Breastfeeding in public (surely there cannot still be an issue...)

[rendelharris]

keano77 Wrote:

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> I gave you a chance Rendel, could you think of any

> reason etc

You've been answered sensibly by others. But if you insist, no I can't think of any reason why someone would complain about a woman breastfeeding in the fruit aisle of a supermarket. Please explain why this would be a problem for you.

[Alan Medic]

As a matter of interest keano, what's your view on women being topless on a beach or elsewhere?

[redjam]

I don't really understand the fruit aisle example. For a start, I have literally never seen a woman breastfeed in the middle of a supermarket aisle. But if she did, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Why would it?

Some of the views on here are breathtaking. Some facts:

1) Women have the 'breast is best' message drummed into them constantly from health visitors, medical professionals etc.

2) As other posters have said, you really can't just switch newborn babies back and forth from breast to bottle. You can when they're older, but not the first three months or so. Some babies will never accept a bottle.

3) Newborn babies need feeding every three hours or so. Night and day. It can take up to an hour to breastfeed. Very difficult to plan trips out in that small 'window', especially as babies do not always conform to schedules.

4) Most restaurants and bars do not have a room set aside for breastfeeding. In fact I would go so far as to say I have never seen such a room in any bar or restaurant I have ever been in. The most you can hope for is a chair by the communal sinks in posher establishments. The more likely scenario is that if you wanted to take yourself off to a 'private' area it would mean you were sitting for 45 minutes in a grim loo cubicle while your food got cold outside and your companion sat alone.

5) I have never met a woman who was 'exhibitionist' about breastfeeding. Though I would say that many of us (not all) get into a bit of a baby bubble and stop feeling self-conscious about it. I certainly got to the point where I could answer the door to a surprised postman with a baby latched on and not even think twice about it. That's because - surprise - feeding your hungry baby is an entirely natural behaviour.

What would the anti-public-bf have mothers do? Stay inside for first six months of their baby's life? Because if you go out with a baby, there will inevitably be a time when you get 'caught short' and you are forced to feed in public. It's no one's ideal situation. But it's either that or you are literally trapped at home 24 hours a day for months on end.

[redjam]

Oh, and I forgot to add, expressing milk into a bottle is the devil's work. I'm sure there are some women who manage it merrily; I have never met one. For me it would involve a miserable and painful 30 minutes on my own to produce maybe a quarter of a bottle - which was then a faff to store and reheat at the right temperature. So again, not a solution that works for everyone.

[TE44]

http://www.madeformums.com/news-and-gossip/breastfeeding-in-public-mums-hilarious-song-goes-viral/30429.html

Here's a song admitting everything, ha ha.

[DaveR]

I've been thinking about a scenario where I would think breastfeeding was "inappropriate, inconsiderate and selfish". I can't think of one, including the 'tea at Claridges' which seems to be regarded as a good example. Now that's only my view, and of course there may be others who feel differently. But that doesn't mean they are entitled to interfere in someone else's behaviour, nor expect that the proprietor should impose rules to suit them. Years ago lots of people would have objected strongly to seeing kids in pubs at any time, and some still do, but the world has changed, and I'm afraid people have to get comfortable with that.

[malumbu]

I'm overwhelmed. Most of my threads die a quick death. Only thing I have to add to the generally spot on comments, is when I saw a watershed. My sister feeding in the late 80s it still seemed to be a thing not done in public. and then a few years later no issue. Wasn't sure if the first of my peer group was an early adopter, whether there was some turning point in the early 90s, or whether my evidence based on a sample of two is over-simplifying things.