm in Colchester.

ah that's not so bad, you probably know what i mean then lol

I live in a nice area and or cloth wasn't common at all at baby group - just me. When I drove to quite a 'poor/deprived area' to baby massage classes at a surestart centre there were 14 people and 12 were . I don't know any cloth mums though.

i saw a lady bf in the cafe where we were picking up our footprint covered ceramic tile today lol, i was very pleased and wanted to look and smile but didnt want to make her think 'ugh people always give me funny looks when i feed' lol i think i shall where a 'i breastfeed too' badge

I'm in a strange situation as I live in a very deprived area but I chose to live here 9yrs ago when I moved in to volunteer on a christian youth project called EDEN. About 20 of us moved into the area 8-10yrs ago & we are almost all from affluent (mostly southern) areas originally so we stood out like sore thumbs from the start. The locals have always refered to us as 'the God squad' & although we've now become a real part of the community they were more shocked by a lot of our 'christian values' when EDEN started so I think they expect us to be wierd. I've managed to convert a few of my 'God squad' friends to cloth (part time at least) but at baby groups i go to I've had comments like "you must have too much time on your hands if you can use those" or "you not feeding her yet? (cos obviously isn't feeding!!). People often ask when I'm going to stop & look a bit when I say I'll let her self wean but I'm confident in what I do so I think people respect that even if they don't agree.

One conversation that made me was when one mum asked me how much milk Grace took. I said I didn't know cos I bf & she said "but how many oz does she take at each feed" again I said "I don't know". "But you MUST know how many oz she takes!!!!" I tried to explain but she just couldn't get it. She then said "can't you see how much she drinks?" No! My boobs aren't see through!!! Then she said "don't you worry that she'll starve?" I just answered "look at her... does she look like shes starving?" she just shook her said & said she couldn't understand!!

One of my neighbours asked at a party if he could give Grace a chocolate covered doughnut & when I said no. i explained I'm quite careful what she eats & told him she could eat the cheese or friut that was there. A couple of minutes later he came back to me & said "does that mean she can't have a drink of my coke either?" "yes, no coke either". Poor guy thought I was very mean!!

I'm the opposite to most people - I didn't breast feed Sam but because it's uber-middle class and left-leaning round here (West London) and the circles I move in (media) I've had some surprised comments about that! But it's a personal choice and I don't believe in judging or lecturing, and to be fair, nobody I know has done - or would do -that. As for cloth, one of my best friends uses it too but she's not a 'local.' I'm surprised more of the 'right on' mummies round here don't but I've had some interested comments at playgroup so live in hope of making a few converts!

I live in Ireland. We have the lowest uptake of breastfeeding in Europe. Luckily though, most of my circle of friends do but I honestly have not met many outside my friends who There are 3 long term (as in longer than 6 weeks) breastfeeders in the local breastfeeding support group everyone else does it for a couple of weeks if they take it up at all. There have been several radio discussion about breastfeeding lately & the general opinion seems to be that it is dirty & disgusting. I quite openly (although discreetly) in public & the looks on people's faces are 50:50. Some think you're amazing & some are horrified.

I know 1 other woman locally who uses cloth & while she has done her research & uses good nappies, she doesn't understand me wanting to swap & change & get pretty ones. Pretty much the response I get to me using cloth is one of pity "aww you poor thing". I think people think we can't afford disposies. Only 1 of my friends thinks me using cloth is perfectly normal, she's Norwegian so I imagine it's alot more common over there.

As to babywearing, I get lots of different responses, mostly positive. "Oh, isn't that a good idea" but the best responsive I ever got was "oh is that safe?"

I can pretty much guarantee that I am one of only a handful of , cloth using, babywearing mommas in the whole country though

I've not really thought about it TBH. I know their were a few people who used cloth where I used to live. One woman got talking to me about the babies longies at babygroup. I was a bit taken aback that she instantly knew what they were and that I didn't just favour woolly trousers on the babies like everyone else thought. She used Happy Heinys and Tots Bots but didn't have the courage to try wool...

My entire family think I'm crazy and unfortunately none of them are convinced with cloth and there's 5 babies due in the summer. It's such a shame, they won't open their minds a little. They seem to all early wean, not think twice about giving unhealthy foods/drinks or packet babyfood. But one is planning a homebirth this time around and I've silenced a few people on her facebook saying that it was dangerous and calling her a bad mum for even considering it.

Since moving I didn't really expect it to be any different. We share a communal area with three other families and I'm just waiting for the accusations that we're filling the bins etc because they're only emptied every fortnight and by the end of the first week they've managed to fill them! It's crazy. We barely have a wheely bin full of rubbish in two weeks and we're the biggest family.

I did spot someone with a monkeyfoot wetbag in town last week. And I suppose I've seen a few more people carryig their babies in wraps than I ever did in Nottingham.
My neighbour downstairs has a little girl and won't listen to her mum about cloth, maybe I should try?! She's recently pregnant with her second baby too. just a shame I can't hang my washing out. Who could resist a line full of Holdens Landings and Weenotions?

I'm not sure I could convince her though, having seen both babies in their Bugaboo's she commented that next we'll be getting a Chelsea tractor.