For once I agree with Downing Street, that mothers should not be made to feel uncomfortable for doing something so important for their child - feeding them naturally. Video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30342953
I will not make any comments about Nigel Farage as if I said what I think of him I would be banned. Not his party as my knowledge of UK politics is way out of date, but the man himself. However, if you think this is new then think again. In July 1970 I had gone to Watford Market and had parked my ancient car in the car park while I went round the market with my toddler daughter and 6 -week-old son and while we were away someone had siphoned out all my petrol. No mobile telephones in those days but someone saw I was unable to drive so went and got me a can of petrol so I could get to the nearest filling station. While I was waiting my infant son decided he wanted feeding. So I fed him. The next thing I knew were two large policemen banging on my car window, having come to arrest me as it had been reported that I was performing a sex act in my car in a public car park. Breast-feeding a six-week-old baby is performing a sex act?
Good grief Malka - what is wrong with people! And as for Nigel Farage - well, his views on nursing mothers are just what I would expect from the man (do people really vote for him and his party?! Again - what is wrong with people!)
Who knows. But when my daughter was born in March 1968 I was just one of two in an eight-bed ward who breast-fed, and the nurses did their best to dissuade us. I do not know about the other wards there but think the idea there was also the same. When my son was born in June 1970 I was the only one in the entire maternity hospital who nursed him. All the other newborns were bottle-fed from birth. In those days though mothers were kept in hospital for a minimum of ten days so were at the mercy of the nurses. It was not permitted to leave the hospital with a newborn until at least the ten days, and if the umbilical cord had not dropped off before then, you had to stay in until it did. As I said, I have no real knowledge of UK politics these days but just the sight of that man in all the media photos gives my right foot an urge to... well I had better not say it.
My son was born in 1981, and at that time the midwives tried very hard to persuade mothers to breastfeed. And yet, most of the mothers just didn't want to. Couldn't understand it myself - perhaps it's because I'm bone idle, but I couldn't see the point of messing about with mixing up formula and sterilizing bottles when I'd got it all on tap free of charge! At that time (where I lived anyway) if it was your first baby you had to stay in for two weeks. If it wasn't your first, you could go home after two days. How you were expected to care for the baby depended on the views of the sister in charge of the ward you were on. On my ward, we were encouraged to feed on demand and put the baby to sleep on its side. The sister in charge of the other ward insisted on the babies sleeping on their fronts and feeding to schedule.
H I really don`t understand why people are getting so worked up over his statement, he has a right to it , and so does those businesses to make their own policy on whether they want someone breast feeding on their premises . I think the word "ostentatious is the clue here, no one objects to discreet breastfeeding, but some mothers make sure everyone around is aware of what they are doing, Respect works both ways....
I agree, all taken out of proportion as usual. Breast feed by all means, but I don't think it is unreasonable to be expected to have a little decorum in a public place.
I never exposed a breast when nursing either of my babies - a lightweight shawl over my shoulder and the baby and nobody could see what I was doing. Even a muslin nappy was sufficient cover to keep decorum.
I'm no fan of Nigel, but this was Claridges, which cashes in on its 'Old Fashioned' image by offering Afternoon Tea at £59 per head. I think this lady would have been found a suitable space to breastfeed in this large hotel - if she had asked. Did the other mothers need to have the breastfeeding demonstration today? I think it must have been a bit cold for their babies.
ps. It has been suggested that Claridges only objected because the baby brought his own food into the hotel!
That was going way OTT. Hopefully their babies were warm, but the mothers sitting on a cold pavement? As Mother would always say - sit on a cold step or pavement and you will get piles. [That is if you did not already get them while pregnant!]
I agree, one wonders if this was not all preconceived.... as for the demonstration outside, ridiculous!! and yes some of them did have their breasts exposed to the public, not to say what thought they gave to their poor babies sitting on pavements in the cold feeding them. cant of been a good environment for a baby to feed, cold weather, car fumes , My guess was they were more about making their points them looking after their babies welfare.
Is the person concerned in the first place a journalist or author? Only the more information that is coming out [and I do not mean breasts coming out] seems more and more like an OTT publicity stunt. Whatever she is, I now do not think that she did any favours to other nursing mothers. As for the "demonstration" - that did no favours to nursing mothers either, did it.
My children were born in 1971. I made the choice not to breastfeed. I lived in a resort town at the time and saw many mothers breastfeed in public. Especially at the beach and on the boardwalk. It didn't bother me and I never saw it being a problem for anyone else. Can't see why anyone would make a fuss over it. If you don't want to see that you don't have to watch.
Maybe it has something to do with where I was raised but I don´t see the problem with breastfeeding in public. If we look at it from a completely neutral perspective than breasts are just another body part, like arms and legs. Breasts are made for feeding infants, not as playthings for other adults. That is something that society has made them out to be and why in the world should it be a nursing mothers problem how anyone else perceives her body? Personally I would find it offensive if I was asked to leave while nursing my child. With that said, I think it is fine to be polite about it though and it is better for both mom and baby to have a cover anyway.
