The idea of “bingo” cards is because so often people come out with insults or ignorant comments that they think are new, or insightful, but in fact have been said so many times before they’re almost boring.
A long while ago, I made a “breastfeeding bingo” card. It was originally intended simply as a handout at a breastfeeding support group I was jointly running at the time, but it became quite popular and even got turned into a postcard by Lisa at Lactivist.
Lauredhel at Hoyden about Town designed an excellent bingo card for conversations about breastfeeding in public.
But neither of these cards really covered the area of full-term breastfeeding. Or, child-led weaning, or normal-term breastfeeding. (Please, not “extended” breastfeeding; this implies there is a “right” cut off point and that nursing beyond this is somehow unnatural; “extending” what is normal. For more on “cut off points” see here.) Although this bingo card applies mainly to conversations around full-term breastfeeding, if you nurse longer than what is considered the cultural norm where you are, you’ll probably hear quite a few of these anyway.
[Please also note I am not, in designing this bingo card, getting at you in any way if you didn't breastfeed full-term, or if you didn't breastfeed at all.]
So, without further ado, I present full-term breastfeeding bingo. Can you get a full house?
December 1, 2009 at 8:17 pm
HOUSE!!!!!
December 4, 2009 at 8:24 am
This is excellent! I must share.
December 4, 2009 at 9:11 am
My daughter is 8 months old and I’m already getting most of those.
I admit, when I first started breastfeeding I didn’t want to breastfeed beyond the first year. But within a couple of months I decided that I will let my daughter decide when she’s ready to quit. It’s not causing any strain on us and hasn’t the entire 8 months we’ve been doing it. I don’t see any problems arising in the future (fingers crossed.)
December 4, 2009 at 10:36 am
I got 15, after 21 months.
December 4, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Love this!! I just wrote about full-term/”extended” breastfeeding. My son will be two years old in one week and I can’t even imagine weaning.
Thanks for the chuckle this morning!
February 11, 2012 at 7:57 pm
I can’t bieelve that so many people have lost the use of their necks and can’t just look away.
December 14, 2009 at 12:00 pm
My son is 20 months old and recently, with the run up to christmas and partys looming, have felt an ever increasing pressure to no “let on” to those of my family who frowned apon me still B.F at 1 year, let alown 2 years at these occasions.
I have been laughed at, felt uncomftable and even told that I’m making myself ill B.F for this long. Ok, I’m a little low on Iron, but ive always been pale!
Why dont people see that this is NORMAL and they are the weird ones?????
Some kids have dummys til they are 5, how is that more acceptable than B.F?
I see some kids drinking squash out of a babies bottle at 5, how is this OK, and B.F an infant 20 month old not?
They are the weird ones, not me “US”.
I shall, however, conceal our B.F moments infront of such family and friends so as not to feel uncomftable or have to justify what I have chosen to do for my son!
Karla X
January 26, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Why not call it ‘post-infancy breastfeeding’? After all, the term ‘full-term breastfeeding’ is hardly innocent of implying that there’s a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ way to do things. What does that term imply to women who didn’t nurse past infancy – that their breastfeeding didn’t run for the full term, and hence was insufficiently long? That there was something premature about when they stopped? Is it really appropriate to be implying anything potentially judgemental, with our language, about something that should be an individual choice?
February 19, 2010 at 8:13 pm
[...] the original Breastfeeding Bingo Card. More about the idea of the Bingo cards can be found on http://mothersforwomenslib.com/2009/12/01/full-term-breastfeeding-bingo/ Mothers for Womens [...]
February 19, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Thank you Ruth – I have finally got around to getting this sorted out and onto a postcard – it should be in stock soon, hot off the press! Meanwhile, I have linked to you here, hope that is ok, let me know if you want anything changed.
Lisa
http://www.lactivist.net/?p=856
April 15, 2010 at 2:26 am
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