Breast Feeding in Public

OldNotWIse

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Doesn't matter if someone doesn't like a woman breastfeeding in public. She is legally entitled to breastfeed in public; and if someone tries to stop her, she can take a discrimination case.

In any case, you generally see more boob in a pub on a Saturday night than when a woman feeds her baby.

That's true And on a related subject, I'd much rather see a woman discreetly (as every woman I have ever seen breastfeeding has been) feeding her baby than some of the idiots you see squeezed into miniscule shorts (wtf is that all about?) and high heels in the city centre, or guys walking around in tracksuit bottoms who think its necessary to keep one hand down their pants on their crotch lest someone make off with it, not to mention those who insist on wearing hipsters and hanging out over them (bum crack and all lol) - think they call them "muffin tops"?

But seriously, a woman who's had a baby has had her body inhabited by an alien for 40 weeks, has undergone intrusive exams, been splayed for all to see, possibly in stirrups, maybe torn/cut not to mention colonic irrigation etc and then had a truckload of people descend on her oohing and aaahing and generally poking at her and the baby...and you want to have a go at her for feeding her child natural milk when it is hungry??

Beefy78

Deleted User wrote: »

If someone doesn't like it, they should move themselves to a better place.

What if they can't move themselves to a better place?

I was on a flight to Bristol earlier this year, happily minding my own business looking out the window. Turn around half way through the flight and the lady in my row of seats is happily breast feeding her six year old.

It's a 40 minute flight, come on now.

ceadaoin.

OldNotWIse wrote: »

But seriously, a woman who's had a baby has had her body inhabited by an alien for 40 weeks, has undergone intrusive exams, been splayed for all to see, possibly in stirrups, maybe torn/cut not to mention colonic irrigation etc and then had a truckload of people descend on her oohing and aaahing and generally poking at her and the baby...and you want to have a go at her for feeding her child natural milk when it is hungry??

Just want to point out that this doesn't happen!

HeyThereDeliah

OldNotWIse wrote: »

But seriously, a woman who's had a baby has had her body inhabited by an alien for 40 weeks, has undergone intrusive exams, been splayed for all to see, possibly in stirrups, maybe torn/cut not to mention colonic irrigation etc and then had a truckload of people descend on her oohing and aaahing and generally poking at her and the baby...and you want to have a go at her for feeding her child natural milk when it is hungry??

Is is really this bad? You are not exactly promoting happy pregnancy with that post.

OldNotWIse

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Just want to point out that this doesn't happen!

Really? i thought sometimes they did it before labour? I'd be complaining

smash

Beefy78 wrote: »

the lady in my row of seats is happily breast feeding her six year old.

There is something seriously wrong with some people.

OldNotWIse

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

Is is really this bad? You are not exactly promoting happy pregnancy with that post.

I dont know I've never been pregnant! It's just what I've heard Hasn't put me off though, I can't wait to have kids

eviltwin

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

Is is really this bad? You are not exactly promoting happy pregnancy with that post.

Its not really like that at all

HeyThereDeliah

OldNotWIse wrote: »

I dont know I've never been pregnant! It's just what I've heard Hasn't put me off though, I can't wait to have kids

It's put me off, feck sake you make it sound horrendous.

OldNotWIse

eviltwin wrote: »

Its not really like that at all

Breathes sigh of relief...

mauzo

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Really? i thought sometimes they did it before labour? I'd be complaining

Sometimes they give you an enema, when your bowels are cleared it sometimes helps the uterus do the same.

Other than that, no...they don't do that lol

OldNotWIse

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Really? i thought sometimes they did it before labour? I'd be complaining

There was a time when women were given enemas before birth, so you're not plucking it out of nowhere

OldNotWIse

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

It's put me off, feck sake you make it sound horrendous.

Ah stop now, go out and look at a newbie all wrapped up and with a little baby hat on and just it's nose sticking out and you'll be grand

mauzo

HeyThereDeliah wrote: »

It's put me off, feck sake you make it sound horrendous.

It's not horrendous at all. Most beautiful thing you'll ever experience.

I loved every minute of it.

eviltwin

Just to add when you are pregnant or in labour you can say no, some women think they have no choices in things, you can refuse to have people in the room, say no to stirrups etc if you want.

iguana

derb12 wrote: »

I started breastfeeding my first child in 1996 and I remember thinking how weird it was back then that people felt that there was some sort of legitimate debate to be had about "breastfeeding in public".
It's pathetic that we in this country still haven't moved on from our immature attitude to mothers feeding their babies and make them feel that they should move to a different room, or hide under a shawl, or beneath one of these ridiculous contraptions like this which surely just draw more attention to the whole thing rather than making it more discreet!

Some people do feel more comfortable under such a cover though, so I don't think it's fair to call them ridiculous. I think women who use them aren't at all bothered by the fact that people know they are breastfeeding but are bothered by the thought of someone seeing their breasts and if such a cover allows them to continue feeding their child in a way that they feel comfortable that's a good thing.

I'm not too worried about what strangers think of me when I breastfeed and if someone happens to see my areola or nipple I doubt I'll care. Yet I do feel a bit uncomfortable about the thought of feeding around close male relatives like my dad and brothers. So I'll be using nursing tops that have openings just below or to the side of the breast and hope to master feeding in a sling/wrap (thought that's more about having freedom while I feed than discretion).

OldNotWIse

mauzo wrote: »

Sometimes they give you an enema, when your bowels are cleared it sometimes helps the uterus do the same.

Other than that, no...they don't do that lol

Ah-ha! That must be where I got it anyway apologies for dragging thread off course a bit

iguana

Deleted User wrote: »

There was a time when women were given enemas before birth, so you're not plucking it out of nowhere

Yup, my mum keeps going on about it. She thinks it was much better than just letting you poop yourself during labour.

eviltwin

iguana wrote: »

Yup, my mum keeps going on about it. She thinks it was much better than just letting you poop yourself during labour.

I've had two labours and never pooed myself. I don't know anyone who has. Does it really happen or is it just one of those urban myths they tell pregnant women to scare them.

iguana

eviltwin wrote: »

I've had two labours and never pooed myself. I don't know anyone who has. Does it really happen or is it just one of those urban myths they tell pregnant women to scare them.

At my antenatal class we were told that everyone poos during labour, so don't worry about it. I don't think it's intended to scare women, just reassure any who do that it's ok and they shouldn't be embarrassed.

Yep, apparently everyone does it, just midwives are used to it and excellent at removing the evidence so noone even notices. And seeing as you're pushing out a 7lber you don't notice it yourself!

Micky Dolenz

eviltwin wrote: »

I've had two labours and never pooed myself. I don't know anyone who has. Does it really happen or is it just one of those urban myths they tell pregnant women to scare them.

I would have thought the idea of pushing a baby out of your vagina would be more scary then a bit of poop.

Hippies!

girl2 wrote: »

What do you AH folk think?

I think you're very lucky to not only have a job in these recessionary times but also to work with such fascinating people. I envy you.

eviltwin

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I would have thought the idea of pushing a baby out of your vagina would be more scary then a bit of poop.

Done it twice, its nothing to be scared of. Its the most amazing feeling in the world.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Lollipops23

I have no problem at all with women breastfeeding in public- if I'm allowed eat my lunch on a park bench, a baby should be allowed have his/hers. It's just a boob, people act like they've never seen them before.

However, I HATE the militant mammy brigade who see it as this big badge of honour. I used to work on reception for a company (a non-children/parenting related industry, incidentally) and a woman who came for an appointment with her tiny newborn in tow insisted we provide her a private room to breastfeed. Fúcks sake, like. Bad enough you come to a professional interview with your baby, but to insist you need privacy to feed him is just lunacy.

gallag

My wife did not think having a baby felt great. I suppose both baby's being 10lb and rupturing her requiring surgery and blood transfusion. She had many people examine her and she said she just learned to leave her dignity at the door. Also the first baby got Streep b and ended up in a incubater and the day I had to pick them up my appendix burst.

Sorcha16

Madam_X wrote: »

Went for lunch with a friend and her baby -she whipped out her boob fully first. Hope people saw it - and hope it annoyed them.

I think it's exactly this kind of aggressive attitude that gives breastfeeding a bad name. Why you would hope to purposely antagonise people is beyond me.

Respect works both ways -go about your own business discreetly and let other people go about theirs.

Morag

girl2 wrote: »

One woman says that absolutely under any circumstances can a woman whip out her boob and let the baby get fed, regardless of being in a busy public place - she should not have to remove herself and move to a quiet area, that it's tough if anyone is offended.

She is right, it is a right protected under our laws.

Morag

They used to shave a woman's pubic hair as well as giving them an enema before birth, thankfully they copped on.