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| Breastfeeding in Public |
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We are always interested in the experiences our visitors have of breastfeeding in public. This has long been a matter of debate & will probably continue to be so (sadly).
Over the following pages you can see what others think about breastfeeding in public & how they got on. There are views from women who breastfeed & those who don't together with views of men.
If you'd like to share your experiences or thoughts on the matter, please do so by filling in our Contact Form, entitling it "Breastfeeding in Public".
This might turn out to be a long story, but I really feel I need to share.
Conner is 5 mo. old now, and has some medical problems. We have been struggling to breastfeed, but are now able to do it only a few times a day. (He gets ALL my milk, though...Thank God for pumps).
Anyway, we have to take him to the closest Children's Hospital, and since it is 200+ miles away, we stay at the Local Ronald McDonald house. For those of you not familiar with the RMHouse, it is a place for families to stay while their chronically ill children are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital. We have been going there for 5 months now, and it really is a wonderful place. It's like a home away from home.
The other day I was feeding Conner in the Dining room, where there are other adults and children present, as was my 2 year old. About an Hour later, the woman who runs the RMH at night came up to me, and said this:
"There are some parents here that are offended by you breastfeeding him in front of everyone...so, if you want to feed him, Throw this over you" (She handed me a big blanket).
I would like to say that I am VERY discrete when I bf in public, and I have never had a problem with anyone, ever, saying something to me. I was so very hurt and upset by this. I went back to my room and cried for a few hours.
When we are at the RMH, we are there because our child(ren) is not doing well, and we are very worried about their health. I'm stressed enough already, and I feel that this has added yet one more strain to what our family is going through.
I would also like to point out that the woman was very polite about telling me this, and wasn't speaking of her own beliefs (as far as I could tell), and she didn't tell me I couldn't breastfeed, or that I had to go back to the room, and do it in private.
I just hate that I should have to hide under a giant cover so I don't offend someone.
I didn't pursue the issue any further, as I don't know if I'm overreacting. If I am, I don't want to make a big "stink" of it, and if I'm not, I wonder what the next step should be to make myself "heard". I have, however, sent a similar copy of this letter to Breastfeeding.com, La Leche League, and someone who was discriminated against in Canada. I plan on sending it to more people, as soon as I find more places to send it.
Thank you for listing!
I have a query - is it illegal to breastfeed in public?
This is what a young mother was told in a restaurant in Portrush (a seaside town close to where I live). Her letter was published in our local paper (she didn't name the establishment or give her own name, except indicate that she was from another part of the Province). In her own words - 'I was approached by one of the female employees who told me that what I was doing was illegal and that people were complaining.
When I explained that no one else was aware of what I was doing, she said that she and her staff were "disgusted" with me. We were left with no alternative but to leave the restaurant without finishing our lunch.' And this is a down-at-heel seaside town desperate to attract tourism!
I'm about to draft a reply to the same paper - so I wanted to get my facts straight first. I don't think it's illegal (I've never heard of it being) but I just want to make sure, before I commit pen to paper!
When my daughter, Amber, was 6 months old, I attended the Health & RRacquetClub with my husband one evening. I took my daughter to the room where the little ones are looked after. This room looks into the gym, so that you can see your child from almost any place in the gym. After our workout, I fetched Amber and we sat at the cafeteria to have a drink. Amber decided this was her drinking time too. So I took out her baby blanket and covered her up while she was drinking. It wasn't 2 minutes and the manager came to tell me that he had received complaints about my feeding in the open. He then told me that i could sit in the room where the children are being looked after. This being the room that is surrounded by glass and has most of the equipment facing the room.
I was very humiliated by this experience.
I am pleased to report that my experiences of breastfeeding my son in public were mostly positive, with help and support coming from, at times, unexpected quarters ie older men and women. In fact most of my enquiries as to whether people minded me breastfeeding in front of them/on their premises met with delighted looks and wholehearted support. Hopefully times and attitudes have changed as this was not always the case when I was feeding my daughter. I even had to fight prejudice and ignorance within my close family. I can, however, thankfully report that I have never been offered a toilet to feed in. Needless to say this would have resulted in a very firm refusal on my part, and a reminder to whoever suggested it that a toilet is hardly the most hygienic place to have a meal, whatever your age!
Its also very good to note that 'Breastfeeding' as a subject is so easily accessible on the net.
My daughter is nine months old, and I am still breastfeeding her. Last evening my husband suggested we stop in at a restaurant to grab a bite before heading home. He asked if we needed to go home first to feed the baby, and I said that I would nurse her at the restaurant under a blanket. He was furious that I would suggest such a thing! I dug out a new jar of baby food instead.
That particular dining place is small, and I could have easily hidden her from view of the other patrons. I felt bullied into not breastfeeding. My husband is an active duty military man so he is rarely home to see how this breastfeeding works so well. I wish more people understood it is discreet and fairly clinical - certainly not a "show"
Hi,
I just visited Hampton Court Palace this weekend. There are no signs ANYWHERE (including in their leaflets) stating that you cannot eat on the premises, so when my son got hungry (and the "mother's room was a LONG walk away) I sat down in a corner to feed him. Almost instantly a security officer came over and told me that no eating was allowed inside the palace. I ask him why I couldn't feed my baby - I really didn't understand. He simply reiterated that no eating was allowed. When I pointed to two kids walking by, who were eating apples, he had no comment.
I knew that he was uncomfortable because I was feeding my baby normally (i.e. not formula - which, of course, is un-normal).
PS. I've written a letter to the Directors of Hampton Court Palace.