Breastfeeding in public
There are government plans to give women the right to breastfeed in public and to be given rights to take a break from work to feed their babies. It’s about time!
Have just listening to a talk radio programme and the presenter is infuriating me. I’ve lost count of the number of ill-thought-out, illiberal statements he’s made.
He’s saying things like… “I don’t want to go to a restaurant and see breasts hanging out… It’s only done by women who are showing off… There’s a time and a place for it – and it’s not in public… Why can’t they stop being selfish and just feed at home?”
UNICEF/NHS guidelines advise that babies are fed on-demand – not at scheduled times. Why shouldn’t babies have their breakfast/lunch/tea when they want to eat? What is so offensive about seeing a breast (and let’s face it only part of a breast – once the baby is attached).
The shock-jock (who I’m not convinced believes what he is saying) is James Max on LBC 97.3.
Photo credit: chispita_666
Ok but to be fair women can feed on demand from a bottle, having expressed their own milk beforehand. As a woman who has had a baby just three weeks ago i breastfed at home but in public bottlefed out of choice as i am uncomfortable getting my breasts out in public and i would be just as uncomfortable as an onlooker. You can change the laws but it does not mean people will stop moaning about it.
That’s true Sarah, you can feed on-demand from a bottle, although some babies do find it difficult (initially) to adapt to bottle feeding – just as some will find it difficult to get the hang of breast feeding.
The current recommended practice suggests sticking to one method of feeding for the first 4 weeks. Mixing the feeding methods earlier than 4 weeks could create unnecessary ‘nipple confusion’.
Also, there will be variations in the temperature of the milk – depending on the method used – which can disrupt consistent feeding.
Some women can’t express milk…some babies won’t feed from a bottle – what now Sarah?
OK – you feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public, that’s fine, but not everyone does.
And the concept of ‘onlookers’ is just plain bizarre – surely only those who took an active interest would fall into the bracket, therefore whether they feel uncomfortable or not is their own issue.
While I support that you are not happy to breastfeed in public, I am disappointed that you number among the narrow-minded, reactionaries making it difficult for those who are trying to do the best for their babies.