https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:34:18 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343725 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:16:04 +0000 tysonja 343725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: awesome, thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343684 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:54:16 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 343684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tysonja: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db05.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db05.htm</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343675 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:49:54 +0000 oliviaoblivia 343675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've noticed mostly BF moms in my neighborhood and amongst my friends. My hospital (Toronto, Ontario) is extremely BF friendly and has a lactation clinic that is open 7 days a week and has a 24 hour hotline. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343671 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:47:51 +0000 tysonja 343671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: great point! I'm sure there's a 'real' study of this out there somewhere to be found :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343667 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:45:15 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 343667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Where we used to live (small-town Appalachia) BF was definitely NOT the norm. You should have seen the joy on our doctor's face when she found out I was BFing. She bent over backwards to make sure it went smoothly. </p> <p>BF is more common among well-educated, higher-income mothers. I think that's more key than region, although there are certainly some differences there. But a lot of them still tie in with income/education/etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343660 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:41:05 +0000 tysonja 343660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cvbee: as someone who heavily supplements with formula but not by choice (but i've made my peace! haha), yep, formula sure does cost an arm and leg!<br /> every time i buy a box/tub i think of the pair of jeans or dress i could've splurged on hahahahah .... ;*( !! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343649 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:35:45 +0000 cvbee 343649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@adnama: @tysonja: In other parts of Ontario that is not the case. I'm in a small town in Ontario and the hospital is definitely all about breastfeeding. They have special training to support EBF and are trying to get designated under the Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative. (Associated with WHO/UNICEF) See <a href="http://www.breastfeedingontario.org/bfi.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.breastfeedingontario.org/bfi.html</a></p> <p>And from what I've seen around town, mostly the less educated / less well-off Moms are the ones who do FF and I will admit to being 'judgy' about this, mostly wondering why they would do that if it costs more money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343606 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:19:04 +0000 mrsjazz 343606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know what the norms are in NYC. I'm thinking that with the Mayor's plan for formula in hospitals it might mean that formula is what the majority of women do? I know women who formula feed/fed and women who breastfeed/fed. I was also scheduled to give birth at a birth center and took classes to prepare for that, so usually the women in those classes would most likely breastfeed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343594 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:13:02 +0000 tysonja 343594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@adnama: oh no way! i'm from ottawa originally... interesting! i moved away before friends my age started having kids, so i don't know what the norms are for that area anymore :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343587 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:06:34 +0000 brownie 343587@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say most people formula feed in town. I think some try but don't last long for many different personal reasons. I think much of it having to do work full time. There is also very little support in general in this town and less for working mothers. We only have 2 OB's in town at any one time and that is most definitely not enough to do more than birth the babies. The lactation consultant in town who works for the hospital can help with latching and that is about it (anything more difficult is beyond her such as pumping or MSPI). We have a La Leche League which meets in the mornings and is difficult for working moms to attend. All of the mom's groups meet during the day. So unless you get support from church or your own group of friends you won't find groups. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343544 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:20:47 +0000 mamimami 343544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Baby Boy Mom: totally agree with you! Everyone's always like, "where's your baby's bottle? I'll feed him for you!" Um, sorry! </p> <p>I think a lot of this attitude has to do with the fact that everyone has nannies and nannies don't breastfeed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343543 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:16:02 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 343543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have kids yet - but I know the hospital closest to my home town pretty much automatically gives the babies formula and encourage it. My moms best friend is a midwife and doesn't like going there because they don't even give an option for the most part. So I guess in that area FF is the most common?<br /> From Ontario Canada! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343529 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:59:30 +0000 keiki_mama 343529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pump but will sometimes supplement with formula. I went down to a Walgreens to pick up a can and there was only 1 can of each type of formula. I went with the intentions of buying 2 cans but couldn't. (San Francisco, CA) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343445 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:18:58 +0000 Weagle 343445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in the DC metro area, and while I don't know if it's common throughout the entire region, almost everyone I know at least tried to BF. I recently visited my hometown, however, and everyone acted like I was an alien/rockstar because LO was 5mo and had never had anything but breastmilk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343417 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:58:50 +0000 Honeybee 343417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pretty much everyone I know in real life breastfeeds. Some women I know switched over to formula or started supplementing after a few months, but I'm the only person I know of who formula fed from the first day in the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343394 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:46:04 +0000 winniebee 343394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: Yes! Even pressure from my pediatrician's office - at 8 weeks I had to go dairy free and I asked about formula and they looked at me like I had 2 heads - and I wasn't even breastfeeding then, I was pumping. Sigh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343380 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:39:40 +0000 rachiecakes 343380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: YES! me too - I'm a Cambridge, MA mama<br /> I hired (paid for) a LC, went on domperidone, attended seminars (at Isis), was encouraged to "nurse in" for days at a time - which is impossible when you're working full time. I felt like such a failure and was so depressed.<br /> DS is now 10 months old and is still BF, it hasn't been perfect but I wish there was more support, less judgement. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343375 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:37:58 +0000 ladyfingers 343375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure, but the majority of my friends (it seems) formula-feed. However, I know in each case it's because they were unable to BF for one reason or another. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343349 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:28:22 +0000 winniebee 343349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Live in Boston and it's a very EBF community. I felt a lot of pressure to continue to try to BF (paid for an LC) when we had BF troubles. Feel like I got judged even when I was giving pumped bottles of milk b/c people assumed it was formula. Feel like I was judged when I chose not to follow an elimination diet and instead give formula when my son was diagnosed with dairy intolerance/MSPI. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343337 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:23:46 +0000 HabesBabe 343337@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Most of the moms around here (Orange County, CA) BF. Except maybe the super rich moms in south county (Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, etc.) who have nannies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343321 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:16:23 +0000 tysonja 343321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>thanks for all the replies! i love reading them! soooo interesting :D</p> <p>ETA: I live in Vancouver, Canada. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343299 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:02:35 +0000 runsyellowlites 343299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think most moms try here (South Texas) but until I had DD I was the only one I knew that was bf'ing at 2 months or more. I now have a couple of friends that are bf'ing so maybe it's changing.</p> <p>When I had DS 8 years ago though, I had never known ANYONE to breastfeed and just trying everyone looked at me like I had 2 heads. =( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343288 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:56:26 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 343288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes, @mandb36: I totally get that and that's what I would have assumed too, having grown up in MA, but we're in Mexico now and in certain ways I feel like things are 20 years behind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343284 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:52:54 +0000 T.H.O.U. 343284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It seems that most people try BFing. @rachiecakes: I agree, I think those that don't try are mostly the less educated/lower income. </p> <p>I think it also has to do a lot with being a SAHM. I know its really rare for WOHM mom's like myself to be able to EBF for a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343282 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:52:42 +0000 Foodnerd81 343282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: Yup, I agree-- it seems like, at least in stigma and assumptions, the more educated or well off you are the more likely to breastfeed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343281 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:52:20 +0000 BelugaBean 343281@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Coco Bee: You're from Minnesota, right? I only ask because I had most of my prenatal care in Minnesota (up to almost 38 weeks) and I think that may partially be why I'm more drawn to breastfeeding than the people I know in SC. It was discussed more and encouraged a lot more when I was up there. That's why I picked the hospital I did down here, it had similar values to the hospital and doctor I had up there and it fit what I wanted better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343279 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:50:38 +0000 Mrs. Pen 343279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's generally BF is expected here. I know very few moms who have FF. </p> <p>It's the midwest, we do things pretty traditionally in general. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343275 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:49:48 +0000 BelugaBean 343275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Baby Boy Mom: This isn't the attitude of people I know personally but when I've seen feeding choices attached to income, it's actually the opposite. I've seen people assume that those who are poor use formula more often. It's interesting how that even varies region to region (although, like I said, the majority people in my area don't attach a stigma either way as far as income level goes). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343271 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:48:47 +0000 LAGS 343271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LC made it sound like a very low percentage of babies are EBF in my state (ME) by 6mos in age, 15% maybe? #s in the northern part of state are lowest. </p> <p>I don't know too many Moms in the area, but the ones I do know seem to all ebf, or bf/ff. That could be because we have two baby friendly hospitals nearby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/so-regional-norms-for-ff-vs-bf#post-343269 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:48:14 +0000 rachiecakes 343269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Baby Boy Mom: that's so funny because it's the complete opposite here. It's like if you formula feed you must be on assistance and/or uneducated. </p>